Mongolia Visa

If you’re planning a trip to Mongolia, you may have to apply for a visa beforehand.

The Mongolia visa policy allows visa-free entry to people from a few select countries, whereas the rest have to get one before they travel. In some cases, it is possible to get a visa on arrival as well.

Who Needs a Mongolia Visa?

Nearly everyone needs a visa to enter Mongolia, except citizens of the countries listed below:

Argentina (up to 90 days)
Belarus (up to 90 days)
Brazil (up to 90 days)
Canada (up to 30 days)
Chile (up to 90 days)
Cuba (up to 30 days)
Germany (up to 30 days)
Hong Kong (up to 14 days)
Israel (up to 30 days)
Japan (up to 30 days)
Kazakhstan (up to 90 days)
Kyrgyzstan (up to 90 days)
Laos (up to 30 days)
Macao (up to 90 days)
Malaysia (up to 30 days)
Philippines (up to 21 days)
Russia (up to 30 days)
Serbia (up to 90 days)
Singapore (up to 30 days)
Thailand (up to 30 days)
Turkey (up to 30 days)
Ukraine (up to 90 days if holding an official or private invitation)
United States (up to 90 days)
Uruguay (up to 30 days)

People from the countries listed above can enter Mongolia without a visa and stay in the country for the determined amount of time.

Mongolia Visa Exemption for Holders of Non-Ordinary Passports

Holders of a diplomatic or official passport of the following countries are exempt from visa requirements:

Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Brunei
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Estonia (diplomatic biometric passport only)
France (diplomatic passport only)
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Italy (diplomatic passport only)
Kuwait
Latvia
Malta
Mexico
Myanmar
Nepal
North Korea
Peru
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
South Korea
Switzerland
The Czech Republic (diplomatic passport only)
Turkmenistan
United Kingdom (diplomatic passport only)
Vietnam

Chinese nationals with a public affairs passport are exempt from visa requirements for up to 30 days.

Holders of a United Nations Laissez-Passer (UNLP) are exempt from visa requirements if travelling for business and residency do not need a visa for 30 days.

Officials from the UN Specialized Agencies are exempt from visa requirements if travelling for business and residency do not need a visa for 30 days.

Types of Mongolia Visas

The main types of Mongolian visas are:

Mongolia Tourist Visa. As the name suggests, it is for foreign nationals who want to visit Mongolia as tourists for a short period of time. Some nationalities (as detailed above) are exempt from applying for a tourist visa.
Mongolia Business Visa. This type of visa is issued to foreign travellers who will enter Mongolia for short-term business purposes, such as to attend a meeting, negotiations, etc. In other words, you cannot actually work for a Mongolian company with a business visa.
Mongolia Work Visa. With this type of visa, you can work in Mongolia, but you will first need to find an employer who can get authorization from the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Agency.
Mongolia Student Visa. This type of visa will allow you to study in a higher education institution in Mongolia or to undergo vocational training or scientific research and study.
Mongolia Family/Visit Visa. This visa is for foreign nationals who have a family member already in Mongolia and want to join them.
Mongolia Transit Visa. The transit visa will allow you to spend up to 10 days in Mongolia if you need to transit through the country on your way to a third destination.

Mongolia Visa Requirements

To apply for a Mongolian visa, you must have the following documents:

A completed Mongolia visa application form. You can find the form either online at the embassy’s website or pick it up yourself when you submit your application.
Your original passport. The passport has to be valid for at least another six months starting from the date you plan to enter Mongolia.
A recent picture of yourself with 3.5cm x 4.5cm dimensions.
Proof of accommodation in Mongolia. E.g. Your hotel reservation.
A copy of your flight or train ticket.
Proof of sufficient financial means to sustain yourself during your stay. E.g. bank statements from the past six months.
If travelling for business or with a non-governmental organization: Approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
If travelling for employment, studying, or other long-term purposes: Approval from the Immigration Agency
If travelling for diplomatic purposes: An official request from the sending authority or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or foreign diplomatic missions
Any additional documents that the embassy or consulate asks you to submit.

Note: The required documents change depending on the reason you are travelling to Mongolia.

Ways to Apply for Mongolian Visas

You can apply for a Mongolia visa in one of two ways:

At one of the embassies or consulates of Mongolia abroad.
On arrival at the airport or border crossing (for certain nationalities). This is only for short-term purposes, like tourism and transit.

Applying for a Mongolian Visa at the Embassy

You have to apply for a Mongolian visa at the nearest embassy or consulate of Mongolia:

Contact the relevant embassy/consulate to make an appointment*. You can find a list of Mongolia’s diplomatic missions abroad here
The embassy/consulate will inform you about what documents you have to submit for the visa application.
Download the Mongolia visa application form. You can usually find this on the embassy/consulate website.
Collect the required documents.
Submit the application at the embassy/consulate or send it through the mail.
Pay the visa application fee. The fee changes from one country to another, as well as depending on the duration of the visa.

*Sometimes you don’t need to make an appointment since they may offer the option of submitting your application via mail.

The application will be processed within approximately five working days, depending on the country you are applying from as well as the application method.

Note: If you are applying for a long-term visa, such as for employment, you need a sponsor in Mongolia who get approval on your behalf from the Office of Immigration, Naturalization and Foreign Citizens in Mongolia. Once your sponsor gets the approval, the sponsor or the relevant government agency will forward it to the diplomatic mission where you will apply for the Mongolia visa.

Applying for a Mongolia Visa on Arrival

You can get a Mongolian visa on arrival at the Ulaanbaatar airport (Chinggis Khaan International Airport), without prior approval if you are from one of the following countries:

Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Greece
Ireland
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
United Arab Emirates

To get a Mongolia tourist visa on arrival, you must have the following documents with you:

A completed visa application form
A recent passport-size picture with 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm dimensions
Proof of accommodation (e.g. hotel reservation)
A return or onward ticket

Note: The Mongolia visa on arrival is only for tourism or transit. If you are travelling for a reason other than tourism or transit, then you must have a sponsor to pre-arrange the visa for you from within Mongolia or contact the nearest Mongolian embassy or consulate.

Pre-Arranged Mongolia Visa on Arrival

If you are from a country where there is no diplomatic mission of Mongolia and you are travelling or business or official purposes, you can get a visa on arrival at the Ulaanbaatar airport. You must have a sponsor in Mongolia who can submit a visa request to the Mongolian Immigration Authority on your behalf before you travel.

Upon arrival at the airport, you must have:

Visa approval from the Immigration Agency of Mongolia or the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.
A completed visa application form.
A passport picture with 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm dimensions.
Proof of accommodation in Mongolia (e.g. a hotel reservation).
A return or onward ticket.

You must also pay a fee of 108,000 Mongolian Tughrik (appx. USD 38).

How Long Is a Mongolia Visa Valid?

A Mongolia tourist visa allows the holder to stay in the country for up to 30 days, whereas a transit visa is valid for 10 days. Other Mongolian visas are issued depending on the reason for travelling and can have a duration from 90 days up to 1 year with single or multiple entries.

Ultimately, the Mongolian embassies or immigration authorities will decide for how long to issue the visa.

Extending a Mongolia Visa

You can extend a Mongolian visa by submitting an application to the Immigration Agency of Mongolia before your current visa expires. If you want to extend a tourist visa, you have to apply for a visa extension at least four days before it expires.

How Much Does the Mongolia Visa Cost?

The cost of a Mongolia visa changes slightly depending on the country of application and local currency. A single-entry 30-day visa is approximately USD 50 to USD 70. Visas with a longer duration will be more expensive.

November 2, 2022