Turkmenistan Transit Visa in Dushanbe

[steven]

Please read and post reports on the Turkmen embassy in Dushanbe below.

We summarize all info in the embassy reports of the Turkmen visa page.

[GoBalaGo]

Go to the Turkmen Embassy GPS:(38.608973, 68.781933) , bring one passport picture, one application form (they give it to you at the embassy), a colour copy of your passport and a copy of the visa of your onward country. They didn't want to see the visa of the county from where you enter turkmenistan (in our case entry from uzbekistan and exit to azerbaijan...we hear they dont issue visas to people taking the Turkmenbashi/Baku Ferry but he had no problem with it). We thought we have to bring a letter with our intention and route, but it's not needed. They make you write a letter there, but they'll give you a sample to copy. Be aware that you have to give them your entry and exit points (borders). It will be written on your visa later and you cannot change it anymore. The transit visa is also time sensitive, you give them the dates of entry and exit. Only five days are possible. Good english is spoken. You keep your passport. Come back one week later and leave your passport with them while you go to the National Bank of Pakistan (on other side of town) and pay 55$. Go back to the Turkmen embassy the same day, show the receipt and you will get your passport back with your visa in it.

[judefoon]

Went to get our Turkmen transit visa's the other day in Dushanbe. They guy at the embassy was helpful and spoke English. Copied an example letter and filled out the visa paper work along with one passport photo and colour photo copy of our passport (AUS) and Iranian visa. He wanted us to come back in 10 days but when we said we had t to leave before that, he said he would email us. We were slightly sceptical but the email arrived 10 days later! All details correct. We have been instructed to pay in Faraps (the border) at Turkmen post.
Jude

[peitzu23]

Report...got transit visa after nearly two weeks waiting, but exactly what I was asking for.

5days, October 1-5th, single female
(Uzberkistan)K-Urgench/Saraghs(Iran)

When I handed the application, there was a mid age officer who doesn't speak any English but very nice. I failed to pick up after one week waiting as most people could. After few days I went again there's a new young officer with glasses who speaks English, sitting on the desk where the mid-age officer sit before. He just stand aside instead. I wonder if there is a substitution. After I came back from the bank I heard the young officer was on the phone for a while and gave the spelling of my name. I wonder if there's still no answer but he asked for me. As I politely told him that I've been waiting for nearly two weeks. Anyway, he confirmed with me the date and port I want and gave me the exactly ones. Which I'm really grateful.

[2londoners1bike]

http://Www.2londoners1bike.com

Got the visa after a long wait. Ended up getting it via email and getting the bias on the border.

Here's what we learnt about applying in Dushanbe

All the people that we met that applied for it here in Dushanbe got it! Both motorcyclists and cyclists.

You don't need to mention your mode of transport in your application

The visa mentions the port of entry and exit and apparently you can get into trouble for diverting off your transit journey but we haven't heard of anyone getting into trouble for this.

*We heard that most people who apply for the shortest route, from turkmenabad to Sarahks got the visa, while people who opted for the route through the desert towards Ashgabat got denied more often. We also heard that the Ashgabat border is currently closed to foreigners. We do not know whether this is true. We took the shortest route but friends of ours took the Ashgabat crossing and also got the visa...

Applying

You need COLOUR COPIES of your passport picture page, the Iranian visa and the Uzbek visa.

The application form is at the embassy and you can only fill it out when you are there

When you are at the embassy you need to write a letter stating that you want a transit visa of 5 days from border x to border y (they have an example there for you to copy). We applied together on one letter.

You can keep your passport while you wait.

Go early and have your name put on a list by the guard

Letter of Invitation by email

When we applied for the visa we were told to wait for 5 working days and come back. Our visa was not ready after this week long period and we were told to come back the next day. After waiting another two days we gave an email address to the consulate and they told us they would send us an email with a letter of invitation if our visa was accepted. With that email we would be able to get the visa at other embassies or even just go to the border.

We were sceptical BUT 2 weeks later we received the email!! We printed it off in Bukhara (must do this) and took it to the border. It all worked very well and there was no problems. A friend applied in Dushanbe and picked up in Tashkent. That also worked.

Contradicting what people might think, the Turkmenistan border system is pretty high tech so even though your emailed LOI might say 'valid until x date' we were told you must cross the border on the dates you specified on your original visa application.

Possible Corruption Scam

We were charged $50 dollars at the border for our visa and also had to pay two $3 fees (one for a 'medical checkup') and a $10 administration fee. $66 in total.

When we exited at Saraghs we were asked for these slips and were then told we hadn't paid enough at the previous border crossing. The story was that the Uzbek/Turkmen border guards had made a mistake and charged us the wrong amount. Paddy (Irish passport) had to pay an extra $5 and I (UK passport) had to pay an extra $35!!!

It's a feasible story so we'd be interested to know what other people paid and if they had the same issue... but we're inclined to think that it was a well thought out scam... And if we did it again we wouldn't have handed over our receipt slips so quickly. We tried every trick in the book to get off from paying it (including me turning on the waterworks) but they didn't budge... It would have been interesting to see what they would have done if we'd refused to pay and just sat it out... Unfortunately we needed to get across Iranian customs that day too...

