Money & Payments in Turkmenistan
Short answer: Turkmenistan runs on cash. Bring US dollars, expect your bank cards to be useless almost everywhere, and do not count on finding an ATM that accepts a foreign card. The local currency is the Turkmen manat (TMT) and it cannot be bought or sold outside the country.
This page is written by a tour operator based in Ashgabat. Here is what actually matters when you pack your wallet.
Bring US dollars, and bring them in good condition
The dollar is the currency that works everywhere — hotels, guides, drivers, souvenirs, tips. Two details catch people out every season:
- Notes must be clean and undamaged. A torn corner, a pen mark or a heavy fold is enough for a note to be refused. This is not officiousness; damaged notes are genuinely hard for the recipient to pass on.
- Bring newer $100 bills — the blue-striped design issued from 2013 onwards. Older series are frequently rejected or discounted.
Bring a mix of denominations. Small notes are far more useful than you expect: entry fees at sites, tips, bottled water and market purchases are all easier with ones, fives and tens than with a hundred nobody can change.
Your cards will mostly not work
Assume you are travelling without cards and treat any that work as a bonus.
- Visa is accepted at a small number of larger hotels and banks in Ashgabat.
- Mastercard and Maestro are of almost no use.
- ATMs overwhelmingly reject foreign cards. The handful that work are in Ashgabat, and they are not something to build a budget around.
- Contactless and mobile payment are not part of daily life here.
There is no Apple Pay fallback and no “I will just withdraw more”. Whatever you need for the trip, carry it in.
Exchanging money
The manat is pegged by the state, and the official rate is what you receive at banks and licensed exchange desks. You may hear about unofficial exchange offering a different rate — exchanging money outside the banking system is illegal in Turkmenistan, and as your operator we will not arrange it or advise you to seek it out. The risk falls on you, and it is not a small one.
Practical approach: change modest amounts at a bank or through your hotel, only what you will actually spend. Banks keep short hours and close on Sundays, so do it on a working day rather than the evening before a desert departure.
Manat cannot be exchanged outside Turkmenistan and there is no market for it abroad. Spend or change back what you have before you fly home, or it becomes a souvenir.
What you actually need cash for
We help with your Turkmenistan electronic visa (e-Visa) application, including completing the form, preparing documents and guidance throughout the process. What you personally pay on the ground is smaller than most people assume:
- Meals not included in the programme
- Drinks, snacks and bottled water
- Souvenirs, carpets and bazaar purchases
- Tips for the guide and driver, if you wish
- The arrival fee payable at the border or airport
For a week of independent spending on top of an all-inclusive tour, a few hundred dollars in small notes is comfortable for most travellers.
Costs to expect
Turkmenistan is not expensive once you are inside it. A meal in an ordinary Ashgabat restaurant, a taxi across the city or a bottle of water all cost a fraction of European prices. We help with your Turkmenistan electronic visa (e-Visa) application, including completing the form, preparing documents and guidance throughout the process.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my credit card in Turkmenistan?
Rarely. Visa works at a few larger hotels and banks in Ashgabat; Mastercard and Maestro are effectively unusable. Plan to pay cash for everything.
Are there ATMs that accept foreign cards?
Very few, all in Ashgabat, and they are unreliable. Do not build your budget on being able to withdraw money after you arrive.
Which currency should I bring?
US dollars. Bring clean, undamaged notes, use the newer blue-striped $100 design, and include plenty of small denominations.
How much cash should I bring?
On an organised tour where accommodation, transport and guiding are prepaid, a few hundred dollars covers a week of meals, drinks, souvenirs and tips for most travellers. Bring more if you plan to buy carpets or jewellery.
Can I exchange manat when I get home?
No. The manat is not traded outside Turkmenistan. Change back or spend what you have before departure.
Is it safe to change money on the street?
Exchanging currency outside banks and licensed desks is illegal in Turkmenistan. We do not arrange it and do not recommend it. Use a bank or your hotel.
Should I tip?
Tipping is not obligatory and no one will be offended if you do not. If your guide and driver made the trip, a tip in small dollar notes at the end is welcomed.
Planning a trip? We help with your Turkmenistan electronic visa (e-Visa) application, including completing the form, preparing documents and guidance throughout the process.
Need Help Planning Your Turkmenistan Trip?
Tell us your travel dates, number of travelers, nationality, and places you would like to visit. We will help you prepare a comfortable private tour itinerary.
