Getting the Turkmenistan Transit Visa
The Transit Visa means you must go from your pre-stated entry point to your exit point without going off-course. The penalty for deviating from your route is unclear and your own risk.
The reasons the Transit Visa is so tricky is because it’s often denied for no apparent reason and you only get a short period to cross. You can get between a 3-7 day (7 is rare, 5 is the norm) visa.
When I crossed in the summer of 2018, Turkmenistan was extremely strict about the entry and exit dates. You cannot enter before the start date and you must be out on the exit date on your application. So, if you are coming in via boat and the boat is two days late then that’s two days you’ve lost. However, it looks like as of recently (late 2019), Turkmenistan has done away with this rule and are now supplying transit visas which can be used within a 3-month period whereby your 5-day visa will start on the day you enter.