Today, I’m going to share my experience of applying for a Turkmenistan visa online. It wasn’t as smooth as I hoped, but I got it in the end, so let me walk you through what I did.
Finding Information
First off, I started by hitting up Google, trying to find any info about applying for a Turkmenistan visa online. I found some bits and pieces here and there, but nothing too concrete. A bunch of websites mentioned needing an invitation letter. Some talked about an eVisa, which sounded promising. And a few said you could apply through the embassy’s website.
Invitation Letter
So, the first hurdle was this invitation letter. I read that you need to be invited by someone or an organization in Turkmenistan. They have to send a request to the State Migration Service, along with a copy of your passport. I don’t know anyone in Turkmenistan, so I figured a tour company could help with this. I emailed a few, and one of them replied saying they could provide the invitation letter. It takes 3-4 weeks, they said. Great! I guess. So, I filled out their forms and sent my passport copy and waited. I paid some money, and waited.

Online Application
While waiting for the invitation letter, I tried to find this “official government website” for the eVisa. I stumbled upon a site that looked official enough. It had a form to fill out, asking for all sorts of personal details and a photo. I thought this might be it. I carefully filled everything out, uploaded my photo, and hit submit. Fingers crossed! It kept asking me for the invitation letter, and I was waiting.
Embassy Route
I also remembered reading that you can apply at the embassy. So, just in case, I found the website for the Embassy of Turkmenistan. They had a section for visa applications. I downloaded the form, filled it out, and prepared a printed photo, just like they asked. Now, I had two applications going on.
Getting the Invitation
Finally, after about three weeks, I got an email from the tour company. They sent me the invitation letter. It looked official, with some stamps and signatures. I quickly went back to the online form I filled out earlier and updated it with the invitation letter details.
The Wait
Now, it was just a waiting game. I checked my email every day, hoping to hear back. The embassy application seemed to be stuck. Days turned into a week. Then, finally, I received an email from the online application system. It said my visa was approved! I had to pay the visa fee, of course. I happily paid it.
Success!
A few days later, I got another email with my eVisa attached. It was a printable document with my photo and details. Finally! I had my Turkmenistan visa. I immediately printed out a copy and kept it safe with my passport. Now, I was all set for my trip!
So, that’s my story of getting a Turkmenistan visa online. It took some patience, a bit of research, and maybe a little luck, but I managed to get it done. Hopefully, my experience can help someone else out there trying to do the same.