Located in Central Asia, Turkmenistan is one of the most mysterious countries. With its rich history, outstanding architecture, and culture, it is the hidden gem of Central Asia. Ashgabat, the marble city, holds a Guinness Record for being the most marble city. Actually, we would not be wrong if we point out the country’s strange obsession with Guinness World Records. The country holds records for having the largest architectural star, The largest Ferris wheel in an enclosed architectural design, etc. One of the most interesting things about the country is the capital city, Ashgabat. What makes the city so special is that almost every structure, buildings were built using marble. It has dozens of interesting and colossal monuments. However, the most well-known, which is also considered as the main landmark, is Darwaza crater or, in other words, “Doors to Hell” because of the view. This man-made crater was created after an explosion in the Karakum Desert. Due to the rich gas resources around the area, it continues to burn these days. Aside from newly built cities, Turkmenistan is distinguished with its history-rich cities such as Merv. The city is so old that its name was mentioned in Avestan chronicles which date back to the 8-6th centuries BC. This is the city where many geniuses such as Omar Khayyam, As - Samani, Imamaddin-Isphakhani lived and contributed to many fields of science and art. Another worth visiting site is the Bakharden cave which is located 60 kilometres away from Ashgabat. There is an underground lake which is 60 meters below sea level. If you want to go deeper into history, the ancient ruins of Nisa are just for you. Although not so many structures stay intact in this desolated area, it still will time travel you to the 1st millennium. The city of Nisa was the capital of one of the most ancient empires, the Parthian Empire. In a world that is almost everything is known, demand for unknown rises day by day. Turkmenistan can be considered in this regard. Like many others, entering another country requires some procedures to be completed. Specifically, we are talking about visa for Turkmenistan. However, getting a Turkmenistan visa remains a big challenge. Luckily, for today’s topic, we will look at short-term visas for Turkmenistan and their requirements. But before that, let us briefly introduce the Turkmenistan visa policy.
Visa Policy of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan visa policyis defined by its relationship with other countries. Having said that, there is a huge unbalance as the country requires visas for almost everyone. Therefore, chances are you will need a visa for Turkmenistan. Regarding visas, they can be grouped as short-term and long-term visas. What we are interested in are short-term visas. But what are they? Short-term visas, as can be seen from the names, are ones designed for travels that do not last long. To be more precise, they include travel purposes like tourism, business, short-term education, etc. Long-term visas are, on the other hand, for long-stay travels such as education, work, etc. However, to get a visa, you will need to meet some requirements. What are the Turkmenistan short term visa requirements? You will find answers to these questions in the next paragraph.
Turkmenistan Short Term Visa Requirements
Although some of the requirements can vary based on your travel purpose, most of them apply to all. They are given on the list below: • Turkmenistan visa form will be filled out, signed, and completed by the person who applies for it. • Passport. This is a classic. You will need to have a passport that is not older than 10 years and has your signature. In your passport, there should be two blank pages. • A photo that is preferably taken within the last 6 months. The view of the face should take up 70-80% of the photo, which is equal to 32-26 mm. The background for the photo should be white. In the photo, you should see facial features clearly. • Copy of your national ID card. Note that ID should be valid for 6 months after you leave the country. • In the case of applying from a country that is not the country of citizenship, a residence permit or visa is required. • Photocopies of the main page of the passport, previous visas (if any), and final destination (if any). • A letter proving the invitation of the applicant by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan. As we already mentioned, additional documents will be asked, depending on your purpose of travel. One of the most popular short-term visas is the tourist visa. There is a thing that you should know before considering applying for a tourist visa. Getting a Turkmenistan visa for tourism purposes is not possible without booking a tour. After booking a tour, you will get a letter of invitation (LOI) which will be essential for your travel. There is a much easier way to go to Turkmenistan without booking a tour, and it is a transit visa. However, it has some restrictions. Yout travel will be limited to 5 days in most cases. Another disadvantage of it is that getting a transit visa, you might need to wait for longer than usual. A tourist visa can be a bit costly as you need to book a tour through a company verified by Turkmenistan. Prices can range between 100 and 300 USD per day. However, these prices include guide, driver, accommodation, and food. However, you can cut the expenses by sharing your tour with others or arrange a group tour. You might be wondering about Turkmenistan short term visa fee. Yet again, it varies based on some factors. The major indicators are the length of travel, entry types, etc. For example, Turkmenistan short term visa fee for up to ten days is 20 USD. It increases by 10 USD for every 10 additional days. Note that these are travels with a single entry. For multiple entries, a visa for up to a month costs 60 USD. For the additional month, you will be charged 40 USD. Since we are aware of the visa requirements, it is time to ask the ultimate question of how to obtain visa for Turkmenistan.
How to obtain Visa for Turkmenistan?
To apply for a short-term visa, you will either need to contact one of the diplomatic representatives and consular institutions of Turkmenistan abroad or use a visa on arrival. If you are planning to get a visa through an embassy, you will need to locate the embassy. Once you locate the local or the nearest embassy or consulate of Turkmenistan, you can make an appointment. Then go to the embassy at the planned time, fill out the Turkmenistan visa form and make the required payments. In most cases, applications are processed within 10 business days.
Turkmenistan Visa on Arrival
The second way to enter the country is to do it with a visa on arrival. Yet again, you will need a letter of invitation provided by a travel agency. The major difference between visa on arrival and visa through embassy for Turkmenistan is that visa on arrival is valid for 10 days. However, it does not mean that it can not be extended. The extension will be dependent on your booking of the tour.
Turkmenistan Short Term Visa Extension
Supposedly, you got the visa and enjoyed your travel. But now you want to extend it. Is it possible? Is there a thing like Turkmenistan short term visa extension? The answer is yes. There is a way to extend your short-term visa. To do that, you will need to present your application to the Migration Service of Turkmenistan, and there, an extension will be issued. You will be asked to pay the fee as well. The fee will be equal to 20 USD for the extension up to 10 days. For the extensions, up to 20 days, the fee will be 30 USD. To extend it up to a month, the fee will be 40 USD. However, these prices apply for regular visas, not multiple entries. If it is multiple entries, the fee for the extension up to a month will be 60 USD. One thing you should be careful about is not overstaying. If you stay in the country more than you are supposed to, then you will be fined 300 USD. If you refuse to pay the fine, guess what? You will be deported just like that. Besides, your entry will be refused for at least 1 year. We were not joking when we said rules regarding migration are strict. To wrap up, we can say Turkmenistan is a hidden gem of Central Asia. It certainly deserves to be explored. However, legislation can be a bit overwhelming. Therefore, you might need help. Pickvisa can ease your struggle to get a visa.
