Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Turkmenistan: 10 legal requirements + 5 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
10 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Letter of Invitation and visa required in advance
All visitors need a Letter of Invitation (LOI) approved by the State Migration Service before a visa is issued; transit visas are limited to 5 days on a fixed route.
1968 Vienna Convention IDP
Carry a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit alongside your UK/EU photocard licence; the 1949 IDP is not recognised.
Passport, V5C and notarised owner permission
Bring passport with valid visa, V5C/registration document, and a notarised letter of authorisation if the vehicle is not registered in your name.
Buy local third-party insurance at the border
Green Card is not valid; compulsory Turkmen third-party (OSAGO-equivalent) insurance must be purchased at the border post, typically USD 15-50 depending on duration.
Pay entry, fuel compensation and road taxes at border
Foreign vehicles pay a bundle of entry fees, a fuel-price compensation charge and a per-km road tax: budget roughly USD 150-250 for a typical car crossing.
Drive on the right
Traffic drives on the right; overtaking is on the left.
Speed limits 90/90/60 km/h
Urban areas 60 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, and motorway-grade roads 90-110 km/h; limits are strictly enforced by police checkpoints.
Zero-tolerance alcohol limit
Blood alcohol limit is 0.0 g/L: any trace of alcohol means heavy fines, vehicle impound or detention.
Frequent police checkpoints and route restrictions
Expect document checks every 50-100 km; foreigners must stick to the route declared on their visa and large areas (border zones, Darvaza area) require special permits.
Warning triangle, first aid kit and fire extinguisher
Vehicles must carry a warning triangle, first aid kit and a working fire extinguisher; spare bulbs and a hi-vis vest are strongly recommended.
The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Turkmenistan; tourist visas are rarely issued and independent self-drive is effectively impossible without a state-licensed guide.
All visitors need a Letter of Invitation (LOI) approved by the State Migration Service before a visa is issued; transit visas are limited to 5 days on a fixed route.
Carry a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit alongside your UK/EU photocard licence; the 1949 IDP is not recognised.
Bring passport with valid visa, V5C/registration document, and a notarised letter of authorisation if the vehicle is not registered in your name.
Green Card is not valid; compulsory Turkmen third-party (OSAGO-equivalent) insurance must be purchased at the border post, typically USD 15-50 depending on duration.
Foreign vehicles pay a bundle of entry fees, a fuel-price compensation charge and a per-km road tax: budget roughly USD 150-250 for a typical car crossing.
Traffic drives on the right; overtaking is on the left.
Urban areas 60 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, and motorway-grade roads 90-110 km/h; limits are strictly enforced by police checkpoints.
Blood alcohol limit is 0.0 g/L: any trace of alcohol means heavy fines, vehicle impound or detention.
Expect document checks every 50-100 km; foreigners must stick to the route declared on their visa and large areas (border zones, Darvaza area) require special permits.
Dial 003 for police, 002 for ambulance, 001 for fire; 112 also works from mobiles but response outside Ashgabat is limited.
Vehicles must carry a warning triangle, first aid kit and a working fire extinguisher; spare bulbs and a hi-vis vest are strongly recommended.
There is no national vignette; the new Ashgabat–Turkmenabat expressway charges roughly 2 TMT per km for cars (around EUR 0.50/100km at official rate, far higher at black-market rate), paid at toll plazas.
Currency is the Turkmen manat (TMT); petrol costs around 1.50 TMT/litre (about EUR 0.40 official) and is cash-only: declare cash over USD 10,000 at the border and expect almost no card acceptance outside top Ashgabat hotels.
Karakum desert temperatures exceed 45 C in summer; carry 5+ litres of water per person, extra fuel and a sat-phone as mobile coverage drops out between towns.
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Turkmenistan.
Start planning →Places to add to your Turkmenistan road trip.
Don't get caught out
Traffic drives on the right; overtaking is on the left.
Urban areas 60 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, and motorway-grade roads 90-110 km/h; limits are strictly enforced by police checkpoints.
Blood alcohol limit is 0.0 g/L: any trace of alcohol means heavy fines, vehicle impound or detention.
Expect document checks every 50-100 km; foreigners must stick to the route declared on their visa and large areas (border zones, Darvaza area) require special permits.