A Turkmen passport is issued to the citizens of Turkmenistan for the purposes of international travel. Since July 2008, biometric passports have been introduced, making Turkmenistan the first country in the ex-USSR mid-Asia region to issue an ICAO compliant biometric passport. Current passports of Turkmen citizens are valid for travel abroad until they apply for new passports. In April 2013 were approved the new samples and descriptions of the biometric passport, with more protection, increased volume of electronic chips, and high-quality manufacturing. Previously issued passports are still valid until expiration. It is issued by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan. Appearance Turkmen passports are dark green in color, with the inscription "Turkmenistan" () and "Passport" () in Turkmen and English on the cover. The Coat of arms of Turkmenistan is embossed in the center of the cover. The passport is produced in Turkmen and English languages. Visa requirements In 2022, Turkmen citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 58 countries and territories, ranking the Turkmen passport 74th in the world according to The Passport Index. Issues Turkmenistan is one of the few countries that does not renew expired passports at their foreign diplomatic missions. Instead, the embassies and the consulates of Turkmenistan put a stamp on the last pages of the expired passports claiming that the passport has been "extended". After a total lockdown after the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many Turkmen nationals abroad have been trapped in a limbo with expired passports and a stamp that claims to "extend" the validity of the passport alongside a QR code that, when scanned (with an Android device), opens a Google search query which includes passport details in text format. As of middle 2022, it remains unclear if the stamp and a QR code are regarded as legitimate abroad. See also Visa requirements for Turkmen citizens References External links Turkmenistan Foreign relations of Turkmenistan