Turkmenistan residence permit

Foreigners aged 18 or over with full legal capacity, and stateless persons, may apply if they meet one of these grounds: Turkmen nationality; marriage to a citizen of Turkmenistan; close relatives who are Turkmen citizens living in the country, such as a spouse, parents, grandparents, siblings, children or grandchildren; guardianship of Turkmen citizens; an investment of at least USD 500,000 in the economy; high qualifications or major achievements in science, culture, art or sport usable in the interest of Turkmenistan; or citizens of CIS countries and stateless persons registered before the visa regime with the CIS was introduced.

In addition, the applicant must have lived in Turkmenistan for at least two years. The request is addressed to the President of Turkmenistan and submitted through the State Migration Service by a foreigner who is temporarily staying in the country.

The State Migration Service’s list asks for a biography, a document on the legal source of living in Turkmenistan, proof of the other citizenship, the receipt for the state fee, a certificate of residence and family composition (form F-3), four 4 x 6 cm photos, marriage and birth certificates if there are minor children, copies of the spouse’s or close relatives’ passports, copies of the work book and a certificate of employment or non-employment, a military ID, the diploma, certificates from the AIDS centre and from the narcological, psychological and skin and venereal dispensaries, and a certificate from the address bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Extensions are requested from the State Migration Service. The permit is replaced if the holder’s identity document or personal data change, if an error is found in the records, if it is unusable or out of pages, or if the holder’s fingerprints or facial features change.

A residence permit can be issued to both parents or to one of them, and this extends to children under 16, including adopted children. Children whose parents hold the permit must apply for their own permit within six months of turning 16.

Holders enter Turkmenistan without a visa and stay there as long as they have a valid travel document, and they may cross the border multiple times. The permit is not a travel document. Foreigners living permanently in Turkmenistan are on the list of people who may work without a work permit.