Secretive Turkmenistan launches electronic visas
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan – Turkmenistan, one of the world's most secretive states which has been mostly closed to foreigners, said it had launched a system of electronic visas on Thursday.
Covered by desert and bordering Iran and Afghanistan, the reclusive state in Central Asia has this year been tentatively opening up to tourists after decades of isolation.
Migration authorities in the capital Ashgabat said an "e-visa" system would make obtaining an entry permit to the authoritarian country easier and faster.
"The new digital services will allow foreign citizens arriving in our country to save time, transition document workflows into an electronic format, and complete all procedures quickly and in a simplified manner," the migration service said in a statement.
Turkmenistan had announced such plans last year but they never took effect until now.
On the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan is the most closed of the five Central Asian countries, all of which were part of the Soviet Union until 1991.
Turkmenistan is hoping its natural beauty and cultural history will attract visitors.
But tourism remains tiny in the gas-rich country of seven million people and the prospects of obtaining a visa are still vague, with visits likely to be highly-controlled.
A Turkmen migration official, contacted by AFP by phone Thursday, said the new system "will encourage an increase in tourist and business travel to the country."
The official spoke on condition of anonymity, as civil servants are not permitted to speak to journalists.
From now on, the official said, foreign nationals will be able to submit applications "without having to visit consular offices."
Turkmenistan is ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in this year's Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
RELATED: 'Gateway to Hell' and personality cults: 5 things to know about Turkmenistan
