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- Business visa
Visa guide
Turkmenistan business visa, e-visa and invitation letter
A business visitor enters Turkmenistan on a business visa, issued against a letter of invitation that the company you are visiting obtains from the State Migration Service. The State Migration Service announced an e-visa system from 1 October 2026, and the law says an e-visa needs no invitation. The Service has not yet published its categories, fees or processing times, so plan on the invitation route for now.
Quick answer
Turkmenistan business visa requirements in one view
- A business visa is issued only against an invitation from the State Migration Service. The host applies for it, not the visitor.
- The State Migration Service announced an e-visa system from 1 October 2026. By law it needs no invitation, but its categories, fees and processing times are not yet published.
- The Service states 10 working days for an invitation, 3 if urgent and up to 45 calendar days in some cases. It is valid for three months.
- At the embassies in Beijing and Moscow the consular fee for a single-entry visa is USD 35 for up to 10 days, USD 45 for up to 20 days and USD 55 for up to one month. Rates differ by nationality.
- Register with the State Migration Service within three working days of arrival, unless you stay three working days or less.
Key facts
- Who issues invitations
- State Migration Service of Turkmenistan
- Business visa categories
- BS1 and BS2
- Invitation valid for
- Three months
- E-visa in operation since
- 1 October 2026
- Main law
- Law on Migration, articles 10 and 12
The e-visa
Can a business visitor use the Turkmenistan e-visa in 2026?
Not with confidence yet. The Service has announced the system, but the rules a business traveller needs have not been published, so plan on the invitation route for now.
The table sets out what the Law on Migration and the State Migration Service have published. On 30 September 2026 the Service announced that the system would operate from 1 October 2026. As of 9 October 2026 its e-visa page offers only a status check, marked as under development.
| Invitation and visa | E-visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation | Required. Issued to the host | Not drawn up (article 10) |
| Who starts it | The host applies to the State Migration Service | An application on a dedicated website. For business, the law still asks for a request from the host (article 10) |
| Purposes covered | Business, work, family, investment and others | Categories are set by the President (article 10). Not yet published |
| Processing time | 10 working days, or 3 if urgent. Up to 45 calendar days in some cases | Not yet published |
| State fee | Published by embassies. USD 35 for up to 10 days in Beijing and Moscow | A consular fee is charged (article 10). Amount not yet published |
| Length of stay | The term on the visa, from 10 days to 12 months | Not yet published |
| Where you receive it | At an embassy, or on arrival at the border or an international airport | Issued in electronic form (Law on Migration, article 1). Border procedure not yet published |
The official e-visa website. The Service says the e-visa runs on a dedicated website but has not published its address. Use only a link given on migration.gov.tm or by a Turkmen embassy.
Letter of invitation
How do you get a letter of invitation to Turkmenistan?
You do not apply for it yourself. The State Migration Service issues the invitation to the party that receives you, and the visa is issued on that basis (Law on Migration, article 10).
- Host
Files the application
At the office of the Service where it is registered.
- Service
Issues the invitation
Valid for three months.
- Visitor
Receives the visa
At an embassy, or on arrival at the border or an international airport.
Who may invite
A company, a branch or representative office, an individual entrepreneur, a state body or a private individual in Turkmenistan (Law on Migration, article 1). To become a host yourself, see company registration in Turkmenistan.
Where it is filed and what goes in
The host files at the office of the Service for the place where it is registered. For a business visa the Service asks for:
- An application and a list of the foreign nationals invited, each in three copies
- A copy of each visitor’s passport
- Colour photographs and a personal questionnaire for each visitor
- A statement of the host’s activity and why the visitor is needed
- The host’s registration documents, licences and contracts, and a power of attorney for its visa representative, on the first application
- A letter from the ministry concerned, if the visit is under a state contract
How long it takes
The State Migration Service states 10 working days for a standard application and 3 for an urgent one, and adds that some take up to 45 calendar days. An invitation is valid for three months. In our experience, allow at least 15 working days.
If the visitor is coming to do a job, not to hold meetings, the host files for a work permit together with the invitation. See work permits and visas in Turkmenistan.
Before you rely on a host you have not met, confirm that the company exists. See how to check a company in Turkmenistan.
Business visa
What does a business visa allow, and for how long?
A business visa, category BS1 or BS2, lets you enter and stay for the business purpose stated in the invitation. It is not permission to work. Article 22 of the Law on Migration lets a visitor do the following without a work permit, for up to one month:
- Hold business negotiations and sign contracts
- Carry out financial, audit and other checks, or act as an expert
- Install or repair equipment, as an employee of a foreign company
Anything done under an employment contract or a contract for services needs a work permit. Without one it is illegal labour activity, and the visitor and the host both answer for it.
