In this article we will tell you in detail how to get the Chinese, the Russian and the Belarusian visas in Ulaanbaatar. We applied just for the Russian tourist visa and the Belarusian transit visas, since our plan was to come back to Italy by train. However, since we met quite a few people applying for the Chinese tourist visa in Ulaanbaatar, we collected all the relevant information from them. The Mongolian capital seems to be a common place where people apply for visas (mostly Russian and Chinese) so you will probably meet other fellow travelers doing the same.
CHINESE VISA
Getting a Chinese visa in Mongolia can be tricky and we know that some people had their application rejected when we were there so it’s always better applying for Chinese visa in your home country. Be aware that Chinese authorities may reject your application if you have stamps from certain Muslim countries (e.g. Turkey) or countries they don’t have particularly good relations with. Despite all this, we met few people who applied for a Chinese visa in Ulaanbaatar and most of them were successful. Here how to do it:
- Where to go:
The Chinese embassy is located northeast of Chinggis Khan square. Have a look at the map:
- When to go:
You need to go on TUESDAY (exclusively this day) to get an appointment and then come back once you have received an official appointment date, which can be Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 9am to midday. Remember that you NEED TO HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH YOU even though you are just booking an appointment. We recommend you to go there EARLY in the morning (8:30am should be ok) since there may be quite a lot of people applying for it. If you are lucky, you will get the appointment the following day but you may have to wait longer.
- Who can apply?
As long as we are aware, there is no restrictions to whoever wants to apply for a Chinese visa in Ulaanbaatar. However, some nationalities (US for example) pay more than others.
- What do you need to apply?
- Passport with a minimum of six months validity
- Filled application form (Click here to download it)
- Passport picture
- Copy of your passport and your Mongolian visa (if you don’t need Mongolian visa, you must do a photocopy of the entry stamp)
- Entry/Exit flight/train tickets
- Reservation of every single hotel/hostel where you are going in China. Be aware that the reservation MUST have your name clearly specified on it and sometimes the confirmation of the hotel is “not clear enough” for them
If you haven’t reserved any train or plane (maybe because you want to cross the border via Zamiin Uud and Erlian) you can make fake tickets. One option is reserving tickets on the Turkish airline website (click here to find out what we did for the Mongolian visa); the other option is getting fake plane tickets at the airmarkets (travel agency) in Ulaanbaatar, apparently they do that for free!
We reccomend you to book “free cancellation” hotels/hostels so that you can change your plans if you want. You DON’T have to go where you declare you would go; once in China you can go wherever you want (except Tibet, where you need special permits).
- How much does it cost?
Once you have applied, you need to go the Golomt Bank near the embassy to pay for the visa. Apparently, you can pay both by card or cash (only USD though). A standard 30 days tourist visa costs (November 2019) $30, an express one $65. Apparently, some people manged to get a 45-day visa but we cannot guarantee it applies to all nationalities.
- How long does it take?
All depends on when you get your appointment but, once you have submitted the application, the visa processing time should be three working days. If you apply for an express visa, you can get it the same afternoon. Generally speaking we would consider at least a week (starting from Tuesday, day of the appointment request) to be on the safe side.
—————
RUSSIAN VISA
- Where to go:
The Russian embassy is located in the city centre of Ulaanbaatar, 10 min walking from the state department store.
- When to go:
You can submit an application Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Pick-up time is between 12 and 12:30pm.
- Who can apply?
The Russian embassy in Ulaanbaatar accepts applications only from citizens with the following nationalities: Australia, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Gabon, Guyana, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Georgia, Denmark, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Israel, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Yemen, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Qatar, Kenya, Colombia, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Morocco, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Panama, Republic of Korea, Romania, Salvador, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, Seychelles, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Sudan, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Thailand, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uruguay, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, Chile, Ecuador, South Africa, Jamaica.
- What do you need to apply?
In order to apply for a Russian visa in Ulaanbaatar you need the following documents:
- Passport with a minimum of six months validity and one blank page
- Printed application form filled up online (click here)
- Letter of invitation (also known as “tourists voucher”) and letter of confirmation
- One photograph (passport size)
You must go through an official Russian travel agency to get the letter of invitation and the confimation. We got them through RealRussia. You can find all the information you need here.
When you fill up the application form, they will also ask you to specify your itinerary and accomodations. However, you don’t need to provide any evidence, you can just give them a provisional plan.
Citizens of the following nations must also provide evidence of their travel insurance: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Hungary, Iceland, Spain, Cyprus, Cyprus, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia
- How much does it cost?
After you have applied, the embassy will provide you an invoice that you have to pay an the nearby TDC bank. The cost for a single entry tourist visa was $46 (November 2019) per person. Be aware that you won’t be able to pay by card at the bank because they want your passport to do that but obviously you won’t have it with you, since you would have just left at the Russian consulate (Mongolian bureaucracy -.-‘).
- How long does it take?
On the Russian consulate website, it’s written that it takes from 4 to 7 working days. However, it took us just three days to get it with a normal procedure. If you want, there is also the possibility to get it faster (same day)
—————
BELARUSIAN VISA
- Where to go:
The Belarusian embassy is located on the 13th floor of the Fides tower
- When to go:
The embassy is open Monday to Friday from 9am to midday. Pickup time from 3pm.
- Who can apply?
Everyone can apply for a Belarusian visa in Ulaanbaatar.
- What do you need to apply?
- Passport with a minimum of six months validity
- Filled application form (click here to download it)
- Two passport size pictures
- Copy of the medical insurance
- Supporting documents. For TRANSIT VISA you train/plane tickets are sufficient; for tourists or other visas you need to provide a letter of invitation or a sponsor.
- How much does it cost?
Independently from the type of visa the cost is €60 (November 2019); €120 if you want the express one. You will have to pay at the bank on the ground floor of the Fides tower. You can pay by cash or card (Visa only).
- How long does it take?
The standard visa processing time is 5 working days. You can get the visa the same afternoon if you opt for the express procedure.
