Do UAE passport holders need a visa to visit TM?

UAE ordinary passport holders need a visa to enter Turkmenistan for tourism. There is no visa-free entry. You must first obtain a Letter of Invitation (LOI) approved by Turkmenistan's State Migration Service through a licensed Turkmen travel agency, then the visa is stamped at a Turkmen embassy/consulate or on arrival at Ashgabat airport. An eVisa system was decreed in April 2025 but is not yet operational as of May 2026. As of 31 May 2026, citizens of the United Arab Emirates holding an ordinary passport require a visa to travel to Turkmenistan for tourism or a short visit. Turkmenistan grants visa-free access only to UAE holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports (up to 30 days); ordinary passport holders have no visa-free or simple visa-on-arrival channel. The core requirement is a Letter of Invitation (LOI) that must be requested by a counterpart inside Turkmenistan — for tourists, a registered Turkmen tourism agency — and approved by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan (SMST). Once the LOI is approved, the visa can be stamped at a Turkmenistan embassy or consulate abroad, or issued on arrival at a designated border crossing (typically Ashgabat International Airport) with prior approval. Visa-on-arrival is only available to those who already hold an MFA/SMST-approved LOI, so it is not an independent visa-free or unconditional VOA route. President Berdimuhamedow signed a decree on 18 April 2025 to launch electronic visas and remove the LOI requirement, but the eVisa types, issuance method, and validity had not been finalized or rolled out as of mid-2026, so the conventional LOI-based process remains the only reliable path. The most practical option for tourists is to book through a Turkmen-licensed tour operator that handles the LOI and visa logistics. Plan at least 3-4 weeks ahead; LOIs can now be applied for up to 6 months in advance.