Where we work · Turkmenistan
ISO and GRC certification consulting in Turkmenistan
Achieve ISO and GRC certification in Turkmenistan with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
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Sectors that ask for certification in Turkmenistan
Clients include
ISO and GRC certification in Turkmenistan at a glance
Turkmenistan's rules for personal data sit in Law No. 519-V of 20 March 2017, which asks for written consent, keeps databases on Turkmen territory and names no dedicated authority, leaving supervision to prosecutors. Beside it are laws that touch management systems directly: the industrial safety Law of 2017 requires safety management systems at the two highest hazard classes, the energy saving Law of 30 March 2024 provides for energy surveys and passports, and the Law on environmental audit makes audits mandatory in listed cases. Under the Law on certification the Main State Service Türkmenstandartlary also runs state accreditation of testing laboratories, while the international arrangement's member list of 31 December 2025 shows no Turkmen accreditation body, so management system certificates usually carry accreditation from another economy. State tenders ask for licences, certificates or permits only where the work requires them. Demand comes from oil and gas contractors, cotton and food producers, carriers, banks, clinics and hotels. Sterling, with 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries and 20+ years of practice, serves Turkmen organisations from its Dubai office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included. Sterling does not certify.
ISO and GRC standards Sterling delivers in Turkmenistan
Each card opens Sterling's guide to the standard: what it requires, how certification or compliance works and what sets the time and cost.
Quality & operational excellence
Information security, cyber & cloud
Privacy & data protection
AI governance & digital trust
Environment, energy & climate
Health & safety
Governance, risk & resilience
Financial services, payments & AML
Food safety & agriculture
Healthcare, medical devices & life sciences
Laboratories, inspection & accreditation
Automotive, aerospace, rail & defence
Construction, energy, oil & gas
Regulators and laws that drive certification in Turkmenistan (10)
| Law or regulator | What it asks for | Standards it cites |
|---|---|---|
| Law of Turkmenistan "On information about private life and its protection" (Russian title "Об информации о личной жизни и её защите"), No. 519-V of 20 March 2017 The Law names no dedicated data protection authority. Article 28 has the Cabinet of Ministers set state policy, approve the procedure by which an operator fixes its list of personal data and the procedure for protection measures, and gives it the right to form an authorised body for protecting data subjects' rights and fix its status and powers. Article 29 has state bodies handle requests and bring liable persons to account, and Article 30 has the Prosecutor General and subordinate prosecutors supervise compliance. | Operators, meaning state bodies and other legal or natural persons that collect, process and protect personal data, need the data subject's written consent on the content Article 7 lists, with listed exceptions in Article 9, and no licence is needed for processing. Article 12 keeps personal data in a database located in Turkmenistan, and Article 17 allows transfer abroad only to states that ensure protection, with listed exceptions such as written consent. Special categories, including health, religion and personal convictions, are barred unless Article 21 permits them. Article 7 also bars an operator from contracting out the collection and processing of personal data. Operators must protect data against unlawful access under Article 24 and meet the rights and duties in Articles 26 and 27. | |
| Law "On information and its protection" No. 72-V of 3 May 2014 The Cabinet of Ministers sets protection requirements for information in state information systems, and other bodies act within their competence as the Law and further instruments state. | Article 15 defines information protection as legal, organisational and technical measures against unlawful access, destruction, modification, blocking, copying and distribution, and requires information owners and information system operators, in cases the legislation sets, to prevent unauthorised access, detect it in good time, limit its consequences, restore altered information and keep the level of protection under constant control. It also allows legislation to restrict the use of certain information-protection tools. | |
| The authorised bodies under the Law, with state registration of foods carried out by the authorised body in the field of health care Food producers, processors, importers and caterers | Law "On ensuring the safety and quality of food products" of 16 August 2014, amended in 2015, 2017 and 2022. Article 9 requires state registration of new food products and packaging materials made in Turkmenistan and of imported food products, with a list of exceptions set by the Cabinet of Ministers. Article 10 leaves standardisation and certification of food to the general legislation, Article 11 refers to licensing, and Articles 12 to 14 refer to sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary norms. | |
| Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, the authorised body Makers and suppliers of medicines and medical products | Law "On medicines supply" No. 319-V of 12 January 2016, amended in 2017, 2022 and 2025. The authorised body licenses pharmaceutical activity, registers medicines and medical products by state registration, authorises clinical trials and inspects production against good-practice standards; Article 24 requires manufacturers to meet good-practice standards. | |
