Embassy Report: Turkmen visa in Ankara

[steven]

Please read and post reports on the Turkmen embassy in Ankara below.

We summarize all info in the embassy reports of the Turkmen visa page.

[charlieb123]

Turkmen Transit Visa:

Very easy to get, Turkmen Embassy was easy to find and not busy. Guy inside speaks very good english and is helpful (for example trimming photos that are too large). What we needed for transit visa:

- Colour copy of passport
- Colour copy of country entering from and exiting from (we came with black and white and these were no good)
- Questionnaire with passport photo glued on
- Letter of purpose
- Receipt for $10 from the local ISBANK (Turkiye Bank) just down the street. One problem here is that you cannot pay unless you are a Turkish citizen - you need a Turkish ID number. Advice is to tell the cashiers and say that if anyone else comes in to pay the Turkmen embassy could you ask to use their number. It took me ten minutes to find someone and he was fine with helping out, even though he spoke no English.

We did not need the application form, in fact he handed these back to me, allowing me to use the photos from the application form for the questionnaire. Not sure if this is standard practice or just Ankara. Specified for five days, and told us we could pick up in Baku - we will receive an email telling us when this is available.

Chinese Tourist Visa:

Troublesome. We arrived with our filled in application forms, proof of funds, itinerary, proof of accommodation, passport photos, passports photocopies, everything we thought we would need. We even got in touch with the British Embassy to check about the letter of recommendations, but it transpires this is a service that is no longer offered, anywhere in Turkey! They then told us that the Chinese would not require this for their visa.

Of course, this was not the case. We were told categorically by the Chinese Embassy that without a letter from the British Embassy or a Turkish resident permit it was impossible to apply. We are currently exploring our options and I'll update once we figure it out.

Most important point here is that the British Embassy is NOT offering letters of recommendation anymore. Notarial services have been moved to Istanbul, but apparently they are not able to make these letters that the Chinese Embassy demand.

[Mike]

Uzbekistan: not much has changed since the last report - the embassy is still in the same place, same buses to get there (185 or 413 from Ulus/Kızılay). Theoretically the same opening hours, although when I collected it I was there at 9.30 and they left me in immediately, despite reminding me that the official opening time is 10! The website of the Uzbek embassy in the UK had advised me that I needed two copies of the application form, plus copies of every page of my passport - the embassy in Ankara didn't want any of that, they just took one copy of the form and gave me all the rest back.

It took 9 days (with no LOI) to issue a 15 day visa - I was told the specific day to come back, there didn't seem to be any chance of getting it sooner. Cost US$70 (for a UK citizen), paid at the time of collection rather than application - and you still need a Turkish citizen with you to be able to pay it at the bank. This shouldn't be a problem, just wait for one who has to pay for his/her own visa and ask if they can help you.

Turkmenistan: the two embassies are about 20 minutes' walk apart, so it's possible to collect one visa and apply for the next in the same morning. There's a shop just round the corner from the Uzbek embassy which does photocopying, so I went there for the necessary (colour) copies of the photo page and the "before and after" visas. As mentioned in the previous report, you don't need any other form, just the brief one they give you at the embassy, along with a letter (following a standard format which they give you to copy from) stating your intended arrival and departure points and dates, and any other places to be visited in between.

I requested to collect it in Baku, and they said they'd email me when it was available - estimated 7-10 days. Payment is due at the time of application, but was only US$10 - and I didn't have the same problem at the bank. I went along with my UK passport, and the bank had no problem accepting the payment with that.

[steven]

Thank you for the tips, Mike!

[roro]

Thanks a lot for this useful report.
So, If I understand well , in Ankara, I can also pick-up my Iranian visa and apply for Turkm. visa the same morning, is it true?
Or may be the 2 consulate are not enough close ....
RR.

[Mike]

Steven, you're welcome - I've got some useful info from this site so I thought I ought to give something back!

RR - I haven't applied for an Iranian visa so I can't answer your question with certainty - it's possible the Iranian embassy might take longer to do the payments etc. on the day you collect it. The distance from the Iranian to the Turkmenistan embassy looks about the same as from the Uzbekistan embassy.

[mads123]

Applied for 5 days Turkmen visa at the Ankara embassy. I specified that Im on a bicycle. Got the invitation email 14 days later. Score.

If memory serves you need 1 passport photo, color copy of your Uzbek and Iran visa and first page of passport. You need to write a standardized letter to the Consul and fill a form. And 10 dollars cash.

[rocketbirdfishman]

Applied for Turkmenistan transit visa in Ankara Embassy to pick up in Tbilisi. As above, but took 3 weeks to get the email. (They told us it would take 10 days). We paid $10 in cash directly to the guy at the counter, but had to make an additional payment ($85 for british citizen and $55 for Czech citizen) when we collected it in Tbilisi

[travellingmusician]

30 year old bearded guy got a 5 day transit visa in ankara, pick up in teheran. no money wanted in ankara.

[roro]

"30 year old bearded guy got a 5 day transit visa in ankara, pick up in teheran. no money wanted in ankara."
I had the same experiencein 2015.
Have you received any confirmation (email,sms) before picking-up yur visa in Teh.?
RR.