QUICK FACTS FOR VISITORS
QUICK FACTS FOR VISITORS
DUTY-FREE ITEMS
The following goods may be imported into Mongolia without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1l of vodka and 2l of wine and 3l of beer; personal effects; goods up to a value of US$1000.
Prohibited items Mongolia; paleontological and archaeological findings without special permission; collections of various plants and their seeds; birds and wild or domestic animals; wool, raw skins, hides and furs without permission from the appropriate authorities.
CURRENCY
Tugrik (MNT). The denominations of the banknotes are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 Tugrik.
TIME
Local Time in Ulaanbaatar is GMT +8 hours. The three western provinces are one hour behind the capital. Mongolia observes daylight savings time in the summer months.
ELECTRICITY
In Mongolia, the current is 220V/50Hz. Electrical sockets take European-style two round pin plugs.
BANK OPENING HOURS
The normal banking hours are 9 am – 1pm and 2- 5pm although there are variations.
CREDIT CARDS
You can use VISA, MasterCard and American Express cards in Ulaanbaatar at hotels, all airline offices, in some super markets and most travel agencies. ATM machines are available in many hotels, supermarkets and main streets.
STORE HOURS
Most large stores and shops are open 10 am – 8 pm, daily.
BEST BUYS
Cashmere products, leather, jewelry, traditional clothes,
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Police 102, Ambulance 103, Fire 101
COMMUNICATIONS
Four mobile phone operators, Mobicom, SkyTel, Unitel and G-Mobiles provide mobile phone networks. GSM 900 network is operated by MobiCom and available throughout the country. In every province center GSM mobile phone service is available so you can keep in touch with your home while you are in Mongolia if you bring your GSM.
INTERNET & EMAIL
Ulaanbaatar has dozens of Internet cafés where you can surf the Web and access email accounts. Many province centers have Internet access at their Post Offices. Email is easily the most reliable, cheapest and quickest way of communicating with outside world.
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
BBC World Service (FM 103.1 MHz) and VOA (FM 106.6 MHz) radio broadcasts are available on FM in Ulaanbaatar. CNN, BBC World, DW-tv, NHK broadcasts are provided by the most cable operators and available in most hotels.
MAIN ENTRY POINTS
Chinggis Khaan (airport in Ulaanbaatar), Sukhbaatar (railway station on Mongolian-Russian border) and Zamyn Uud (railway station on Mongolian-Chinese border)
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
December 31- January 1 – New Year 3 days in January/February – Mongolian New Year (Tsagaan Sar),
June 1 – Mother and Child day,
July 11-13 – National Holiday (Naadam)
VISA ARRANGEMENTS
Every foreign citizen traveling to Mongolia must be in possession of a passport valid at least for 6 months from date of entry into Mongolia. Most foreign citizens need a Mongolian visa to enter the country. Thirty-day tourist visas can be obtained at the Mongolian Diplomatic Missions abroad. For all information related to consular matters (e.g.: visas, etc.), please contact in person by telephone or e-mail the nearest diplomatic or consular mission of Mongolia. More Visa Information | Mongolian diplomatic and consular missions abroad
HEALTH
Vaccinations against yellow fever (Hepatitis), polio, cholera, typhoid fever are advised. Travellers should bring their own medical supplies for any personal needs and a basic medical kit. You should think that there is no perfect medical care in the countryside. While the potential dangers can seem quite frightening, in reality few travelers to Mongolia experience anything more than an upset stomach.
CLOTHES
There are no special dress codes, though you should avoid wearing revealing clothes in the countryside, even on hot summer days. In Ulaanbaatar on the other hand, Mongolian women dress in contemporary Western style fashions, so you may dress quite freely whilst there.
Warm clothes will be needed for any time of the year: even summer evenings can be chilly. If you are only traveling in the height of summer you don’t need a down jacket – a rain shell will do. A long-sleeved shirt is useful against the sun and bugs.
