Safety in Turkmenistan: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 4 June 2026.
Safety
- Permit-only areas — Dekhistan, Kerki, Gushgi and Saraghs, plus the Badkhyz and Kugitang nature reserves, can only be entered with a permit issued by the local foreign ministry. Plan a route through them well ahead, because the paperwork is not done at the gate.
- Iran border closed — The strip along the Iranian border is off limits, with the sole exception of the official crossing point. Caution is advised across all outlying parts of the country, particularly near border posts. After the conflict involving Iran in June 2025, entering Turkmenistan from the Iranian side became difficult.
- Local guide advised — The ministry recommends using a local guide, both because of the bad state of the road network and because police checks are frequent. It also advises against moving at night and outside the urban centres.
- Public order — No particular public-order problems are reported in Ashgabat or in the main cities of Turkmenabad, Turkmenbashi and Mary, and no serious crime in recent months. Take normal precautions in crowded places such as markets, where petty theft is possible, and do not display jewellery or large sums of cash.
- Earthquakes — The country has a high level of seismic risk.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 4 June 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Turkmenistan before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 4 June 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.