Turkmenistan

TKM

Turkmenistan is one of the world's most closed and authoritarian states, a natural-gas-rich desert nation in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The government tightly controls all aspects of public life, media, and movement; a Letter of Invitation from a registered sponsor is required before most foreigners can obtain a visa. Tourism visas are issued sparingly and typically require guided itineraries.

Dual citizenship is prohibited by law. Long-term residency and work permits for foreigners are extremely difficult to obtain. The country holds some of the largest proven natural-gas reserves on earth yet most citizens see little benefit. Freedom House consistently rates Turkmenistan 'Not Free'. Independent journalism is virtually non-existent, and the internet is among the most restricted globally.

Naturalisation: 7 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: TMT
Dual citizenship: Not allowed
Capital: Ashgabat
Region: asia
Population: 6,118,000
Cost-of-living: 28 /100

→ If you hold a Turkmenistan passport, see the Turkmenistan nationality guide

Passport Rank

#93

Visa-Free

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Turkmenistan passport has visa-free access to 44 destinations. See the full Turkmenistan passport breakdown →

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

2 approved English test centres in Turkmenistan →

Immigrating to Canada from Turkmenistan

Current IRCC processing times for Turkmenistan nationals, by application type.

Visitor visa (outside Canada)	No processing time available
Super visa	No processing time available
Study permit	No processing time available
Work permit	No processing time available
Sponsor a dependent child	No processing time available
Adopted child (citizenship)	Not enough data
Government-assisted refugees	Not enough data
Privately sponsored refugees	sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data

Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.

As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.

Sources & last verified

Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)

Official source

Country Details

Capital: Ashgabat
Currency: TMT
Languages: Turkmen, Russian
Population: 6,118,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 7 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Arid desert; scorching summers above 40 °C in the Karakum, cold winters in the north; minimal rainfall year-round
GDP per capita: $6,540
Life expectancy: 70.2 yrs
Population growth: 1.65%/yr

GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 7 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Ashgabat	—	—	—	—	—
Türkmenabat	—	—	—	—	—
Daşoguz	—	—	—	—	—

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Ashgabat

3°J

5°F

11°M

18°A

24°M

31°J

35°J

33°A

26°S

18°O

10°N

4°D

Rainfall range: 1–20 mm/month · Daylight 9h (winter) to 15h (summer)

Türkmenabat

0°J

3°F

10°M

18°A

25°M

31°J

34°J

32°A

25°S

16°O

8°N

1°D

Rainfall range: 1–14 mm/month · Daylight 9h (winter) to 15h (summer)

Daşoguz

-3°J

0°F

8°M

16°A

23°M

29°J

32°J

30°A

23°S

14°O

5°N

-2°D

Rainfall range: 2–12 mm/month · Daylight 8h (winter) to 16h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist (Letter of Invitation required)
Business
Work
Family
Student

Authority: State Migration Service
Official Portal: migration.gov.tm

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 7
Language Test: Yes (Turkmen (state language required; fluency assessed informally by committee))
Civic Test: Yes
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: $30
Processing: ~24 months

Safety

GPI Rank

#103

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠Currency exchange fraud: the official Manat rate is severely overvalued; unofficial parallel-market rates 2–3× higher are technically illegal, and foreigners who transact on the black market risk arrest or extortion by police
⚠Taxi overcharging of foreigners is routine in Ashgabat; negotiate fare in advance and carry small Manat denominations
⚠Fake tour guides soliciting at Nisa ruins and Darvaza gas crater offer unofficial services then demand inflated fees or involve police contacts to extract payment
⚠Hotel registration scams: all visitors must register with OVIR within three days; unofficial 'fixers' charge large fees for a process that is free or low-cost through hotels

Examples of areas to avoid: Outskirts of Ashgabat near industrial zones at night — poorly lit and subject to police stops targeting foreigners, Border-adjacent areas in Daşoguz and Mary provinces without explicit permit — military zones exist and boundaries are not always marked

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa routes

Official visa and residence routes for Turkmenistan, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.

Residence

Border Registration and Migration Control

Residence

Official Turkmenistan migration-control guidance for border crossings, stay registration fee and foreigner registration.

Not a standalone stay permission; the timing follows the underlying visa, residence permit or registration rule.

State Migration Service of Turkmenistan · reviewed 2026-07-31

Residence Permit

Residence

Turkmenistan residence permit route for qualifying foreign citizens and stateless persons.

The official service says the residence permit is issued for up to 5 years.

State Migration Service of Turkmenistan · reviewed 2026-07-31

Short-term / business

Visa and Invitation

Short-term / business

Turkmenistan visa route where foreign citizens generally enter and stay on a visa, supported by invitation handling.

Sponsor requiredThe official Russian service text says visa requests and documents are processed in the ordinary order within 10 working days and urgently within 3 working days; invitation validity is described as 3 months.

State Migration Service of Turkmenistan · reviewed 2026-07-31

Work (sponsored)

Work Permit for Foreign Citizens

Work (sponsored)

Turkmenistan work-permit route for employers inviting foreign citizens or stateless persons for temporary work.

Sponsor requiredWork-permit timing is not fully exposed in English; confirm current timing with the State Migration Service before hiring or travel.

State Migration Service of Turkmenistan · reviewed 2026-08-01

Sources & last verified

Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.

Official source

Sources & last verified

Last verified 2026-06-15