[roro]

Hi everybody,

In the last post I've read:

"We heard that most people who apply for the shortest route, from turkmenabad to Sarahks got the visa, while people who opted for the route through the desert towards Ashgabat got denied more often."

Can somebody confirm this point?
It should be interesting to know if it is a reason do be denied...


Thanks in advance,

RR.

[roro]

Hi,

"We heard that most people who apply for the shortest route, from turkmenabad to Sarahks got the visa, while people who opted for the route through the desert towards Ashgabat got denied more often."

Can somebody confirm this point?
It should be interesting to know if it is a reason do be denied...

No advice about this point?

RR.

[Etronplus]

Little feedback of my successful turkmen transit visa application in Dushanbe.

I applied on the 7th of september and got it the 19th, so 7 working days after, more or less.
I asked for 5 days transit visa for the 1st of November to the 5th, so almost 2 months later.
I ask for the border corssing in Farab and Saracks, because it is the ones they want you to cross I think. Turkmen visa is hard to obtain so why make it harder.
I am travelling by bike but didn't mention it.
I never talked about travel or anything, just said that i want to transit through the country from Uzbekistan to Iran.
I shaved my beard before and dressed a little bit cleaner than when I am on my bike .
I was afraid to be to close to the Independance day that happens on the 27-28 of October. But the quite nice girl that speaks english told me that early november is OK but late October is problematic.... I was lucky.

The guy at the desk is not friendly at all, so I hope the girl will be here for you to translate and make things easier.

Before going back to the embassy to ask for your visa, call them so you don't have to move there. I paid 55$ at the other side of the town (close to Sheraton Hotel) at the Pakistanese Bank.

I have a Swiss passport by the way.

Enjoy

Manu

[Karoutcho]

I shaved my beard before and dressed a little bit cleaner than when I am on my bike .

I recently got this confirmed by Turkmen tour operators: any facial hair is a definite NO for Turkmen KGB. Shaved passport pics essential.

Is that a joke ? Every male traveler I meet for now is kind of beardy !
Do I really have to shave my 8 months beard just for applying for a turkmen visa ?
Or is it just for the picture we give for appliance (I think I still have some nice and clean pictures) ?

Paddy, if you read this, did you shave before applying ? As I remember, you were quite hairy when we met on the tibetan plateau...

Every information about that issue would be well appreciated, because we will apply for this tricky turkmen visa hopefully monday morning (in fact, as soon as we get the iranian visa !

All the best,
Karoutcho

[andrzej.brandt]

Neverending story that ended with a failure

Two polish passports, 17 days of waiting, ended up with nothing - 'your visa has been rejected'.
Thats how it looked like:
7th of October - applied with clean shaved pictures, easy and fast, enter Farap, exit Sarakhs, 6-10 of November.
14th fo October - we came to embassy exactly seven days after application, as the Grumpy Guy Sitting Behind The Desk (DeskGuy in later) told us. Nothing. He checked in computer and there was no information.
17th of October - Desk Guy seeing us just opened computer, checked and again - nothing came up
18th of October - Desk Guy is doing the same as the day before. Nothing came up, so we started asking question. Desk Guy english is non-existent so he called a Glasses Guy, who barely can put a one sentence. Anyway Glasses Guy after half an hour of converstaion told us to come tomorrow.
19th of October - Desk Guy has a really, really bad day. When we came to office he was already shouting trough the phone. Then he checked in computer and, again, nothing came up. This time we were so pissed, that we demanded actions. Desk Guy called a Glasses Guy and together they called Immigration Office in Turkmenistan. Conversation lasted for half an hour and was full of shouting, full of nervous gestures and was just loud. At the end Glasses Guy whith his corporate smile on face told us that our application hasn't even beed processed until this time. WHAT THE FUCK? Anyway we were glad, that phone made a change and Glassy Guy promised us that on Friday we will have an answer.
20th of October - it is Thursday, so the Embassy is not working. Obviously. Its Thursday.
21th of October - full of hopes we are coming to embassy. Desk Guy looks in computer and, guess what, nothing CAME UP! We are pissed, Glasses Guy is coming and try to talk to us. But in fact he is not talking - he is just responding to us like a an autosecretary in the phone. - Please come tomorrow or call us, so we can give you an answer. Mister, Miss, im sorry, come tomorrow or call. Our head is broke after exiting the embassy.
24th of October - today was the 17th day after application. We are coming to embassy with no hopes. After all, we are receiveing an answer. Desk Guy is calling for a Lady That Speaks A Little English to told us, that our visa has been rejected. No reasons, just NO.

Sorry for the language, but im dead pissed and this experience made me hate entire central asia. Especially knowing that people who applied in the same time got their visas. It is as random as possible, as weird as possible, and - after all - Turkmen Embassy is probably the dead last place in Dushanbe in terms of any kind of human approach to the applicants. So we wasted 17 days and lots of money in Dushanbe. Good luck guys!