Published by: Imtiaz Ullah aka NomadLawyer
https://www.nomadlawyer.org/
Know necessary laws if you are planning a trip to Mongolia.
Visa Laws Mongolian visa is issued at the Mongolian Embassy or Consulate in the applicant’s home country or nearest third country. In some cases, if there is not Mongolian embassy in your country, it is possible for some travelers to obtain a visa at the Mongolian border. This is applicable to citizens of certain countries only so you should check the visa waiver section of this website first.
Tourism & Business Travel: You do not need a visa if visiting for fewer than 90 days, but your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your date of arrival. For stays of more than 30 days, you must register with Mongolian Immigration within seven days of arrival. Failure to register will result in a fine of $100-$300, even if you extend your stay due to circumstances beyond your control.
Overland Travel to/from China or Russia: If you plan travel overland to China or Russia, you should carefully research Chinese and Russian travel restrictions and obtain all required visas before coming to Mongolia. The Chinese and Russian Embassies in Ulaanbaatar issue visas for non-residents of Mongolia, but non-resident visa applications are commonly subjected to long processing delays.
Even with an onward visa, overland travel into and out of Mongolia is not always possible. Most of Mongolia’s overland border crossings are closed to foreign travelers. However, the country’s most widely used overland ports of entry and exit–the Zamiin Uud border crossing in the south and the Sukhbaatar/Altanbulag border crossing in the north–are always open to foreign travelers.
Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, then you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.
Customs: Mongolian customs authorities strictly enforce laws regulating the import and export of firearms, ammunition, precious metals, and antiquities. Importation of firearms or ammunition requires prior government approval. All precious metals should be declared on arrival. Exporting antiquities requires a special customs clearance certificate issued by an authorized antique dealer at the time of purchase.
Drug Laws: Possession and use of drugs is illegal. If found guilty you could face a very long prison sentence in an institution with very basic facilities.
Traffic Laws: To help reduce traffic and air pollution, police actively restrict certain license plate numbers from driving into downtown Ulaanbaatar on certain days of the week.
All foreign residents must carry a Mongolian driving permit. It For information concerning Mongolian driver’s licenses, vehicle inspection, road taxes, and vehicle insurance, contact the Embassy of Mongolia. If you are involved in a collision, never move your vehicle until after the police arrive to assess the scene–even if your vehicle is blocking traffic. Moving your vehicle will incur an almost certain fine. It can take hours before police arrive at the scene of the collision.