| Authorised bodies in the field of industrial safety, as the Cabinet of Ministers determines them Operators of hazardous production facilities | Law "On industrial safety of hazardous production facilities" No. 495-V of 4 February 2017, amended on 22 November 2025 and 11 April 2026. Article 12 requires operators of facilities in the first or second hazard class to set up and run an industrial safety management system; Article 15 requires industrial safety declarations for those classes where hazardous substances are handled in the quantities set in an annex to the Law; Articles 14 and 16 cover expert review and mandatory insurance. | ISO 45001 |
| Authorised body for energy saving and energy efficiency, as the Cabinet of Ministers determines it Energy users and public customers | Law "On energy saving and energy efficiency" No. 90-VII of 30 March 2024. Article 25 makes an energy survey mandatory for legal entities that carry out energy-saving measures funded from the State Budget, at least once in a cycle the Law sets, and voluntary for others. Article 11 lets the authorised body set energy-efficiency requirements for goods, works and services bought for state needs, and the Law provides for energy passports. | ISO 50001 |
| Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, the authorised body for environmental audit Industrial and other enterprises with an environmental impact | Law "On environmental audit" No. 122-VI of 2 March 2019. Article 18 makes environmental audit mandatory in listed cases, including reconstruction or modernisation of polluting plants and the operation of environmentally hazardous activities, and repeats it periodically; Article 19 provides for voluntary audit; qualified environmental auditors and audit organisations carry it out. | ISO 14001 |
| Central Bank of Turkmenistan Banks and card issuers or acquirers | Law "On credit institutions and banking activity" of 25 March 2011 lists issuing bank plastic cards and acquiring among banking operations, which credit institutions carry out under a Central Bank licence. Law "On the Central Bank of Turkmenistan" No. 167-IV of 25 March 2011 gives the Bank the tasks of keeping the settlement and payment system working and organising bank regulation and supervision. | |
| Central Bank of Turkmenistan, the authorised body under the Law Virtual asset service providers | Law "On virtual assets" No. 180-VII of 22 November 2025 makes the Central Bank the authorised body, with licensing of virtual asset service providers, client funds held in offline storage as the Bank prescribes, and protection of platforms and the personal data on them under the legislation on information. | ISO/IEC 27001 |
| Main State Service «Türkmenstandartlary», the authorised body under the Laws on certification and on standardisation Producers, importers and service providers under the conformity system | Law "On certification" (Vedomosti 2013, No. 4, Art. 89) provides that products made in or imported into Turkmenistan are certified in the procedure the authorised body sets, with exports and several import categories exempt, and provides for certification of services from a list the authorised body approves. Law "On standardisation" No. 343-IV recognises international standards among the normative documents in force and leaves their registration and application to the authorised body. | ISO 9001 |
Accreditation and recognition
- Main State Service «Türkmenstandartlary», the authorised body under the Law "On certification": Authorised body for standardisation and certification that, under Articles 8 and 12 of the Law "On certification", also carries out state accreditation (attestation) of testing laboratories and attestation of expert-auditors, in a procedure it sets.
Look for a certification body whose accreditation scope covers your standard and sector, from a national accreditation body recognised under the international arrangements of Global ACI (Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, formerly the IAF MLA). Sterling does not certify.
Tenders and procurement
- Tenders for state needs under the Law "On tenders for the supply of goods, performance of works and provision of services for state needs" No. 158-V of 20 December 2014 (State customers acting as tender organisers, under rules the Cabinet of Ministers sets): Article 12 sets qualification requirements for bidders: legal capacity, licences, certificates or other permits where the work requires them, professional and technical competence, experience and reputation, financial resources, equipment and qualified staff, solvency and no insolvency or suspension. It does not list a management system certificate, and the requirements are stated in the tender documentation; the Cabinet of Ministers can add requirements in some cases. Article 11 of the energy saving Law lets the authorised body add energy-efficiency requirements for goods, works and services bought for state needs.
Economic zones
- Free economic zones under the Law "On free economic zones" No. 620-V of 9 October 2017: trade and export, industry and industrial parks, technology, services including finance and tourism, transport and logistics including ports, agro-industry
Sterling in Turkmenistan
Sterling delivers in Turkmenistan from its Dubai office: one team from scoping to certificate, with Effivity ISO & GRC software and Sterling Academy access included. Sterling does not certify; certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
Questions Turkmenistan clients ask
Is there a personal data law in Turkmenistan, and who supervises it?
Yes. Law No. 519-V of 20 March 2017 on information about private life and its protection has applied since 1 July 2017. It names no dedicated authority: the Cabinet of Ministers may form one, and the Prosecutor General and subordinate prosecutors supervise compliance. Ask counsel how the Law applies to your processing and who would act on a complaint.
Must personal data about people in Turkmenistan stay inside the country?
Largely, yes. Article 12 has operators keep personal data in a database located in Turkmenistan, and Article 17 allows transfer abroad only to states that ensure protection, with exceptions such as the person's written consent or a ratified treaty. Review any foreign hosting or shared service centre with counsel before you move data.
