Asia and Oceania

Insurance

 

Comprehensive travel and medical insurance, including evacuation by air ambulance, is essential.  Medical facilities are very poor.  Health insurance is essential.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See Travel Insurance.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas, then this is how we can help.

It is advisable to have comprehensive travel insurance cover for unexpected losses such as cancelled flights, stolen cash, passport or luggage.

 

Consular registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

Passports

You should carry your passport or other travel documents at all times.  Requests to produce proof of identity, for example by the police, are frequent.

 

The British Embassy in Ashgabat does not issue passports.  Applications for a new passport can be submitted to the British Embassy in Ashgabat will be forwarded either by courier at the applicant’s expense or by diplomatic bag free of charge, to the British Embassy in Moscow for processing.  When possible you are advised to apply at least two months before your passport is due to expire.  You will be allowed to retain your old passport while waiting for a replacement to be processed and returned.  In exceptional circumstances, the British Embassy in Ashgabat can issue an Emergency Passport, which is valid for a single journey back to the UK.

 

Electricity

 

The electricity supply is 200V.  Appliances use two pin round plugs.

 

Money

 

There are no international ATM’s in Turkmenistan. Credit cards are only accepted in a few of the main hotels, but Visa cards can be used to obtain cash at the Vnesheconom Bank in Ashgabat and Master Cards may be used at Senagat Bank, again only in Ashgabat.  The fee is currently 5% of the amount withdrawn.  US Dollars can be used in major hotels and in some other tourist facilities.  It is advisable to carry new notes in low denominations.  Notes with any types of additional markings are often refused even by official travel exchange offices.  Other currencies are difficult to exchange.  The currency has recently been redenominated and although you will be given the new notes when changing money it is likely that you will be given a mixture of old and new notes as change if you buy something.  The two types of notes will both be valid until 31 Dec 09 after which time only the new notes will be valid.