Your quick guide on talent and labor compliance norms in Turkmenistan
Capital
Ashgabat
Currency
Turkmenistan Manat (TMT)
Languages
Turkmen
Payroll Frequency
Monthly, Bi-Monthly
GDP per Capita
$13,020.04
Employer Tax
20% to 23.5 %
Talent Overview
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. The country is ranked 165th freest economy in the world and is 38th out of 39 among the countries in Asia-Pacific. The country sits below regional and world economical averages. Although the country has major gas and oil exports, its internal political corruption and external influence makes it difficult for the country to prosper.
Major economic hubs:
Ashgabat, Turkmenabat, Dasoguz
Skills in demand:
Engineering Professionals, Skilled Labor (Oil and Gas rigs)
Local Universities
The top local universities in Turkmenistan are as follows:
Salary Data
Here are some jobs with average monthly salary in Turkmenistan:
Job Title | Average Monthly Salary (in TMT) | Average Monthly Salary (in USD) |
Information Technology Manager | 9,030.00 | 2,577.36 |
Network Engineer | 4,780.00 | 1,364.31 |
Developer / Programmer | 5,080.00 | 1,449.94 |
Project Manager | 6,130.00 | 1,749.63 |
Database Administrator | 4,910.00 | 1,401.42 |
Business Analyst | 6,850.00 | 1,955.14 |
Business Development Manager | 8,640.00 | 2,466.04 |
Talent Sourcing Tips
37, 770
Hiring in Turkmenistan requires you to be aware of the local employment laws, benefits, payroll, and taxes. Given below is everything you need to know on how to successfully onboard talents from Turkmenistan.
Contracts in Turkmenistan can either be verbal or written according to the Labour Code. The contract must be written in either Turkmen or Russian.
The probationary period for new employees are up to 6 months.
Date | Name | Type |
1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Public Holiday |
8 Mar | International Women’s Day | Public Holiday |
21 Mar | Nowruz Bayram (Spring Festival) | Public Holiday |
22 Mar | Nowruz Bayram (Spring Festival) | Public Holiday |
21 Apr | Oraza Bayram (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
18 May | Constitution Day | Public Holiday |
28 Jun | Kurban Bayramy (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
29 Jun | Kurban Bayramy Holiday (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
30 Jun | Kurban Bayramy Holiday (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
27 Sep | Independence Day | Public Holiday |
6 Oct | Day of Commemoration and National Mourning | Public Holiday |
12 Dec | Day of Neutrality | Public Holiday |
Type of leave | Time period | Mandatory |
Annual leave/Earned Leave | 20 – 30 days | Yes |
Maternity Leave | 112 days | Yes |
Sick Leave | Based on requirement | Yes |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
Workers are paid either monthly or bi-monthly.
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Turkmenistan is TMT 1,160 per month.
Overtime Pay
Overtime in Turkmenistan is limited for four hours for two consecutive days only. With a maximum of 120 hours of overtime work per year.
Bonus
The 13th-month pay is not mandatory in Turkmenistan.
Full-time employees in Turkmenistan are ensured to have insurance benefits such as
Taxes
Contributions | Rate (%) |
Pension Insurance Payments | 20 |
Professional Pension Insurance (For Hazardous Jobs Only) | 3.5 |
Total | 20 (23.5) |
Contributions | Rate (%) |
Pension Insurance Payments (optional) | 2 |
The usual tax rate is 10% across all income classes.
The standard VAT in Turkmenistan is 15% while the export of goods (except oil and gas) and services is 0%.
Offboarding & Termination
The notice period before termination for probationary and regular employees depends on the contract between the two parties but is usually three days.
The severance pay in Turkmenistan depends on the duration of employment which ranges from ½ of a month to two months of salary.
Visa and Immigration
In order to get a business visa in Turkmenistan, you first must have a Letter of Invitation (LOI) from the Turkmen State Migration Service. You can get the LOI from the following sources.
When you have the LOI, then you can apply your visa in your country’s Turkmen Embassy or Consulate. The documents will be provided upon your registration.