Country Guides
Turkmenistan
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Guide Details
Household Goods
Documents
Documents required for importing used household goods, personal effects, and related shipments.
- Copy of passport
- Copy of visa
- Original bill of lading (OBL) or air waybill (AWB)
- Packing list
- Customs declaration form (completed at customs)
- Pro-forma invoice
- Letter of employment
- Pro-forma invoice
- Permanent return documentation as applicable
- Letter from embassy to the Customs Committee
- Diplomatic note approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Copy of diplomatic card
Specific Information
Turkmenistan operates a tightly controlled import environment with limited publicly available procedures for household goods. The following reflects the IAM baseline and available official sources; agents should verify requirements directly with Ashgabat-based customs brokers prior to shipment.
Goods and items brought into Turkmenistan as personal baggage for personal use or as gifts are generally not subject to customs duties if they fall within personal-use thresholds. Goods intended for profit or financial gain are classified as commercial imports and are subject to taxes and duties.
Customs Service Fees: Foreign nationals pay a customs service fee of USD 5.00 per hour for customs processing. This fee applies during physical inspection and clearance procedures.
Turkmen Citizens: Turkmen nationals are not permitted to import household goods and personal effects on a temporary import basis. Full customs taxes and duties apply to any permanent import that does not qualify under the personal-use allowances.
Pre-Alert: A pre-alert with copies of all shipping documents should be sent at least 10 days prior to the shipment's arrival in Turkmenistan. Failure to provide advance documentation may result in heavy import duties and storage penalties.
Weight Limit for Duty-Free Import: Goods imported in personal baggage up to a total weight of 60 kg (including up to 1 kg of jewelry) are exempt from customs duties. Each kilogram above 60 kg is charged at USD 10.00. Each gram of jewelry above 1 kg is charged at USD 0.20.
Currency: Foreign currency may be imported in unlimited amounts provided it is declared to customs on arrival. Individuals may export foreign currency up to USD 10,000 or an equivalent amount, plus any previously declared imported amount.
ISPM 15: Turkmenistan requires that all wood packaging materials comply with ISPM 15 phytosanitary treatment standards.
Practical Note: Turkmenistan has a highly bureaucratic customs environment. The destination agent and a licensed local customs broker are essential for any household goods shipment. Requirements can change without public notice, and customs officers have broad discretionary authority.
Prohibited & Restricted Items
Prohibited Items
The following items are prohibited from import into Turkmenistan:
- All types of personal security weapons, including pepper sprays, stun guns, knuckle dusters, and chain mace
- Toy guns, air pistols, and devices that fire plastic or other bullets
- Right-hand drive vehicles, or vehicles converted from right-hand to left-hand drive
- Vehicles more than five years old (excluding year of manufacture)
- High-speed sport vehicles and vehicles with engine capacity exceeding 3,500 cc
- Pornographic material in any format
- Printed, video, audio, or photographic materials that may harm the political or economic interests of Turkmenistan, its state security, public health, or morality (transit through Turkmenistan is also prohibited)
- Armaments, ammunition, and military equipment
- Explosives and pyrotechnic products (excluding Bengal fires, silicon candles, and torches)
- Nuclear materials, including fuel assemblies
- Ionizing radiation sources
- Technology or equipment that could be used to manufacture weapons or military equipment
- Narcotics, psychotropic substances, precursors, and technologies or devices for their production
- Poisons and toxic substances
- Annulled financial securities
- Tags, corks, and packing materials intended for alcohol manufacture
- Materials for alcohol production
Prohibited Exports (note for return shipments):
- Mumijo (Shilajit)
- Liquorice and liquorice extract
- Propolis
- Precious and semi-precious metals and their semi-finished products
- Domestic birds
- Sturgeon fish (alive or lifeless), their parts and processed products
- Animals, plants, and their parts listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan [CITES]
Restricted / Dutiable Items
The following personal-use allowances apply to travelers entering Turkmenistan. Amounts exceeding these limits are subject to customs duties, excise taxes, and VAT as applicable.
Alcohol (travelers aged 18 and over): 1 liter per person. Amounts in excess are subject to USD 1.00 per liter excise duty, up to 30% customs duty (depending on alcohol content), 15% VAT, and 0.2% customs procedures fee.
Tobacco: 2 packs of cigarettes per person (the IAM baseline notes 200 cigarettes / 50 cigars / 100 cigarillos / 500 g tobacco as the broader traveler allowance; agents should confirm current limits locally).
Precious jewelry, stones, and currency: May only be imported as accompanied baggage and must be declared to customs at the point of entry. Total jewelry allowance is 1 kg; amounts above this are dutiable at USD 0.20 per gram.
