On Friday, 25 September, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed a resolution granting permission to reside in the country to 146 foreign nationals and stateless persons. The document was adopted at a joint meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Security Council.
Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov reported that the permits were granted following individual applications. The group includes citizens of seven countries and representatives of 16 ethnic groups, comprising 99 women and 47 men.
According to the foreign minister, Turkmenistan continues its efforts to protect the rights of foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in the country and to regulate their legal status, in accordance with national legislation and universally recognized norms of international law.
Particular importance is attached to cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, notably the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Measures are being taken to regulate the legal status of foreign nationals living with relatives who are Turkmen citizens, those married to Turkmen citizens, as well as foreign nationals who registered their residence in Turkmenistan before the introduction of visa requirements for citizens of CIS member states.
To date, a total of 5,294 foreign nationals and stateless persons have been granted permission to reside in Turkmenistan.
Upon signing the resolution, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of the country’s efforts to protect human rights and freedoms and instructed the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to continue the work in this area. ///nCa, 26 September 2026