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Note!
Regulations and requirements may be subject to change at short notice!
passports & visas
Passports valid required by all
Visa required by all
Note! All visitors are required to register with the authorities within
72 hours of arrival. Hotels will usually arrange this; however, independent
travellers will need to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the local OVIR
office themselves. |
t u r k m e n i s t a n
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getting in
Ashgabat Airport is approximately 4km (2.5 miles) north of the
city centre. A new terminal building has resulted in an increase of capacity.
The airport is served by buses and taxis.
vaccinations
No vaccinations are required.
duty free
The following goods may be imported
into Turkmenistan by persons of 18 years of age or older without incurring
customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco
products; 2 litres of alcoholic beverage; a reasonable quantity of perfume
for personal use; other goods to the value of US$500 for personal use only.
Prohibited imports: Military weapons and ammunition, narcotics.
Prohibited exports: As prohibited imports, as well as works of art and antiques
(unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture).
Currency restrictions: The import
of local and foreign currency is unlimited, subject to declaration on
arrival. The export of local currency is prohibited except by Tajikistan
residents and the export of foreign currency is limited to the amount
declared on arrival. All currency must be declared on arrival and a customs
declaration form obtained.
exit duty
Generally US$25. Nationals of CIS
countries pay US$15 and nationals of Turkmenistan pay US$5.
time
GMT + 5
money
1 Manat (TMM) = 100 tenge. Notes are in
denominations of TMM1000, 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations
of 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 tenge.
Note! Visitors using the national currency are advised to
carry plenty of small change as some shops and, particularly markets, may be
unable to accept large denominations.
Currency exchange: The preferred hard currency is the US Dollar
Rate (per $US): 5,200 (January 2002-January 2000)
Credit & debit cards: Not accepted
Travellers cheques: Only travellers cheques drawn on banks with reciprocal arrangements with the
Turkmen National Bank are accepted.
telephony
Country code: 993. Area code for Ashgabat: 12. Outgoing international code: 810.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network covers Ashgabat area
transport
There are bus and trolleybus services around the
capital
dining
Turkmen food is similar to that of the
rest of Central Asia. There are a number of good Western-standard
restaurants in Ashgabat, although they rarely have an extensive menu.
Plov - pronounced 'plof' - is the staple food for everyday (but is
also served at celebrations) and consists of chunks of mutton, shredded
yellow turnip and rice fried in a large wok. Shashlyk (skewered
chunks of mutton grilled over charcoal - kebabs - which come with raw
sliced onions) and lipioshka (rounds of unleavened bread) are
served in restaurants and are often sold in the street, but the quality
can be variable. Manty are larger noodle sacks filled with meat.
Shorpa is a meat and vegetable soup. There are, however, a number of
dishes that are particularly characteristic of Turkmenistan: ka'urma
is mutton deep-fried in its own fat and churban churpa is mutton
fat dissolved in green tea. Ishkiykli are dough balls filled with
meat and onion which are traditionally cooked in sand that has been
heated by a fire. On the shores of the Caspian Sea, seafood is often
substituted for mutton in traditional dishes such as plov. In the
west of Turkmenistan there is a speciality in which mutton is roasted in
a clay oven fired with aromatic woods.
In general, hotel food shows strong
Russian influence: borsh is
cabbage soup, entrecote is a well-done steak, cutlet are
grilled meat balls, and strogan is the local equivalent of beef
Stroganoff. Pirmeni, originating in Ukraine, are small boiled
noodle sacks of meat and vegetables similar to ravioli, sometimes served
in a vegetable soup.Drink: Green tea is very popular
and can be obtained almost anywhere. Beer, wine, vodka, brandy and
sparkling wine (shampanski) are all widely available in
restaurants. Kefir, a thick drinking yoghurt, is often served with breakfast.
shopping &
souvenirs
The Sunday market is the best place in the
world to buy the misleadingly named Bukhara rugs, which are actually
made in Turkmenistan. There is a shop in the Art Gallery which sells
traditional Turkmen handicrafts, silver and costumes including the
distinctive Turkmen sheepskin hats. The central bazaar in Ashgabat is a
good place to buy food and curiosities. Shopping hours:
0900-1800 Monday to Friday. Bazaars are open at dawn.
working hours & days
State organizations are closed on Saturdays and Sundays and
mainly work from 09:00 - 17:30 (18:00). Banks are open weekdays
usually Monday-Friday 09:30-17:30.
public holidays
December 31,January 1: New Year
Jan 12: Memory Day
Feb 19: National Flag Day
Mar 20: Turkmen Women's Day
Mar 21: Novruz Bairam (Turkmen New Year)
May 8-9: Victory Day
May 18: Revival and Unity Day
Jun 21: Day of Election of First President
Oct 6: Remembrance Day (Anniversary of the 1948 Earthquake)
Oct 27-28: Independence Days
Dec 12: Neutrality Day
Dec 20-21: Ramadan Bairam (End of Ramadan)
Note! Muslim festivals (End of Ramadan and Feast of the Sacrifice) are
timed according to the phases of the moon and the dates given are
approximations.
power supply
The electrical current is 220 V, 50 Hz alternating current;
wall outlets take continental-type plugs, with two round prongs. To use
US-purchased electric-powered equipment, bring a converter and an
adapter.
weights & measures
Metric:
Metric conversions
