How to cross from Afghanistan to Turkmenistan
If you love adventure, then get ready for what has to be the coolest border crossing in the world: traveling between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. These are two fascinating and unique countries that could not be more different from each other, even though they are side-by-side. Now that the Serhetabat border crossing is open to tourists, travel between the two countries by land is now possible, but you’ll want to keep a few things in mind. One, to enter Turkmenistan you must have your plans organized by a tour operator like Saiga, and have a Letter of Invitation (or a visa) in place. The crossing needs to be included in your travel plans when your operator applies for your LOI, and you should note that it can come with an increased chance of rejection, though most applications with this crossing seem to be getting approved lately. Another important thing to note is that to exit Afghanistan with any land border, you cannot have more than $500 USD on you, so plan accordingly (more on that below). If you want to cross from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, you should also be aware that the new Afghan evisa does not currently work for entry into Afghanistan at the land borders, so you’ll need to visit an approved embassy or consulate ahead of time to get an actual visa in your passport if you are determined to cross by land. The Afghan evisa is fine for exiting Afghanistan.
The following information is based on my personal experience using this crossing in June 2026. Of course, individual experiences will vary, but as neither side of this crossing is likely to change much, this is a great and helpful guide to prepare you for this crossing and should hopefully answer any questions you might have.
Getting To Torgundi/Serhetabat from Afghanistan
The easiest way to get to the border is taking a taxi from Herat. The trip takes about 2 hours, and a taxi will cost around 4000 Afghani (roughly $60-$70). You should plan to leave early in the morning to give yourself plenty of time to cross. Once you cross into Turkmenistan, the roads beyond the Serhetabat border are very rough, and you will not want to be driving on them after nightfall, so plan accordingly. If you need to pick up any snacks on your way to the border or want to spend some remaining Afghani, you’ll pass through the town of Qala Naw about halfway to the border, which has lots of roadside vendors. There are two Taliban checkpoints between Herat and Torgundi, and an additional checkpoint just in front of the border.
A note for solo female travelers: it is required by the Taliban that all females traveling long distances must be with a mahram (a male relative as a chaperone). When I travelled to the border myself from Herat, I had some trouble finding a taxi driver who was willing to take me without one. Eventually, I found a driver and we made a plan for him to bring his family with him so it would look like we were on a family trip together. Disguised in my chador and facemask, I pretended to be asleep at each checkpoint and we were waved through with no issues. I did not need a chaperone to cross the border.
What to expect on the Afghanistan Side of the Border (Torghundi)
There are three different steps on the Afghan side. They are all outdoors, so for the most part you will not enter any buildings. First, you’ll go to the bright mint colored building on the right. Go to the window to talk with the immigration officer. You'll need to present your passport, Afghan e-visa if applicable, and Turkmen LOI (or visa). They likely will not speak English, but basically, you'll need to communicate how you arrived in Afghanistan, what date you entered, and how many days you were there. Of course this could vary depending on who your border officer is. They may take your passport and other documents to another office for review for some time while you wait, this is normal. They might also put your exit stamp on your Turkmenistan LOI, as they did for me for some reason. After you get all of your documents back, you'll continue on. You'll stop at another booth (this one is white) where they'll review your documents once again. After you get the go ahead, you'll continue on to customs. Customs is a large outdoor platform with a sleepy guard in front of it that will make you think "uhh...this?"
For women, you'll be instructed to walk to the building that is about 20 meters behind this platform. When you enter through the open door, you might be worried you've accidentally wandered into someone's house, but don't worry, you’re in the right spot. If you have a purse, it will be searched here, and you will also get a pat down.
Taking cash across the border
A warning for this part, you cannot bring more than $500 USD out of Afghanistan at any land borders ($5000 is the limit for exit at the airport however). They will search very thoroughly and if they find US cash, they will count it. Slowly.
They don't seem to care about other currencies however. I had some small amounts of Euro and other Central Asian currencies on me, and they only removed the USD from my bags and counted it. Even in the ladies search, my frisker removed my cash from my wallet, then called a male guard over to slowly count it. You'll then return to the customs platform (or if you're a male, you won't have left) where the rest of your bags will be searched. They will open pouches and be very thorough. If you are in a bind and need to carry more than $500 out of Afghanistan, I would recommend splitting your cash between a few different areas, maybe tucking it between clothes towards the bottom of your suitcase. In my experience, the officer got less thorough after the first bag, which as we know from many other border crossings, is a common thing that happens. If you're with other people, they're also likely to search the first person the most thoroughly and then gradually get bored of it. Have one thing that is obviously a wallet or money pouch with less than $200 for him to count as a decoy. But if you can avoid the risk, you should as it will be taken off you if more than $500 is found. With the two passport checkpoints and customs, the Afghan side of this border crossing took me 40 minutes in total. Of course, this could vary wildly and if you arrive at a lunch break, prayer time, or just have some particularly slow officers, this could easily take much longer. After this, you'll continue to Turkmenistan!
