Do China passport holders need a visa to visit TM?
Chinese ordinary passport holders need a visa to enter Turkmenistan. There is no visa-free or true visa-on-arrival channel: you must first obtain a Letter of Invitation (LOI) through a licensed Turkmen travel agency, get it certified by the State Migration Service, and only then collect the visa at a Turkmen embassy/consulate or at Ashgabat airport. A long-promised e-visa (the 2025 law that abolishes the LOI) was not yet operational as of May 2026. As of May 2026, Turkmenistan remains one of the most restrictive countries in the world for entry, and Chinese ordinary passport holders are fully visa-required. Only diplomatic passport holders enjoy a 30-day visa waiver. For tourism, the mandatory first step is a Letter of Invitation (LOI) arranged by a Turkmenistan-licensed travel agency and certified by the State Migration Service; the LOI is valid for 3 months (extended to up to 6 months under June 2025 procedural updates). Standard LOI processing takes roughly 10-14 working days (express 3-7 working days), though agencies advise planning at least 3-4 weeks ahead. With an approved LOI you either apply at a Turkmen embassy/consulate or obtain the visa on arrival at Ashgabat International Airport or approved land borders. Tourist visas are typically issued for short stays (about 10 days, extendable by a further 10 days for the arrival route). Visa fees are paid in USD cash and scale with validity and entry type (roughly USD 35-115 for short single-entry stays, plus the separate LOI/agency service charge of about USD 100-300). Turkmenistan's parliament amended its Migration Law in April 2025 to authorize an electronic visa system that would eliminate the LOI requirement, but as of early-to-mid 2026 the e-visa platform had no confirmed launch date and the implementing presidential decrees (categories, fees, duration) remained pending. Until that system goes live, the LOI-based process is the only route, so the conservative and accurate verdict for a Chinese tourist is visa-required.
VISA REQUIREDTOURISMFLEXIBLE ENTRYLast verified 2026-05-30
For guidance only — visa rules change with little notice. Always confirm directly with the destination's embassy or foreign ministry before booking non-refundable travel. Information here applies to ordinary (non-diplomatic) passports unless noted.