Guidance

Notarial and documentary services guide for Turkmenistan

Documents, certificates, letters and notes available at the British embassy in Turkmenistan.

With immediate affect we will no longer be offering notarial and document services. We’ve been working hard to provide a normal level of service but with the ever changing developments of coronavirus (COVID-19) we have to make adjustments to our services for the safety of both customers and staff.

If you think you have an urgent need for a notarial service, please contact us using web contact form or by telephone +993 12 363462 or 363463.

Overview

The British embassy can provide a range of notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Turkmenistan.

Where local notaries can provide services, the British embassy will not provide them. In many cases local notaries or lawyers can provide services more cheaply, quickly and conveniently.

Some services may be available by post. You must make an appointment for each service that requires your personal attendance. Use the links after each service to make an appointment. A member of staff will contact you to confirm your appointment.

Before booking, make sure you have selected the correct service and that the document will be accepted by the relevant authority. This could be the local town hall, registry office, tax authorities, immigration office or another authority either in Turkmenistan, the UK or a third country.

Services we provide in Turkmenistan

Consular staff in Turkmenistan can:

  • administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit
  • witness a signature
  • make a certified copy of a document
  • unite document
  • convert a civil partnership to marriage

For information about documents relating to marriage, such as a certificate of no impediment (CNI) and affirmations or affidavits of marital status, see getting married abroad.

If you can’t find the service you are looking for on this page, see other services provided by the British embassy in Turkmenistan

What to bring to your appointment

See the individual services below for details of supporting documents to bring. Make sure you have acceptable proof of address and identity, and payment for any fees. See the full list of consular fees

Payment

We accept payment by Visa and MasterCard or cash in US Dollars (US$). Please bring exact amount if you would like to pay in cash.

Proof of address and identity

For all appointments for notarial services you will need to bring acceptable proof of your identity and address.

We accept passports as proof of identity.

We accept documents accepted as proof of address in post as proof of your address.

Administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit

This service is for people who need to swear an oath, make an affirmation or make an affidavit in front of a consular officer.

You may need to make an affirmation or affidavit of marital status in order to get married in Turkmenistan. See getting married abroad to find out what you need to do.

The consulate will not draft documents for you. First check with the consulate what format they need and then have the document drawn up or checked by a professional.

  • the oath, affirmation or affidavit that you will swear or affirm
  • the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment by cash in US$ only
  • proof of identity/address – see what we will accept as proof

Book an appointment to administer an oath, affirmation or affidavit at the British embassy Ashgabat

Witness a signature

This service is for customers who need to sign a document and have their signature witnessed by a consular officer. The document must be prepared before your appointment as we will not draft documents for you. We do not handle wills or probate, or witness deed polls.

Please do not sign the document before your appointment.

What you will need to bring with you:

Book an appointment to witness a signature in Ashgabat

Make a certified copy of a document

This service is for customers who need certified photocopies of British passports, Home Office registration/naturalisation certificates, UK educational documents (only those that have been issued in the UK by a recognised institution and are listed on the Legalisation Office website, British driving licences (both the plastic card and paper document are required) and British divorce decrees.

What you will need to bring with you:

Book an appointment to make a certified copy in Ashgabat

Unite documents

This service joins documents together using ribbon and a seal and is usually only needed for legal reasons. What you will need to bring with you:

Book an appointment to unite documents in Ashgabat

Legalise a document

This service is for customers who require confirmation that the signature, seal or stamp on a document is genuine. It does not certify the authenticity of a document or give approval of its content. UK public documents can be legalised by the Legalisation Office.

Convert a civil partnership to marriage

This service is for couples who wish to convert an existing civil partnership into marriage. For information on getting married or entering into a civil partnership, see getting married abroad

You do not need to have formed your civil partnership in Turkmenistan, but you must have been living here for 28 days.

We can convert civil partnerships formed between a British national and a partner of any nationality.

Read what you need to know about converting a civil partnership and then book your appointment using the link below.

What you will need to bring with you:

  • your passport
  • your partner’s passport
  • your original civil partnership certificate
  • proof of residence, such as an employer’s letter, bank statement, utility bills, immigration stamps or hotel bills
  • the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment by cash in US$ only

Book an appointment to convert a civil partnership to marriage in Ashgabat

Services provided elsewhere

We no longer witness life certificates for British nationals claiming a British pension abroad. Please refer to the list of people working in a recognised profession who can do this for you.

Data protection

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.

Disclaimer

This information is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the embassy by the relevant local authorities and may be subject to change at any time with little or no notice. Accordingly the FCDO and the British embassy will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. For all notarial and legalisation services it is the responsibility of the customer to ascertain the precise requirements of the person requesting the notarial or legalisation service and to satisfy themselves that the service provided by the embassy will be accepted.

Published 17 April 2013
Last updated 1 April 2020 + show all updates
  1. With immediate affect we will no longer be offering notarial & document services.

  2. Ashgabat does not provide legalisation services

  3. First published.