Personal import or Commercial import.

Goods and items brought into  Turkmenistan as personal baggage intended for personal use or gifts will not be subject to taxes or duties  and are classed as a Personal Use  imports. Goods and items brought into  Turkmenistan for profit or financial gain are classed as commercial imports and will be subject to taxes and duties.

Mandatory declaration of items or goods

Commercial imports must be declared by the completion of a written mandatory declaration. This declaration must be completed.

Personal Use items must be declared verbally to the Customs Officer upon arrival. The information provided to the Custom Officer will determine if the items or goods can be classified as Personal Use items.

The Customs Officer will take into consideration:

• the nature of the item or goods and the quantity
• the frequency of importation of the item or goods

Declaration of goods.

The mandatory declaration must be completed by an adult (minimum age of 18). Items and goods belonging to individuals of less than 18 years of age must be declared by their parent, foster parent, tutor or legal guardian on their behalf.

Import and export of foreign currency by individuals.

The importation of foreign currency in cash to Turkmenistan is allowed without limitation if declared to customs. Individuals may export foreign currency in an amount not exceeding $10,000 or an equivalent currency amount, as well as foreign currency that was imported before in cash and declared to Turkmenistan customs by providing the import declaration.

Importation of goods without payment of customs duties and taxes.

Goods imported by an individual in their hand baggage through the customs border of Turkmenistan of a total weight not exceeding 60 kg, including 1 kg of jewelry, are exempt from customs duties.

Each 1 kg, exceeding the allowable 60 kg, shall be charged with customs duty at the rate of $10.

Each 1 gram of jewelry, exceeding the allowable 1 kg, shall be charged with customs duty at the rate of $0.20.

The individual is allowed to import the following items for personal use without payment of excise duty:

• alcoholic beverages to the limit of 1 liters
• tobacco products to the amount of 2 packs

Choosing the correct customs channel!

 In order to enable individuals to quickly pass through customs, the border crossing points are equipped with “Green and Red Channels”. If an individual has items that are subject to a mandatory declaration they should pass through the Red Channel.

If an individual has only Personal Use items they should pass through the Green Channel. The individual may be requested to provide a verbal declaration and if items are found to be present which require a mandatory declaration the individual will be subject to the relevant laws.

Importation and exportation of animals and plants.

The customs clearance of all animals and plants is subject to the correct veterinary and phytosanitary controls and should be completed with agreement with the relevant government authorities.

Importation and exportation of fuel.

The importation or exportation of fuel within a standard motor vehicle  fuel tank will not be subject to customs taxes or duties. The customs clearance of all animals and plants is subject to the correct veterinary and phytosanitary controls and should be completed with agreement with the relevant government authorities.

Import of medication.

Individuals may import prescription medicines providing they have a copy of the prescription with the medicine. The individual does not have to declare this importation.

Controlled Importations and Exportations

Note: * only an Export Permit is required.

Prohibited items.

For reasons of international law and agreements, the protection of national security, public order, morality, human life and health, intellectual property, environmental, cultural, historical, archaeological resources and the national interest of Turkmenistan, the following items may not be imported or exported:

• all types, kinds and models of weapons for personal security (including pepper sprays, stun guns, knuckle dusters and chain mace etc.)
• children’s air pistols, revolver handguns, machine guns, rifles and other devices firing with plastic and other bullets
• vehicles with right-hand steering or vehicles converted from right hand steering to left-hand steering
• vehicles which are greater than five years old (excluding the manufacture year)
• high-speed sport vehicles and cars with an engine capacity greater than 3500 cc
• pornographic material; printed product, video, photographic, cinematic audio production*
• printed and audiovisual materials, other media, containing information which may harm the political and economic interests of Turkmenistan, its state security, public health and morality*
• armaments, ammunition, military equipment and specifically designed parts and components
• explosives
• nuclear materials, including fuel assembly
• ionizing radiation sources
• technology and special equipment which might be used to manufacture weapons and military equipment
• pyrotechnic products: fireworks (excluding Bengal fires and silicon, candles and torches, ignited by means of gunpowder), petards and flare guns
• narcotics, psychotropic substances, precursors and technologies or devices for their production or use
• poisons or toxic substances
• annulled financial securities
• tags (labels), corks and other packing materials intended to produce any kind of alcohol manufacture

Note: * transportation through the territory of Turkmenistan is also prohibited.

Goods prohibited for export.

• mumiyo (Shilajit)
• liquorice
• liquorice extract
• propolis
• precious and semiprecious metals and their semi-finished products
• domestic birds
• sturgeon fish, alive and lifeless fish, their parts and processed products
• animals, plants and their parts listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan

Temporary storage of seized goods.

Any illegal or smuggled over the established norms goods that are subject to customs duties, found during customs inspection should be placed in temporary storage by Customs Service of Turkmenistan as long as the necessary conditions required for the importation or exportation of goods and items through customs border of Turkmenistan will not satisfied. The  period of temporary storage for perishable goods is not more than three (3) days for other goods is not more than one (1) month.

Goods and Items which can be exported from Turkmenistan without taxes or duties.

The following exports from Turkmenistan are exempt from taxes and duties regardless of quantity.

Regulations for temporary import of goods and articles by individuals through the customs border of Turkmenistan and their further export.

It is a recommendation that any items of high value (for example, video cameras, photo cameras, laptops, professional technical equipment for mass media, etc.) imported for temporary admission should be declared to the customs check points of Turkmenistan. Documentation confirming the importation of these items can be used for re-exportation upon presentation of a customs declaration.

Vehicles and their trailers (semitrailers), which belong to the commodity group 8703 of the Commodity Nomenclature for Foreign Economic Affairs, which are permanently registered in foreign countries, are allowed to be imported into the customs territory of Turkmenistan by foreign persons without citizenship for the period established by Customs Authorities providing they have relevant supporting documents. This period can be extended by the Customs Authorities for the period indicated on the visa.

Such vehicles are documented at the border by customs authorities of Turkmenistan processing duplicate copies of the obligation for re-export. The first copy remains in the Customs and relevant authorities, and the second is issued to the owner of the vehicle, which is the basis for further re-exportation of the vehicle from the customs territory of Turkmenistan.

Vehicles temporarily imported by foreign citizens and persons without citizenship into the territory of Turkmenistan with the obligation of re-exportation, shall be subject to mandatory export from the customs territory of Turkmenistan at the end of the deadline and must be removed from the territory of Turkmenistan.

Inspection of goods.

All passengers travelling by road vehicles must present their baggage for inspection if the inspection is not completed in the vehicle. It is the passenger’s responsibility to prepare their baggage for inspection and to repack their baggage after inspection. The passenger should provide their personal details on request to the Customs Officer.

A passenger carrying luggage or importing goods belonging to another person, must pass through the inspection hall with the owner of the goods to avoid payment obligations and other consequences arising from the possibility of exceeding the allowed volume of imported goods.

Luggage coming into the country aſter the arrival of the passenger.

Goods that are being carried in accompanied baggage which arrive after the passenger’s arrival are also considered to be the goods for personal use. A passenger can import them without paying customs duties provided they comply with the relevant regulations.