Does Turkmenistan have an accreditation body listed in the international arrangement?
Not in the member list dated 31 December 2025, which shows no Turkmen body in its signatory or non-signatory tables. The Law on certification does give the authorised body, Türkmenstandartlary, a state accreditation role for testing laboratories. Management system certificates therefore usually carry accreditation from another economy, so ask your buyer which accreditation it accepts.
Do state tenders in Turkmenistan require ISO certificates?
Not as a general rule. Article 12 of the tender Law lists legal capacity, licences, certificates or permits where the work requires them, competence, experience, finances and staff, and the tender documentation states the requirements. A management system certificate is not among them, so check each tender's documentation. Confirm the current rules with the tender organiser.
Which days should audit dates avoid in Turkmenistan?
Avoid the holidays in Article 81 of the Labour Code, including the two religious holidays whose dates the President sets each year, and Sunday, the common day off. A holiday on a Sunday moves the day off to the next working day. Agree dates with the certification body and the client's shift calendar, since five-day enterprises set the second day off locally.
Which regulator controls the safety of food products made or imported in Turkmenistan?
The food safety Law makes the Cabinet of Ministers and its authorised bodies responsible, and state registration of new and imported foods is carried out by the authorised body in the field of health care. The Law refers sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary rules to separate norms. Check with the authorised body which registrations and licences your products need.
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Sources
- Law of Turkmenistan "On information about private life and its protection" (Russian title "Об информации о личной жизни и её защите"), No. 519-V of 20 March 2017 — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On information and its protection" No. 72-V of 3 May 2014 — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On ensuring the safety and quality of food products" of 16 August 2014, amended in 2015, 2017 and 2022. Article 9 requires state registration of new food products and packaging materials made in Turkmenistan and of imported food products, with a list of exceptions set by the Cabinet of Ministers. Article 10 leaves standardisation and certification of food to the general legislation, Article 11 refers to licensing, and Articles 12 to 14 refer to sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary norms. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On medicines supply" No. 319-V of 12 January 2016, amended in 2017, 2022 and 2025. The authorised body licenses pharmaceutical activity, registers medicines and medical products by state registration, authorises clinical trials and inspects production against good-practice standards; Article 24 requires manufacturers to meet good-practice standards. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On industrial safety of hazardous production facilities" No. 495-V of 4 February 2017, amended on 22 November 2025 and 11 April 2026. Article 12 requires operators of facilities in the first or second hazard class to set up and run an industrial safety management system; Article 15 requires industrial safety declarations for those classes where hazardous substances are handled in the quantities set in an annex to the Law; Articles 14 and 16 cover expert review and mandatory insurance. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On energy saving and energy efficiency" No. 90-VII of 30 March 2024. Article 25 makes an energy survey mandatory for legal entities that carry out energy-saving measures funded from the State Budget, at least once in a cycle the Law sets, and voluntary for others. Article 11 lets the authorised body set energy-efficiency requirements for goods, works and services bought for state needs, and the Law provides for energy passports. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On environmental audit" No. 122-VI of 2 March 2019. Article 18 makes environmental audit mandatory in listed cases, including reconstruction or modernisation of polluting plants and the operation of environmentally hazardous activities, and repeats it periodically; Article 19 provides for voluntary audit; qualified environmental auditors and audit organisations carry it out. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On credit institutions and banking activity" of 25 March 2011 lists issuing bank plastic cards and acquiring among banking operations, which credit institutions carry out under a Central Bank licence. Law "On the Central Bank of Turkmenistan" No. 167-IV of 25 March 2011 gives the Bank the tasks of keeping the settlement and payment system working and organising bank regulation and supervision. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On virtual assets" No. 180-VII of 22 November 2025 makes the Central Bank the authorised body, with licensing of virtual asset service providers, client funds held in offline storage as the Bank prescribes, and protection of platforms and the personal data on them under the legislation on information. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Law "On certification" (Vedomosti 2013, No. 4, Art. 89) provides that products made in or imported into Turkmenistan are certified in the procedure the authorised body sets, with exports and several import categories exempt, and provides for certification of services from a list the authorised body approves. Law "On standardisation" No. 343-IV recognises international standards among the normative documents in force and leaves their registration and application to the authorised body. — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Main State Service «Türkmenstandartlary», the authorised body under the Law "On certification" — mejlis.gov.tm; iaf.nu (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Tenders for state needs under the Law "On tenders for the supply of goods, performance of works and provision of services for state needs" No. 158-V of 20 December 2014 — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Free economic zones under the Law "On free economic zones" No. 620-V of 9 October 2017 — mejlis.gov.tm (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
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