According to computerannals, Mongolia (Mongolian: Монгол Улс / Mongol Uls, English: Mongolia) is a country in Asia bordering China and Russia. Mongolia has been independent from China since 1912. The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar. Some major cities in Mongolia are: Erdenet, Darhan, Choibalsan, Ölgi and Sajnshand.
Mongolia is known as one of the oldest countries in the world. The country has many museums where you can admire dinosaur fossils, among other things. The landscape is mainly hilly with steppe areas, mountainous areas and deserts. The country has almost no infrastructure and that is why the most used means of transport is the horse. The population mostly lives in tents and their main source of income is livestock farming. Everywhere around the tents you see herds with mainly sheep. In the south of Mongolia you will find the Gobi desert with the Yoliin Am. Yoliin Am is known as a gorge where meters of thick ice can be found all year round. The most popular sport in Mongolia is wrestling. See educationvv for education in Asia.
Where is Mongolia?
Travel information of Mongolia
Official name: Mongolia
Continent: Asia
Area: 1,564,116 km²
Capital: Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator)
Country code: MN, MNG
Population: 3,168,026 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 4,374 m (Hüjtenpiek)
Distance (Amsterdam – Ulaanbaatar): 6,674 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in Mongolia that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Mongolia, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Mongolia. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compile your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Mongolia?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Mongolia at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Mongolia has a continental climate. In the north of the country, temperatures are around -25 degrees in the winter months and around 30 degrees in the summer months. In the south of the country, temperatures are around -15 degrees in the winter months and around 30 to 40 degrees in the summer months. In the spring, many sandstorms occur in and around the desert areas.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Mongolia can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Mongolia can be found at Climate info.
Best time
July, August and September are the best months to travel to Mongolia. This avoids the harsh winter months and periods with sand storms.
Language
Mongolian is the official language in Mongolia.
Would you like to translate from or into Mongolian for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least six months upon departure from Mongolia.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the Mongolian embassy in Belgium.
This visa is valid for 30 days and must be used within a period of 90 days after issuance.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in China (also for Mongolia): netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Mongolia in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
Consulate of Mongolia in the Netherlands: hcmongolie.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
It is advisable to get one or more vaccinations before visiting Mongolia.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Mongolia people pay with the Mongolian tugrik (MNT).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Mongolia can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Mongolia are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -24% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (61% cheaper), food (9% cheaper), imported beer in catering (46% cheaper), cigarettes (73% cheaper) and public transport (92% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Mongolia it is not customary to tip. In most places a service charge is automatically added to the bill.
Time difference
Mongolia falls in two different time zones:
– Western Mongolia: 6 hours later (winter time), 5 hours later (summer time).
– Central and Eastern Mongolia: 7 hours later (winter time), 6 hours later (summer time).
Above we talk about the time difference during our winter and summer time, because Mongolia does not observe summer time.
Find the local times, dates, time zones and exceptions for Mongolia on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Mongolia you have to drive on the right.
To drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Mongolia, you must have an international driver’s license. The international driver’s license is available at an ANWB shop.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Mongolia.
Electricity
In Mongolia you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity in Mongolia can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 102
– Fire: 101
– Ambulance: 103
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap. In Mongolia there are several sources where you can drink safely.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Mongolia can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Mongolia can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Mongolia end in.mn.
Mongolia’s official website: zasag.mn.
Mongolian traffic office: mongoolsverkeersbureau.nl.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Mongolia is 00976 or +976.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Mongolia? Then use the Dutch country code 00131.
(If you use a country code, you must leave out the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Golden Pages of Mongolia.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Mongolia.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Mongolia.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Mongolia can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Mongolia, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Mongolia?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Mongolia. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Mongolia can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Mongolia can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Mongolia? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Mongolia.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with Mongolia, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Mongolia, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Mongolia.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.2.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 16.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…that the rural population lives predominantly nomadic in traditional felt tents?
…Wrestling is one of the national folk sports of Mongolia?
…The largest statue of a horse can be found in Mongolia?
…The capital Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world?
… Mongolia’s road network fits in with that of the Netherlands 67 times?
…The Netherlands fits in Mongolia 37 times?
