Turkmenistan is introducing an electronic visa system, which will significantly simplify the entry procedure for foreign citizens and will contribute to the growth of tourist and business flow into the country, said Deputy Head of the Educational Department of the Central Office of the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan Yusup Odeyev at the international conference “Peace, Sustainable Development and Migration”, held on Thursday in Ashgabat.

According to Odeyev, in April of this year, the law "On Migration" was adopted, providing for the issuance of electronic visas. The new system will allow foreign citizens to submit applications, track the status and receive visas online without having to contact consular offices.

“The issuance of electronic visas will be an important step in simplifying the visa regime and modernizing the country’s migration system,” he emphasized.

As Odeyev noted, the implementation of digital solutions is aimed at increasing the efficiency of official activities and ensuring a high level of convenience and transparency for citizens and foreign guests. The new approach should simplify administrative procedures and facilitate the growth of tourist and business flows to the country.

The deputy head of the educational department also said that Turkmenistan is exploring the possibilities of using artificial intelligence and next-generation analytical platforms to further improve the migration system. According to him, the introduction of AI will open up broad opportunities for automatic analysis of migration flows, facial recognition and biometric data, as well as risk assessment based on large data sets.

“The use of intelligent algorithms can significantly improve the accuracy of document authentication, optimize application processing routes, and strengthen protection against unauthorized border crossings,” Odeyev explained.

The international conference in a hybrid format was attended by representatives of government agencies dealing with migration and migration policy issues from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Experts and representatives of international organizations from countries with advanced experience in the region, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Türkiye, were also invited, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan reported.