Hunting weapons: May be imported with prior authorization from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan. [PERMIT REQUIRED]
Radio-electronic and high-frequency devices: Including radio microphones, radio stations, radiophones, and other transceiver equipment. Authorization required from the Interdepartmental Commission for Radio Frequencies under the Cabinet of Ministers. [PERMIT REQUIRED]
Works of art, antiques, and archaeological objects: May be imported with authorization from the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, and may only be exported with an export permit. [PERMIT REQUIRED]
Antique carpets and handmade rugs: Export requires permission from State Association "Turkmenhaly." [PERMIT REQUIRED]
Archival materials: Controlled by the Main Archive Department. [PERMIT REQUIRED]
Importing a Used Personal Vehicle
Required Documents
- Permission from the Operation Department of the Ashgabat Customs Office
- Insurance documentation
- OBL / AWB
- State vehicle inspection certificate
- Receipt of license plates from state vehicle inspection
- Vehicle owner's manual
- Temporary or permanent import declaration
- Permission from the Trans-Inspection Authority (diplomats and foreigners)
- Certificate of Standard of State (diplomats and foreigners)
- Temporary import declaration (diplomats and foreigners)
Specific Information
The permanent importation of a vehicle by a foreign national is subject to full customs taxes and duties per the fixed customs tariff. Temporary importation by foreigners requires a customs duty payment of USD 25.00 plus USD 5.00 per hour for customs services. The sale of a vehicle that has been temporarily imported is restricted.
Prohibited Vehicle Types: The following vehicles may not be imported into Turkmenistan under any circumstances:
- Vehicles with right-hand drive steering, or vehicles that have been converted from right-hand to left-hand steering
- Vehicles more than five years old (excluding the year of manufacture)
- High-speed sport vehicles and cars with an engine capacity exceeding 3,500 cc
Correction to IAM Baseline: The 2016 IAM guide does not mention these vehicle prohibitions. They are documented in the official State Customs Service passenger regulations. Agents must advise clients of these restrictions before any vehicle shipment is arranged.
Electromobiles: Fully electric vehicles are entirely exempt from customs duties when imported under applicable presidential decrees. Vehicles with hybrid engines receive a 50% customs duty reduction.
Pets
- Certificate of vaccination
- Veterinary health certificate
The customs clearance of all animals is subject to veterinary and phytosanitary controls and must be completed in agreement with the relevant Turkmen government authorities. Importers should contact the State Veterinary Service prior to shipment to obtain current entry requirements, as detailed requirements are not published in English by the authorities.
CITES: The import of animals and plants listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) requires permission from the appropriate authority. An export permit is required for the export of vertebrate and invertebrate animals, hunting and singing birds, Turkmen shepherd dogs and hounds, plants, and their generative parts. The competent authority for CITES-related matters is the State Committee for Environmental Protection and Land Resources of Turkmenistan.
Note: PetTravel.com does not currently maintain a Turkmenistan entry. Agents should liaise directly with the destination agent in Ashgabat and the local veterinary authority for current pet import procedures.
Consignment Instructions
Contact the destination agent to ensure all requirements have been met prior to import, especially for differences regarding air and sea shipments.
Advance Documentation: All documents — copy of passport, visa, OBL/AWB, packing list, and pro-forma invoice — should be sent to the destination agent at least 10 days before the shipment's arrival. Late documentation routinely results in heavy import duties and warehouse storage costs.
Licensed Customs Broker: Turkmenistan requires that customs declarations for commercial and household goods shipments be handled by a licensed local customs broker. A list of licensed customs brokers is available through the State Customs Service at customs.gov.tm.
Ashgabat Customs Office: All permanent import applications must be processed through the Operation Department of the Ashgabat Customs Office. The destination agent must coordinate this directly.
Fees: Budget for customs service fees of USD 5.00 per hour (for foreign nationals) in addition to any applicable duties and taxes. Storage fees accumulate if clearance is delayed.
Access: Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated countries in the world. Overland access is limited, and most international household goods shipments arrive by air into Ashgabat International Airport, or by road/rail through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, or Afghanistan. Sea access via the Caspian Sea is possible through the port of Turkmenbashi. Routing and transit requirements should be confirmed with the destination agent.
Single Window System: Since 2024, Turkmenistan has operated a "Single Window for Export-Import Operations" electronic platform. Confirm with the destination agent whether this system applies to the specific shipment type.
Cultural & Other Information
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the west. It is one of the world's most closed and isolated states, operating as a single-party presidential republic. The capital is Ashgabat (Ashkhabad). The official language is Turkmen, and the currency is the Turkmenistan manat (TMT).
Turkmenistan has some of the world's largest reserves of natural gas, making the energy sector the dominant driver of its economy. Significant government restrictions apply to foreign nationals living and working in the country; close coordination with the receiving employer or embassy is essential for any relocation.
Time Zone: Turkmenistan Standard Time (TMT), UTC+5. Turkmenistan does not observe daylight saving time.
Useful Links:
- OpenFactBook — Turkmenistan
- Wikipedia — Turkmenistan
- State Customs Service of Turkmenistan
- Customs Regulations for Passengers — Official Portal
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
- Turkmenistan's Consulates Abroad
- U.S. trade.gov — Turkmenistan Import Requirements and Documentation
- U.S. trade.gov — Turkmenistan Prohibited and Restricted Imports
Useful resources