The term is the one written on the visa, from 10 days to 12 months, single or multiple entry. A visa is extended only inside Turkmenistan, by the State Migration Service, on an application filed before it expires.
Areas closed to foreign nationals need a separate permit (article 20).
State fees
What does a Turkmenistan business visa cost in state fees?
This is the consular scale published by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Beijing. The embassy in Moscow publishes the same scale for visas issued on an invitation, and states that its scale is for Russian citizens and that other rates apply to other nationalities. Confirm the fee with the embassy that serves you.
| Term of the visa | Single entry | Multiple entry |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 days | USD 35 | Not listed |
| Up to 20 days | USD 45 | Not listed |
| Up to one month | USD 55 | USD 75 |
| Three months | USD 115 | USD 155 |
| Six months | USD 205 | USD 275 |
| Twelve months | USD 385 | USD 515 |
A visa issued at an international airport costs USD 50 more, on the tariff of the State Migration Service. Urgent processing costs more: in Beijing USD 55 for up to 10 days. Children under 7 pay only USD 15 for the visa sticker, and children from 7 to 16 pay half the consular fee.
What does the letter of invitation cost?
The law provides for a fee for drawing up an invitation (article 10), but the published tariff lists visa fees only. In our experience the fee for the invitation is about USD 50.
On arrival
What must a visitor do on arrival in Turkmenistan?
Three steps after you land
- 1
Clear the border with the right papers
If you did not collect the visa at an embassy, show your passport and the invitation at the border post or international airport, where the visa is issued.
- 2
Register within three working days
The count leaves out the day of entry, and a stay of three working days or less is exempt (Law on Migration, article 12). You or your host apply to the State Migration Service, with a colour photograph, your passport and a document that shows where you are staying.
- 3
Leave, or extend, before the visa ends
Register again within three working days if your address changes. When you leave, your host removes you from the register. A visitor whose visa has ended must leave, and staying on can end in expulsion and a ban on entry (Law on Migration, article 19).
Registering at the place of stay costs nothing, the State Migration Service states. It charges a separate fee of USD 10 on arrival. An online registration system was announced on 30 September 2026. At Ashgabat airport our clients currently pay USD 10 on arrival.
Mistakes
Five mistakes business visitors make
Each one can cost a trip.
- 01
Paying an unofficial e-visa site
E-visas are issued only in the system of the State Migration Service (Law on Migration, article 10). Follow a link from migration.gov.tm or an embassy, not from a search result.
- 02
Booking flights before the invitation
Some applications take up to 45 calendar days. Book once the invitation is issued, and travel within its three months.
- 03
Treating a business visa as a work permit
Meetings, contracts and audits are covered for up to one month. A posting is not. See the labour rules for foreign and local staff.
- 04
Travelling on a passport near its expiry
The passport must be valid for six months after the visa ends and have two blank pages (Law on Migration, article 10). A 12-month visa needs a passport with 18 months left.
- 05
Missing the registration deadline
Three working days, not counting the day you land. Agree with your host before you fly who files it. A registered branch or company files for its own visitors.
Questions
Questions about visas and invitations
Short answers, each with the rule behind it.
Ask us something elseDo I need a visa for a business trip to Turkmenistan?
Yes, unless a treaty between Turkmenistan and your country says otherwise. A business visitor needs a business visa, category BS1 or BS2, which is issued only against an invitation from the State Migration Service. Since 1 October 2026 there is also an e-visa, but its rules for business travellers are not yet published, so plan on the invitation route for now.
Is there a Turkmenistan e-visa in 2026?
Yes. The State Migration Service put an e-visa system into operation on 1 October 2026. The Law on Migration says no invitation is drawn up for an e-visa. The Service has not yet published the categories, the length of stay, the fee, the processing time or the nationalities that may apply.
What is the official Turkmenistan e-visa website?
The Service has not yet published the address of its e-visa website. Its own page, migration.gov.tm/evisa, offered only a status check, still marked as under development on 9 October 2026. Use only a link given on migration.gov.tm or by a Turkmen embassy.
How much does a letter of invitation to Turkmenistan cost?
The published state fees are for the visa, not for the invitation: USD 35 for a single-entry visa of up to 10 days at the embassies in Beijing and Moscow, and rates differ by nationality. The law allows a fee for the invitation itself, but the State Migration Service does not list one. In our experience it is about USD 50.
How long does a letter of invitation to Turkmenistan take?
The State Migration Service states 10 working days, or 3 if urgent, and up to 45 calendar days in some cases. The invitation is then valid for three months.
Can I get a Turkmenistan visa on arrival?
Only with an invitation already issued. The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Moscow states that a visitor who holds an invitation can receive the visa at a border post or an international airport. The State Migration Service tariff adds USD 50 for a visa issued at an international airport.
Sending people to Turkmenistan?
Tell us who is travelling and why. We reply with the route that fits each person, in English or Russian.