As of mid-year 2020, there were approximately 243,000 (Migration data portal) international migrants from Turkmenistan living worldwide, with the Russian Federation being the top destination country. In 2021, approximately 69,500 international students from Turkmenistan registered to have been pursuing education abroad, with the most popular destinations being Türkiye, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Korea, Ukraine,and Belarus. It hosts around 195,000 international migrants within its borders.
Due to Turkmenistan’s closed migration profile, the country’s mobility patterns remain largely undocumented and not reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In 2025, IOM published an in-depth analysis of migration trends in Uzbekistan (Januar – March 2025) and Kazakhstan (January – March and April – June 2025), in which the numbers for the citizens of Turkmenistan in those countries have been reflected in cross border mobility statistics.
Turkmen citizens in Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan emerged as the second-largest source of international students in Uzbekistan, with 12,500 international students studying in the country during the 2024-2025 academic year, following India, which had 6,502 students.
Turkmen citizens in Kazakhstan
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SUPPORT OUR WORKThe Kazakh Border Service of the National Security Committee recorded 9,510 arrivals from Turkmenistan in the first quarter of 2025, representing 3% of the total non-CIS migration inflow. According to data, the purpose of their arrival, the majority of migrants indicated that their goal was private (86%), followed by transport maintenance (9%), transit (2%), employment (1%), and other goals (2%). Additionally, Turkmenistan accounted for 3%, 12,312 of the migrant outflow to non-CIS member states from Kazakhstan both in the first and second quarter of 2025.
In the first quarter of 2025, Kazakhstan issued a total of 4,162 visas to Turkmen citizens, making them the second-largest recipient group, at 15% of the total visas issued, following Chinese citizens, who received 42% (11,641 visas). In addition to these, 2% of permanent residence permits issued by Kazakhstan went to Turkmen citizens during the first quarter of 2025.
Under the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), nationals of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation can work in Kazakhstan without a visa or work permit on the basis of an employment contract. However, Turkmen citizens face visa requirements and are not included in Kazakhstan’s extensive visa-free travel agreements, which cover 80 countries.
