Turkmenistan visa requirements for Central African citizens
Central African citizens need a visa for Turkmenistan and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months beyond the visa
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 2 October 2026
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Authorisation system
Visa with a letter of invitation
Every traveller needs a visa, and applying requires a letter of invitation. The State Migration Service is the only body that issues invitations and visas. There are two routes: buying a package from an authorised agency, which arranges the invitation, or holding an invitation from a Turkmen individual, company or institution. With the invitation you apply at a Turkmen embassy, which refers the application to Ashgabat, or buy the visa on arrival at Ashgabat airport and some land crossings; at the airport a ten-day visa can be obtained with the legalised invitation, original and copy. Crossing the country requires a transit visa, valid only for the border points named in the invitation and not convertible into a tourist visa. On arrival you pay a 14-dollar migration fee and a tourism tax of 2 dollars per day, which hotels bill separately.
Fee
The visa price depends on the length of stay, the number of entries and whether you use the embassy's express service or the visa on arrival. On top of that come the 14-dollar migration fee and the tourism tax of 2 dollars per day.
Processing time
Embassy applications are referred to Ashgabat and can take up to a month. The letter of invitation can also take up to a month.
Required documents
- Passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the visa requested.
- Letter of invitation issued through the State Migration Service.
- Registration with the State Migration Service within three days of arrival, usually handled by the hotel, with your passport, two photos and confirmation of where you are staying.
Transit rules
You must carry your passport at all times: it is mandatory and police checks are frequent. When leaving the country you present the duplicate of your registration. Border areas are restricted or closed to foreigners, particularly the borders with Afghanistan and Iran. Medicines containing narcotics or psychotropics (diazepam, lorazepam and others) can only be brought in with the prescription, a medical report translated into Russian and a customs declaration. Bringing a car in by land or sea costs up to 150 dollars.
More Turkmenistan rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Turkmenistan page:
Official portal: . Destination data verified on 2 October 2026. Sources: exteriores.gob.es (travel advice of Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Turkmenistan, updated 23 June 2026: compulsory visa, embassy in Berlin and timing, ten-day airport visa, invitation, transit, registration, covid test, medicines, currency, risk areas); gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkmenistan (UK Government, updated 4 June 2026: visa routes, one-month processing, prices, transit, migration fee and tourism tax, vehicles, penalties); data.unesco.org (World Heritage List). All checked on 2 October 2026.
Travel insurance for Turkmenistan
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
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Things to see and do in Turkmenistan
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Turkmenistan need a visa to enter the Central African Republic. See the Turkmenistan → Central African Republic page.
All 9 passports from Middle Africa that VisaRadar tracks need a visa to enter Turkmenistan. Same result as the Central African Republic: Angola, Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
With a passport from the Central African Republic, in the rest of Central Asia you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; you need a visa for Uzbekistan.
A passport from the Central African Republic ranks 168 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 47 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Central African citizens need a visa for Turkmenistan?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Embassy applications are referred to Ashgabat and can take up to a month. The letter of invitation can also take up to a month.
What minimum passport validity is required?
Passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the visa requested.
What currency is used in Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistani Manat (TMT).
What do Central African passport holders need for the countries near Turkmenistan?
With a passport from the Central African Republic, in the rest of Central Asia you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; you need a visa for Uzbekistan.
Related pages
See Turkmenistan requirements for other passports →
See entry requirements to Central African Republic for other passports →
Every visa-free country for Central African passport holders →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.