Turkmenistan opens (finally) a window: eVisa coming soon?
Frequent travelers to Central Asian countries know this well: obtaining a visa for Turkmenistan is a professional [...]
ASB
Those who often travel to Central Asian countries know this well: Obtaining a visa for Turkmenistan is a professional passport business. But something may soon change. Indeed, the Turkmen Parliament (Mejlis) is debating a bill that-if passed-would introduce a system of e-Visa, radically simplifying entry into one of the world's most closed countries.
Turkmenistan goodbye to mandatory invitation?
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Currently, entering Turkmenistan requires patience, local contacts and a certain amount of luck. Need a letter of invitation approved by the State Migration Service, to be attached to the application submitted at the embassy or consulate. Even the few who manage to obtain a visa on arrival at the Ashgabat airport must still show the official invitation.
The new bill, discussed in the seventh convocation of Parliament, calls for the creation of a digital system for visa issuance through the state's authorized IT platforms. The goal? To enable foreign nationals and stateless persons to obtain an electronic visa valid for entry, stay, transit or exit from the country.
A sign of openness in a regional key
If approved, the reform would bring Turkmenistan closer to other Central Asian states, where the visa liberalization process is already a reality. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have introduced e-Visa in recent years, with the aim of stimulating tourism and attracting investment. In parallel, dialogue toward the creation of a single Central Asian visa, modeled after the European Schengen.
The eventual introduction of e-Visa in Turkmenistan would thus represent not only a technological innovation, but also a symbolic gesture toward greater international openness.
How to fly to Turkmenistan from Italy
Reaching Turkmenistan is not super easy, but it is not impossible either. Turkmenistan Airlines flies from Milan to the capital twice a week, other more practical options come through Istanbul (with Turkish Airlines), Dubai (with flydubai) or Moscow (with Turkmenistan Airlines or Aeroflot). In many cases, flights to Ashgabat leave only a few days a week, so it is good to plan carefully.
Ashgabat International Airport: the monumental gateway
Ashgabat International Airport (ASB), renovated in 2016, is a modern and surreal structure, famous for its roof in the shape of a hawk in flight. It is the country's main hub and is designed to accommodate up to 14 million passengers a year-an ambitious figure given the country's current closure.
Inside, the airport is clean, spacious, and well organized, although access to digital services and Wi-Fi may be limited (read nonexistent) and currently you cannot pay except using the local currency and in cash.
Border controls remain very strict, and careful completion of documentation, including the customs entry form, is required.
What to see in Turkmenistan (if you can finally)
Once over the visa hurdle, Turkmenistan knows how to reward the most daring travelers with unique landscapes and out-of-time cities. Not to be missed:
- Ashgabat, the capital city, famous for its white marble buildings and quirky neoclassical architecture, also boasts the Guinness World Record for the largest number of white marble buildings in the world.
- The crater of Darvaza, nicknamed "the gateway to hell", a huge chasm of burning natural gas in the middle of the Karakum Desert.
- The ruins of Merv, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site that was one of the largest cities in the Islamic world in the Middle Ages.
- The Karakum Desert, where you can have authentic experiences with nomadic communities, sleep in yurts and observe breathtaking landscapes.
A new era for tourism in Turkmenistan?
The proposed e-Visa law is a first, tentative step toward opening up the country more to the world. If the text is approved in the coming months, traveling in Turkmenistan could (finally) become an accessible experience even for the frequent flyer seeking destinations off the beaten track.
For now, all that remains is to keep an eye on Parliament's decisions and hope that even one of the last bastions of the paper visa will yield to digitization. The Ashgabat hawk may soon be taking a new flight toward opening up to global tourism.
