Diplomas, certificates, school-leaving certificates and other educational documents issued in Turkmenistan have official legal validity abroad (albeit subject to certain reservations). However, for them to be recognised and subsequently used in most other countries around the world, they must first be legalised.
It should be borne in mind that legalisation confirms the fact that a document has been issued and the authenticity of the signature of the authorised official. However, it does not automatically grant the right to work in specialised fields (such as medicine, law, etc.) and does not replace the recognition of higher education qualifications (nostrification).
Turkmenistan is not a party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which introduced a simplified procedure for legalising public documents by means of an apostille. Consequently, public documents issued in Turkmenistan can only be legalised through the consular legalisation procedure.
Consular legalisation in Turkmenistan is governed by the Law on Consular Service and other regulatory legal acts.
When is legalisation not required?
Most commercial organisations do not require employees applying for positions that do not involve special access to information to have their diplomas or other educational documents legalised. Furthermore, a diploma does not need to be legalised if a special mutual recognition arrangement for diplomas and academic degrees is in force between Turkmenistan and another country. Such arrangements may affect eligibility for admission to universities or employment in a profession corresponding to the qualification obtained.
For example, Turkmenistan is a party to the 1993 Minsk Convention. Therefore, consular legalisation of diplomas issued in Turkmenistan is not required in most CIS countries. A notarised translation of the diploma into the official language of the country where the document is to be used is sufficient.
However, Ukraine withdrew from the Minsk Convention in December 2022, and Moldova adopted a similar decision in 2026. Therefore, diplomas and school-leaving certificates issued in Turkmenistan must be legalised for use in those countries.
Before using an educational document issued in Turkmenistan, it is advisable to check with the receiving country whether legalisation will be required.
Educational documents issued in Turkmenistan
Educational documents in Turkmenistan are issued upon completion of higher education institutions, vocational and technical schools, general education schools, courses and other educational programmes.
The main types of educational documents issued in Turkmenistan include:
- Certificate of Secondary General Education;
- Diploma of Primary Vocational Education (which may be awarded with distinction);
- Diploma of Secondary Vocational Education (which may be awarded with distinction);
- Bachelor’s Degree Diploma (which may be awarded with distinction);
- Specialist Diploma in Higher Professional Education (which may be awarded with distinction);
- Master’s Degree Diploma (which may be awarded with distinction);
- Diploma of Professional Retraining (which may be awarded with distinction);
- Certificate of Professional Development.
In addition, official formats have been approved in Turkmenistan for certificates conferring academic titles and diplomas conferring academic degrees.
In certain cases, students are also issued certificates or other attestations.
Most educational documents in Turkmenistan are issued in Turkmen. However, from 2026, educational documents may also be issued in English upon submission of a special application.
Procedure for legalising diplomas and school-leaving certificates in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is not a party to the 1961 Hague Convention. Therefore, documents issued in its territory cannot be certified with an apostille. To confirm the authenticity of an educational document issued in Turkmenistan, a relatively lengthy and complex consular legalisation procedure must be completed.
Consular legalisation is a multi-stage procedure for certifying the authenticity of a document, used for countries that are not parties to the 1961 Hague Convention.
To have an educational document issued in Turkmenistan legalised through the consular procedure, the following steps must be followed:
- Obtain the document;
- Have a notarised copy of the document prepared;
- Have the authenticity of the notary’s signature and seal confirmed by the Ministry of Adalat (Ministry of Justice) of Turkmenistan;
- Have the document legalised by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan;
- Obtain a notarised translation of the document;
- Have the document legalised by the consulate or consular section of the embassy of the destination country.
Due to the number of steps involved, this procedure is time-consuming and relatively expensive. Some countries do not have consulates in Turkmenistan, meaning that the final stage of legalisation may need to be completed in another country where the relevant consulate is located.
Translation of educational documents
When using an educational document issued in Turkmenistan in a foreign country, it must be accompanied by an official translation (notarised, sworn, court-certified or certified), in accordance with the legal requirements of that country.
The translation must undergo a verification process. This involves sending the completed translation to the graduate for review to ensure that their first and last names, the subjects studied and the titles of academic papers have been translated and transcribed correctly, as inaccuracies may occur during translation.
Depending on the requirements of national law, the official translation may be attached to the legalised notarised copy of the document.
What is consular legalization?
In our video we are explaining what consular legalization is and where to apply for it.
Schmidt & Schmidt will assist you in all issues concerning the legalization.
Schmidt & Schmidt offers legalization in more than 80 countries all over the world.
Sending documents from Turkmenistan
Despite the challenging international situation, it is still possible to send documents from Turkmenistan. However, for some destinations, delivery can only be arranged in several stages.
What happens next?
Once you have obtained your diploma with consular legalisation, together with a copy bearing an attached notarised translation, the documents can be considered officially valid for use abroad.
In countries with which Turkmenistan has no agreements on legal assistance and the recognition of foreign documents, a diploma must undergo nostrification after consular legalisation and official translation before it can be used there.
How can we help?
If you are outside Turkmenistan, we will be pleased to assist you with apostillisation and legalisation of documents for use abroad.
You can always contact Schmidt & Schmidt. We have extensive experience in legalising a wide range of documents and provide all the services required in this area, including preparing notarised copies, translations and the necessary powers of attorney, arranging legalisation of documents by government authorities and foreign consulates, and delivering completed documents to most countries worldwide.
You can find out more about the legalisation and apostillisation procedures on our website.
