International Desk: The Central Asian country of Turkmenistan has announced that it will ease the visa process for tourists. Long known as one of the world’s most isolated countries, the country is going to open its doors to foreign tourists through a new visa policy.
The new policy, announced in April, states that tourists will be able to apply for visas online and the process will be faster. As a result, a letter of invitation (LOI) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not be required as before. However, visitors will still have to travel through a local ‘sponsor’ or approved tour company.
Turkmenistan is considered one of the most closed countries in the world, along with North Korea and Eritrea. The country has been under an authoritarian regime since it became independent from the Soviet Union in the 1990s.
“If it goes into effect, it will significantly increase visitor numbers,” Dylan Lupin, director of UK-based travel agency Lupin Travel, told CNN. “We don’t know exactly when it will be implemented yet.”
Turkmenistan used to have a complicated process to obtain a tourist visa. The new policy is expected to significantly reduce both the time and complexity.
Source: CNN
