It is advisable to take new, clean US Dollar notes in small denominations. Foreign currency can be changed at banks and major hotels. Foreigners are expected to pay all travel and hotel bills in hard currency, and prices bear little relation to what locals are expected to pay.
Most packages are all-inclusive and extra payment of accommodation and meals is unnecessary.
From then on, a unified exchange rate was introduced for all transactions, determined by trading on the Turkmen Interbank Currency Exchange, which commenced operations in 1996. The import and export of local currency is prohibited for foreigners. Import of foreign currency is unlimited subject to declaration, and export is limited to the amount declared on import.