Economic Overview, #4 Global Natural Gas Reserves & Caspian Port
Turkmenistan holds the world's 4th-largest natural gas reserves (Galkynysh) and operates modern Caspian port terminals.
Key Economic Clusters
- Natural Gas Mega-Extraction (Galkynysh): Multi-billion dollar upstream gas extraction and pipeline exports to China.
- Petrochemicals & Gas-to-Liquids (GtL): Synthetic gasoline and fertilizer production from natural gas.
- Caspian Sea Maritime Logistics: International seaport of Türkmenbaşy handling transit to Europe and Central Asia.
Employment Contracts, Labour Code 2009 & Probation
Regulated by the Labour Code of Turkmenistan (2009).
- Written Contracts: Mandatory in Turkmen or Russian detailing remuneration and duties.
- Probation Period: Maximum statutory probation is 3 months.
Working Hours, Leave & State Pension Fund
- Standard Hours: 40 hours per week (8 hours/day over 5 days).
- Annual Leave: Minimum 30 calendar days paid vacation per year.
- Public Holidays: ~11 official national and Islamic public holidays.
- Maternity Leave: 112 calendar days (16 weeks) paid via the Pension Fund.
- Social Security: Employers contribute 20.0% and employees contribute 2.0% of gross salary (22% total).
Why Use an Employer of Record (EOR) in Turkmenistan
- Rapid Energy Sector Deployment: Onboard gas processing engineers and drilling supervisors in Ashgabat or Türkmenbaşy in days.
- Pension & Tax Compliance: Full administration of 20% employer pension contributions and 10% income tax withholdings.
Hiring in Turkmenistan? Key Resources
Whether you are evaluating entity setup vs. using an Employer of Record, or looking for the best international payroll solution, our guides give you transparent benchmarks:
