UPDATE: Charity Rallies makes a single batch application to the Turkmen embassy in London for all participants on the Mongolia Charity Rally 2008 onwards. We will repeat this in 2009. This application gets the necessary permissions for a transit visa. More details are sent directly to the teams nearer the rally.

There are two types of visa for Turkmenistan: tourist and transit. Tourist visas are very restrictive and require invites and guides. Transit visas are limited on time, but you don't need a guide. Transit visas come in 3, 5 and 10 day versions. We've known people who are cycling across the country to only get 3 day visas...

Entry and Exit points
If you are coming in by ferry, the entry point will be the port of Turkmenbashi. You'll probably be restricted to the relatively main road to Ashgabat and then up towards the Uzbek border near Bukhara. Even if your visa lets you, your car will probably not be allowed to cross over the desert through Konye-Urgench. However, things might have changed...

1. The transit visa will probably only be valid for 5 days, 10 days if a miracle happens. 3 if you are unlucky.
2. The transit period starts from the day you state on the application form, whether you enter the country or not. If you're 2 days late arriving on a 5 day visa, you've only got 3 days before you've got a major nightmare and a lot of expense getting out! This is all the more difficult if you are taking the ferry...
Example: if you are travelling by ferry from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Turkmenbasi (Turkmenistan) you might think you can make it across the Caspian by 29th July. If so, enter the 29th July of the form. Your visa will expire 5 days later, regardless of whether you are in the country, on the ferry, or whatever. Conversely, if you make it to Baku on the 23rd and hop on the ferry, you might find yourself waiting in the port for your visa to start before you can formally enter Turkmenistan. Maybe not.
3. It is not possible to travel to restricted areas and areas outside the agreed transit route unless they are specifically indicated on the visa. Even if your visa has places listed on it, you will probably find that your car passport (completed at the border) will prevent you from taking your car across the more interesting routes e.g. Darwaza. You are pretty much stuck to the main roads to and from the capital, Ashgabat.
4. It is not possible to extend transit visas under normal conditions. A handful of teams went through Turkmenistan in 2005 and several had visa problems for which the British Embassy had to be involved. One person was detained at the border for just missing their exit date by a few hours. One team, due to previous medical reasons, were running late and had to extend their visa: this took 2 days of work and negotiation by the British Embassy in Ashgabat (ask Stephen and Will about this!). If you are careless about this Visa you will end up in big trouble.

Processing Time: 5 working days or so (give or take a week)

1. Make 2 copies of the photo page of your passport (they MUST be good photocopies and easily legible)
2. Fill out the form TWICE
3. Include 2 passport photographs
4. Fill out your route plan and draw it onto the map provided

Intended Route (see notes above about where your car can go though):
Turkmenbasi – Balkanabat – Asgabat – Mary – Turkmenabat
or
Turkmenbasi – Balkanabat – Asgabat – Darwaza – Konye Urgenche – Dasoguz - Mary - Turkmenabat
or
Asgabat – Mary - Turkmenabat

Entry point: (be exact, most likely Turkmenbashi if you come from Baku by boat)
Exit point: (be exact, this will probably be Turkmenabat)

Contact Information
Embassy of Turkmenistan
Head of Mission: HE Mr Yazmurad N Seryaev
Address: 2nd Floor South, St George’s House
14/17 Wells Street, London W1P 3FP
Telephone: (020) 7255 1071
Facsimile: (020) 7323 9184
Office Hours: Mon–Fri: 0930–1800
Consular Section Mon–Fri: 0930–1100 & 1600–1700
Contact Name: Mr Geldymukhamed Geldyev