What to Expect on the Turkmenistan Side of the Border (Serhetabat)
You'll continue on foot, and once you see two small stark white buildings with bright green roofs, you'll know you've officially reached Turkmenistan. You'll hand your passport and LOI through the window to the officer inside the first of these small buildings. If you have an Afghan evisa and your Afghanistan entry stamp is on your evisa instead of in your passport, hand this to the officer as well and be sure to point out that this is where your entry stamp is, as he will otherwise spend time searching for it. You'll likely be told that you can sit in the waiting area, which is one folding chair by the side of the road, thoughtfully placed in the shade. You might be spending a good amount of time here (for me it was 30 minutes), so get comfortable. You should not take your phone out, even to check messages as the guards will get spooked that you're trying to take photos and will tell you to put it away. So this is a great time to relax and revel in the fact that you're crossing one of the world's least-travelled borders between two incredibly unique countries. You can watch the comings and goings of oil tankers and other big cargo trucks, and the fun exchanges between the guards and drivers that are clearly passing through often. Fans of railway infrastructure will also be pleased to see the main tracks for cargo freight connecting Afghanistan and Turkmenistan along the road. Once you have received your passport, it's time for the longest stretch. It's about a 1km walk on pretty rough roads, though it's not impossible to wheel a suitcase through. You'll pass by a weighing station (stick to the left here) and continue on to Turkmenistan's main immigration building. You'll know you're there when you see a giant photo of the president in front of a carpet, of course.
Visa and taxes
Assuming you have arranged your Turkmenistan travel plans through a tour company like Saiga (remember, tourists can only visit Turkmenistan if their plans are entirely organized by a tour agency, so check out our group tours
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, this is the point that your driver or guide will arrive to help you. You'll likely be one of the only tourists here, and you can walk directly up to the immigration window. They will collect your passport and LOI and begin working on your visa. While they do this, you should visit the covid test area (yes, this is still a requirement in 2026). This room you will have passed on the left on your way to immigration. Inside there will be a nurse who will be surprised you're there and will administer your covid test. There is no need to wait for the results, as there will be no results. Even if you are actively infected with covid, you will pass this test. It's really just a way for them to get an extra $35 off of you. You won't pay for your test here, but make sure you get a slip from the nurse showing you have taken the test, as you will need to present this to the bank window next to immigration. Immigration will also give you a slip to hand to the bank counter. At the bank window, you'll pay for your visa, covid test, and tourist tax. My total cost for all three with an American passport was $121 in June 2026, but this can vary by passport. It is best to be prepared to provide exact change, as this is not a regularly used border and they might not have the correct change for you. If you do get change back and they try to give you bills that are worn or torn, don't hesitate to ask for nicer notes if possible. Once you have paid your fees, you'll give the receipts to immigration and covid testing respectively. You'll probably have a bit of a wait still, but soon enough your visa will be finished. One thing to note about this process, both the bank counter and the covid testing room will ask for your passport, however your passport will be tied up at immigration. If a guide or driver is meeting you, they will have a slip with all of your information and this can be handed to the bank and nurse for them to use. It could be a good idea to be prepared with a printed copy of your passport if you are not sure if your guide or driver will be there to meet you. If you are traveling with Saiga however, your guide or driver will definitely be there and have a slip with your information, and you do not need to worry about this.
Customs searches
Next is customs. You'll put your bags through the scanner that is next to immigration. You'll also need to fill out a customs form. The form is not in English, but likely your guide or driver will be helping with this part. One of the main things they will be concerned about is cash. There is no limit to the amount of cash you can bring into the country, however if you have more than $10k USD (in any currency equivalent to this), you will be asked to declare it. After your bags are put through the scanner, you will place them on the customs table and hand your form to an official who will search through your things. Typically he will let you do the zipping and unzipping of your pockets and pouches and depending on his mood and how suspicious a vibe you're giving off, this likely won't be overly thorough. Note that bringing drones into Turkmenistan is illegal. While some people have been able to sneak them into the country, I would not recommend it at this border crossing as there is a very high chance it will be confiscated.
Next is the internal search (don't worry, it's not as invasive as it sounds, and is actually kind of fun). There are separate rooms for men and women with officers of the same gender operating the machinery. Basically, you're about to go through a human-sized conveyor belt. You'll stand on one side, and the conveyor belt will move you through the machinery as if you're a piece of baggage to see if you are attempting to smuggle anything inside you. If you found some primo hash or opium in Afghanistan and are tempted to try to sneak it into Turkmenistan for an epic night at the Gates of Hell, unfortunately your party will stop here because they will find it. If you've got nothing to hide though, then you've got nothing to worry about. I couldn't help but giggle when I went through as I had never experienced anything like it in my life. Afterwards, they will also ask you to remove your shoes and they'll bang those around to make sure you aren't trying to hide anything there.
In total, the Turkmen side of this border crossing took me 1 hour and 40 minutes. Between this and the 40 minutes on the Afghanistan side, it was 2 hours and 20 minutes spent at the Serhetebat border crossing. If you are traveling with a group or with a vehicle, you can expect this to take significantly longer.
How to get to Mary or Ashgabat from Serhetabat
The nearest city to Serhetabat is Mary. The drive from the border to Mary takes about 5-6 hours in a 4x4 SUV, however it can take much longer in large overland trucks as the road conditions are very rough. Once you arrive in Mary, you can stay here as a jumping off point for ancient Merv or cities in the North and East of Turkmenistan. Likely, most travellers will want to continue on to Ashgabat. You can either take a quick flight, drive a few more hours between the two cities, or take an overnight train with the locals.
Want to travel between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan?
Both Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are two of the most unique and misunderstood countries in the world. And although they border each other, crossing between the two countries is like night and day. If you’d like to experience this crossing, we can help arrange it before or after any of our Afghanistan Group Tours , or our Turkmenistan Group Tours . We can also arrange private tours in each country if our dates don’t suit you. But please note that this needs to be included on your Turkmenistan LOI application, so make sure that you let whoever is organising your Turkmenistan tour know that you plan to cross this border. If you’ve got any questions about travel in these fascinating places, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] .
