How to get a Mongolian Visa in China | The Easy Way

Are you ready to visit the magnificent land of Mongolia? Getting a Mongolian visa in Beijing, China, couldn’t be easier! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get a Mongolian visa at the embassy in Beijing.

Mongolian embassy in Beijing opening times & process

First things first, before heading off for a backpacking adventure in Mongolia, you will need to get your visas in check. The Mongolian Embassy in Beijing is open Monday – Friday, from 9:00, am to 11:00 am for visa applications.

Mongolian visa requirements

1. Passport
2. 1 passport-sized photo 
3. Filled in visa form
4. Credit or debit card, to pay

As soon as the window opens at 9:00 am, you can get the visa application form. The form is very easy to fill in and will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. After filling in the application form, hand in the form, your passport, and passport photo. Staff at the desk will check the form and send you to the next window where you will need to make the visa payment.

Mongolian visa costs and visa collection times

The current cost for a 30-day single entry visa into Mongolia is 405 Yuan ($61). We tried to pay in cash, but the woman behind the counter insisted we pay via credit/ debit card. After completing the transaction, you will receive a receipt with the date to pick up your visa. The visa process takes 4 working days (including the day you applied). The visa pick-up time is between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

How to get to the Mongolian embassy in Beijing

1. Take the red line (line 1) and get off at Yong’anli station.

2. Take exit A at Silk Street Market. You won’t actually see the market but follow the signs for it and walk through the underground.

3. Go up the steps and come out of the subway. Cross over the road and turn left.

4. Walk straight for about 1 km, until you come to a crossroads and see this sign.

5. Turn right and walk about 600 meters to the Mongolian Embassy, which will be on your left.

Tip: Download maps.me to mark the embassy and use it as your navigation system. Once you have downloaded the map of China, you will not need WiFi for the navigation system to work.

Our experience of getting a Mongolian visa in Beijing

Waiting for our visa & Chinese visa expiring

Finding the Mongolian Embassy in Beijing was very easy. We arrived at the embassy at 8:45 am, and there were only 3 other people in the line. The visa form was also very easy to fill in, and the overall process was very simple. The only issue we came up against was the visa processing time. The processing time for the visa is very strict, so don’t hold out hope of getting your visa any sooner. We applied for the visa on a Friday and really hoped the embassy could process the visa faster for us, as we were running out of time on our Chinese visa. However, the embassy would not budge and point-blank refused to process the visa any sooner.

Trying to get the Mongolia visa a day earlier

We even went a day early in the hope that our passport had already been stamped with the visa, but this turned out to be a nightmare! We had checked out of our hotel room, arrived at the embassy, had no luck of getting the visa, and then we were left stranded without a hotel room for the night. In case you didn’t already know, hotels and hostels in China will not allow foreigners to check in without their passports, regardless of what other forms of ID you have.

Stranded and badly bitten

After hours of hunting for a place to take us in for the night, it looked like we were going to have to spend the night on the streets of busy Beijing. Just as we were preparing to find a cosy alleyway to bed down for a couple of hour’s sleep, a very kind hostel owner offered to allow us to sleep in the pool room on the sofas. We eagerly took the offer and settled in for the rest of the night. We awoke in the morning, extremely mosquito-bitten, itchy, and eager to pick up our visas, and finally, make our way into Mongolia. It took us just 10 minutes to get the visa after arriving at the embassy at 4:00 pm. We then quickly made our way to the bus terminal to cross the border into Mongolia.

Where to stay in Beijing

Feeling luxurious: Asia Hotel Beijing – Offers an indoor swimming pool, garden area, and fitness facilities. It’s also in a great location for travellers that are interested in sightseeing.

Budget private room: Beijing Together Hostel – Offers dorms and twin double rooms! Great for couples that want to socialize with others, but also want the privacy of their own room.

Dorm life: Lab Hostel – Has a wide range of bed types to choose from and has a great social space. The hostel has a bar that serves cocktails and space to watch films.

For more prices and deals on properties in Beijing, CLICK HERE.

Now you have managed to get your Mongolian visa in China, you will want to start planning your trip to Mongolia. Check out how you can find a cheap Mongolia tour here.

Essential resources for travelling in China & Mongolia

Travel Insurance – No matter where you’re travelling to, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re covered for any accidents or losses. We spent days and weeks searching for insurance, but most insurers would not allow us to take out a policy as we were already abroad. Our personal choice is Safteywing. You can opt for automatic monthly payments, just like a subscription. More importantly, it is available in 180 countries and can be purchased whilst already travelling. There is no cap on the duration of travel.

Visa – Before you travel to any country, make sure to check if you need a visa. iVisa is a fantastic website that is super easy and quick to use. Just type in where you are from. and where you are going. to check if you need a visa. If you do, you can quickly make an application online.

Accommodation – Booking.com is our go-to when looking to pre-book accommodation online. Booking.com tend to almost always have the best rates and a FREE cancellation policy for most properties.

Tours & Activities – If you want to book tours and activities online, make sure to check out Get Your Guide. Get Your Guide takes the stress out of booking activities abroad. You will also find a range of benefits, such as skip-the-line passes, lunch included in your tours, and so much more.

Travel tips ebook -Before you head off on your adventure, make sure to download our free ebook. It has a whopping 109 budget travel tips to help you make your hard-earned cash go further. Click here to download your FREE ebook.

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