Turkmenistan

Last Updated: 2026-04-01

Official Portal: State Migration Service of Turkmenistan (access may be limited)

Embassy Finder: Turkmenistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	5 years of continuous lawful residence
Language requirement	Turkmen language proficiency
Civics test	Knowledge of the Constitution and basic laws required
Processing time	12—36+ months; highly discretionary
Naturalization fee	TMT-denominated (nominal; exact amount set by the State Migration Service)
Dual citizenship	No — strictly prohibited since 2003 (unilateral annulment of 1993 Russia-Turkmenistan dual citizenship agreement)
Citizenship by birth in Turkmenistan	Limited jus soli (child born in territory to stateless or unknown parents)
Citizenship by descent	Through either parent
Governing law	Law of Turkmenistan on Citizenship (2013, replacing 1992 law)

Dual Citizenship

No. Turkmenistan does not permit dual citizenship under any circumstance. This prohibition has a particularly notable history.

The 1993—2003 dual citizenship agreement with Russia: Turkmenistan and Russia signed a bilateral dual citizenship agreement in December 1993, shortly after independence. Under this agreement, citizens of either country could acquire the other’s nationality while retaining their original citizenship. This was significant for the large ethnic Russian minority in Turkmenistan.

Unilateral annulment in 2003: President Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenbashi) unilaterally declared the agreement void in April 2003, giving dual citizens two months to choose one nationality. Those who did not choose were deemed to have chosen Turkmen citizenship and had their Russian passports confiscated. This decision was made without Russia’s consent and created a significant diplomatic dispute.

Current position: Under the 2013 Citizenship Law:

A Turkmen citizen who acquires foreign citizenship automatically loses Turkmen nationality.
A foreign national who naturalizes in Turkmenistan must renounce all prior nationalities.
Former dual citizens who retained or reacquired Russian passports after 2003 exist in a legal gray zone, often unable to leave Turkmenistan without permission.

Turkmenistan’s prohibition on dual citizenship is among the most rigidly enforced in the former Soviet space.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Soli)

Turkmenistan applies a limited jus soli:

A child born in Turkmenistan to stateless parents or parents whose nationality cannot be determined acquires Turkmen citizenship at birth.
A child born in Turkmenistan to foreign parents does not acquire Turkmen citizenship.

By Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

Turkmen nationality is transmitted through either parent:

A child born to at least one parent who is a Turkmen citizen acquires citizenship at birth, regardless of the place of birth.
If the parents have different nationalities and one is Turkmen, the child’s citizenship is determined by agreement of the parents. In the absence of agreement, the child acquires Turkmen citizenship if born in Turkmenistan.
Births abroad must be registered at a Turkmen diplomatic mission.

By Adoption

A child under 18 adopted by a Turkmen citizen acquires Turkmen citizenship. If only one adoptive parent is Turkmen and the other is foreign, the child’s citizenship is determined by agreement of the parents, with a default to Turkmen citizenship if born in Turkmenistan.

By Marriage

Marriage to a Turkmen citizen does not automatically confer citizenship. However, a foreign spouse may apply for naturalization with a reduced residency requirement:

3 years of marriage to a Turkmen citizen (reduced from the standard 5-year residency).
Must be residing in Turkmenistan.
Must renounce all prior nationalities.
All other naturalization conditions apply.

By Naturalization (Residency)

Requirement	Details
Residency	5 years of continuous lawful residence (3 years for spouses of Turkmen citizens)
Language	Proficiency in the Turkmen language
Constitutional knowledge	Knowledge of the Constitution and fundamental laws of Turkmenistan
Financial standing	Lawful source of income or means of support
Character	No criminal record; compliance with Turkmen laws
Renunciation	Must renounce all prior nationalities
Approval	By decree of the President of Turkmenistan

Practical reality: Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated and authoritarian states in the world. Immigration is extremely limited, long-term visas are difficult to obtain, and the government exercises total control over who enters, resides in, and leaves the country. The number of foreigners who have successfully naturalized through the standard process is believed to be negligible.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A Turkmen citizen may apply to renounce citizenship. The application is submitted to the State Migration Service and requires presidential approval. Renunciation is not permitted if it would render the individual stateless.

Exit restrictions: In practice, renunciation of Turkmen citizenship is complicated by the government’s informal “blacklist” system, which restricts certain citizens from leaving the country. Persons on the blacklist may be unable to travel abroad to establish residence in another country as a precondition for renunciation.

Involuntary Loss

Ground	Details
Acquisition of foreign citizenship	Automatic loss upon acquiring any foreign nationality
Fraud	Citizenship obtained through false documents or misrepresentation
Service to a foreign state	Voluntary service in a foreign military, security force, or government without authorization
State security	Actions deemed prejudicial to state sovereignty or security

Restoration of Nationality

Former Turkmen citizens may apply for restoration through the State Migration Service. The process requires presidential approval and is fully discretionary.

Requirements typically include:

Renunciation of any foreign nationality currently held.
Return to Turkmenistan and establishment of residence.
Demonstration of ties to Turkmenistan.
Clean criminal record.

The 2013 law provides for restoration but does not create an automatic right. Given the political environment, restoration is rare.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Turkmenistan acceded to the 1954 Convention on Statelessness in 2011 and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness in 2012.

Foundlings: A child of unknown parentage found in Turkmenistan is presumed to be a Turkmen citizen.
Post-Soviet statelessness: The dissolution of the USSR and the 2003 annulment of the Russian dual citizenship agreement left a significant number of persons in Turkmenistan in a stateless or legally uncertain position. UNHCR has worked with the Turkmen government on identification and resolution of these cases.
2011—2020 progress: Turkmenistan reportedly resolved the status of approximately 20,000 stateless persons between 2011 and 2020, primarily former Soviet citizens and their descendants who had not been documented as Turkmen citizens.

Document Checklist

Sources

Law of Turkmenistan on Citizenship (2013). https://migration.gov.tm/
Constitution of Turkmenistan (2016 revision) — Articles on citizenship. https://www.mfa.gov.tm/
State Migration Service of Turkmenistan. https://migration.gov.tm/
UNHCR — Statelessness in Turkmenistan. https://www.unhcr.org/centralasia
Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) — Reports on citizenship and exit restrictions. https://www.chrono-tm.org/
Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Turkmenistan. https://globalcit.eu/

Turkmenistan.tm

Country Snapshot