Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Entry and exit visas are required of all nationalities, as is a valid passport. No visa is required for Americans visiting for fewer than 90 days. Visitors planning to stay in Mongolia for more than 30 days are required to register with the Immigration, Naturalization and Foreign Citizens Agency in Ulaanbaatar during their first week of arrival. Visitors who fail to register and who stay longer than 30 days may be stopped at departure, denied exit, and fined. Entry and exit visas may be obtained at the airport at a cost of around 50.00 and must be accompanied by an invitation or sponsorship from a Mongolian company, a resident foreigner, or an organised tour company. Some consulates and embassies interpret the regulations more liberally than others, but all visitors must be registered after arrival and checked out of the registry upon departure.To check current regulations, try the web site of the Ministry of External Relations at www.extmin.mn.

Health risks: cholera, meningococcal meningitis

Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8, GMT/UTC +7 (in the western provinces of Bayan-Ölgii, Uvs and Khovd)

Dialling Code: 976

Electricity: 230V,50Hz

Weights & measures: Metric

When to Go

The travel season is typically from May to early October, though Ulaan Baatar can be visited any time of year if you can tolerate the bitter cold. Early July has the best weather for the northern part of the country and is also the time to celebrate Mongolia's Naadam Festival. Be aware, though, that this is also when Ulaan Baatar's inadequate accommodation and creaky transport is stretched to the breaking point. June and September are both pleasant times to visit, and attract fewer visitors. The best months to visit the Gobi Desert and not get toasted are September and October. Be aware that between mid-October and mid-May sudden snowstorms and extreme cold can ground flights, block roads and cause the country's transport system to stall.

Events

The biggest event of the year is the Naadam Festival, known as the eriyn gurvan naadam, after the three 'manly sports' of wrestling, archery and horse racing. The festival is held all over the country, normally between 11 and 13 July, the anniversary of the 1921 Mongolian Revolution. The major events take place during the first two days. Tsagaan Sar (White Month) is the start of the lunar new year in January or February. After months of enduring a bitter winter, Mongolians celebrate over three days with a lot of food, liquor and singing.

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Дата добавления: 2015-07-10