Turkmenistan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in turkmenistan, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Market Challenges
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  • The judicial branch operates under direct instruction from the executive.
  • Lack of consistent, transparent business legislation and sanctity of contracts.
  • Laws and regulations are subject to change and contradictory interpretation by various government agencies and officials.
  • Most industry is controlled by the government and communication is slow, as it typically must be conducted via diplomatic notes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • Corruption is pervasive and endemic at all levels of the business stream.
  • Turkmenistan’s business owners and entrepreneurs  often lack knowledge of or adherence to standard Western business practices.
  • Foreign businesses in Turkmenistan face steep barriers to collecting on bills owed by government ministries.
  • Companies face tight foreign exchange controls.
  • Turkmenistan’s visa procedures are cumbersome and time-consuming.
  • Unreliable Internet access and slow download and upload speeds can hinder business. The Government of Turkmenistan regularly blocks certain mainstream websites and Virtual Private Networks (VPN).