Turkmenistan adopts law to allow electronic visas and make it easier for foreigners to enter
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan, long one of the world's most closed countries, on Friday adopted a law that will bring in electronic visas and make it easier for foreigners to enter.
Since it became independent after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, the gas-rich Central Asian nation has placed strict entry requirements on would-be visitors. All foreign nationals have needed to obtain a visa in advance, and supply a formal 'letter of invitation.' Even so, many have been turned down for unclear reasons.
Under the new law, foreign nationals will be able to fill in a simplified online form. Visa support letters will no longer be needed, allowing for smoother business visits and potentially boosting foreign tourism.
President Serdar Berdymukhamedov will now decide what types of electronic visas will be available, how they will be issued, and how long they will be valid for, according to the Neutral Turkmenistan state newspaper.
The country, which has remained under autocratic rule since independence and heavily relies on its vast natural gas reserves for revenue, has recently signalled a willingness to integrate into expanding regional trade networks.
In March, it began implementing a long-negotiated gas swap deal with Turkey, marking a significant step in energy cooperation between the two nations and the first time Ashgabat has shipped gas westward through a route that bypasses Russia.
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The company's homepage says it provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle, with a light bar across the roof and 'Praetorian' painted across the doors. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest with the company's name across the front. In an online resume, Boelter also billed himself as a security contractor who worked oversees in the Middle East and Africa. On his trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, he told Chris Fuller, a friend, that he had founded several companies focused on farming and fishing on the Congo River, as well as in transportation and tractor sales. 'It has been a very fun and rewarding experience and I only wished I had done something like this 10 years ago,' he wrote in a message shared with the AP. But once he returned home in 2023, there were signs that Boelter was struggling financially. That August, he began working for a transport service for a funeral home, mostly picking up bodies of those who had died in assisted living facilities — a job he described as he needed to do to pay bills. Tim Koch, the owner of Metro First Call, said Boelter 'voluntarily left' that position about four months ago. 'This is devastating news for all involved,' Koch said, declining to elaborate on the reasons for Boelter's departure, citing the ongoing law enforcement investigation. Boelter had also started spending some nights away from his family, renting a room in a modest house in northern Minneapolis shared by friends. Heavily armed police executed a search warrant on the home Saturday. In the hours before Saturday's shootings, Boelter texted two roommates to tell them he loved them and that 'I'm going to be gone for a while,' according to Schroeder, who was forwarded the text and read it to the AP. 'May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn't gone this way,' Boelter wrote. 'I don't want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don't know anything about this. But I love you guys and I'm sorry for the trouble this has caused.'
