Guidance

Turkmenistan: Knowledge Base profile

Published 11 August 2025

Version 2.0

About: Turkmenistan

This document contains useful information about Turkmenistan which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 7 August 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Turkmenistan: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Turkmenistan.

Names in Turkmenistan will usually consist of a:

• personal forename
• middle forename (usually the father’s personal forename)
• family name

There are both male and female versions of family names. If a family name ends with:

• ‘ova’, this is a female name
• ‘ov’, this is a male name

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Turkmenistan.

Name alignment

Customers from Turkmenistan may experience issues when aligning their name in country. These application types should be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Turkmenistan: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Turkmenistan.

Dual nationality is not recognised in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan: parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about parental responsibility in Turkmenistan.

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility in Turkmenistan.

The mother will hold full parental responsibility when:

• there is no father’s name on the birth certificate
• the mother is single, and they are issued with a document to confirm the father named on the birth certificate is under an assumed name

Turkmenistan: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Turkmenistan.

Adoption is legal in Turkmenistan.

Overseas adoptions are not allowed in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Turkmenistan.

Surrogacy is illegal in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Turkmenistan.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan: civil partnership and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnership and marriage in Turkmenistan.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are illegal in Turkmenistan.

In Turkmenistan, only a civil marriage registered by the registry office is recognised as legal.

Religious marriages and customary marriages are allowed in Turkmenistan.

Polygamy is not allowed in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Turkmenistan.

Birth certificates

Births in Turkmenistan are centrally registered and must be registered within 3 months of the birth. There is no provision for late registration. A birth certificate is issued at the time the birth is registered.

Most birth certificates will show the names of both parents. The mother must declare a father for the birth record and she can give:

• any name and does not require the person to agree
• an assumed name to fulfil the requirement for a father’s name

Mothers who are single will be issued a document confirming the father’s details are assumed or added without his consent.

The father’s details may be blank on older certificates.

There are 2 types of birth certificate in circulation, including a:

• Soviet Union style old birth certificate
• Turkmenistan version of a birth certificate

If a mistake is identified on a Turkmenistan birth certificate, the certificate will be reissued correctly.

Marriage certificates

A marriage certificate is issued following all civil marriages, and a record is held by the Marriage Registrar’s Office (known as ZAGS).

There are two types of marriage certificate in circulation, a:

• Soviet Union style old marriage certificate
• Turkmenistan version of a marriage certificate

Death certificates

A death certificate will be issued following the registration of all deaths in Turkmenistan. A central register of death certificates is held in the State Archives.

There are two types of death certificate in circulation, a:

• Soviet Union style old death certificate
• Turkmenistan version of a death certificate

Identity documents

Identity documents in Turkmenistan are issued at a national level and may be laminated by the issuing authority.

Turkmenistan introduced biometric passports in July 2008 for international travel.

Turkmenistan passports issued before 2008 do not show an expiry date and the photo on the data page may not be recent. There are pages inside of the passport where the photos for 25 and 45 years are placed.