Mongolian Visa extension in Olgii

[steven]

Please read and post reports and questions on the Mongolian visa extension in Olgii below.

We summarize all info in the Mongolia visa page, under visa extension.

[David]

Hello

We just (2016 August) extended and registered our Mongolian 30-days tourist visa for another 30 days in Olgii, western Mongolia.

Location of the immigration office is in the center of Olgii at „Энх тайваны гудамж“ street (corner with „Зуха баатарын гудамж“ street) south side of the big square. It is a small two storey building, „Mongolian immigration“ is written in big blue letters on the facade.
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/LQDyRRW8KnL2

Here the official website of that office with photos of the building (works in mongolian only):
http://west.immigration.gov.mn/
http://west.immigration.gov.mn/?p=2976

Unfortunately we didn’t find out the opening times, but it was open when we arrived there at 9am. There was kind of a lacy (not very motivated) atmosphere. It seems that you need a good reason why you want to extend in Olgii (for example: you don’t go to Ulaanbaatar; or you are by bicycle and you need more time …). Otherwise they try to send you to Ulaanbaatar.

These documents each of us submitted:
- Passport
- 1 Copy of passport
- 1 Application form (which they give you)
- 1 passport photo, glued on the application form
- 1 Explanation letter
- Bank receipt

- in the form they also ask for your Mongolian address (hotel). If you don’t stay in a hotel/guesthouse bring at least the name of one in Olgii.

Costs for one person:
- 108000 tugrugs for extension of 30 days (3600 tugrugs per day, 30 days is maximum)
- 2000 tugrugs for registration

The payment has to be done at the Golomt Bank (Голомт банк) which is at the east side of the big square. The receipt from the bank has to be submitted together with the other documents.
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/7eeRZQNDqc62

Explanation letter:
In this letter you have to explain why you want to spend more time in Mongolia. Ours looked like this:

———————————————
[Our home address]

Office of Immigration
Western regional department
Olgii
Mongolia

Olgii, [Date]

Purpose of visa extension
Dear Sir / Madame

With this letter I’m kindly requesting visa registration and extension of 30 days for the purpose of tourism in Mongolia.

For your verification I’m already very thankful.

Yours sincerely
[Name and Signature]

———————————————

All procedure took about two hours and we had a new stamp in our passports. Yeah!

Hope this helps somebody!
Cheers,
David

[Fiestje]

Thanks for the useful info! We suggest you had to have it done within the first seven days you were in the country?

[Fiestje]

You came in via Russia? We're sad because we didn't know about the Olgii option and just booked a bus to UB, but we came in via China, so Olgii would have been too far away anyway to make it in 7 days...

[Fiestje]

We finally got our extension in UB: see http://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic ... 7654#p7654

[David]

Hi Fiestje

Sorry for my late reply. Yes, we came from Russia; and yes, we extended within the first 7 days (don't know if you can do it also later).

David

[Froit]

Few things new this year:
-If you plan to stay longer than 30 days, regardless of the visa-days that you have, you MUST REGISTER as temporary resident.
In the FIRST WEEK AFTER ARIVAL. This (totally unintelligible) rule leads to lots of trouble. In the same process your visa will get extended with the amount of days that you ask, and pay for. Or, if your visa is already longer than 30 days, its just registration for you.
If you come in by Bulgan from the South-West you can chose to register either in Bayan Olgii or UB, but in both cases that would involve a bus-ride of several days. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. Or prepare to pay the fine on exit, minimum 192.000 Mnt, 85 USD, the max is four times that...
-Visa can be given for MORE than 30 days by some consulates (notably the one in Astana) if you ask nicely and show a plan. 60 days possible.
But still you need to register in the first week!
-Please be aware that the only border where you can cross ON YOUR OWN BICYCLE is Bulgan, all others you must ride in a taxi or bus, any registered vehicle. 5-10 dollar usually, with bike. And not all buses can transport bicycles, for some weird import-restriction in China or other yet mysterious reason.
-If you plan to do anything closer than 100 km from any border, you may need a special border-permit,which can be gotten in the provincial capitals at special offices.
-The border North of Lake Huvsgul is really only for locals, with Russian and Mongolian passports or border-passes, just as some borders in the Gobi.
-There is a new border open to all passports in the far East, on the way to Manchuria, but the opening hours and days are erratic and unexplainable.
-Russian visa stil take 12 working days, through the Legend Tours Agency.
-Chinese visa now ask for a letter of your embassy/consulate that states your passport to be real, OR your last-before passport. Chinese consulate is still hell.

[steven]

There is a new border open to all passports in the far East, on the way to Manchuria, but the opening hours and days are erratic and unexplainable.

Hi Froit,

can you say which border you mean? I think I have it on the border map but not sure which one you are talking about. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... cYtBrEYScU

[jfdesfosses]

Update:

My girlfriend and I came in from Bulgan border on 17/08/18, with our visa free 30 days as we are Canadians. We bought motorcycles in Khovd, and went to Olgiy for extensions on 17/08/25.

We wrote the letter, paid 220 000t, gave them a standard passport photo, filled the form, gave a photocopy of our passport, and got an extension until October 17th.

All in all it took 3.5 hours, only 2 of which we spent in the office. Fairly easy and straightforward, with pleasant staff! It would be a good idea to have a local person who can speak English as a backup in case you need translation!

Cheers

JF

[Lottieandryan]

2 x British passport holders extended visa in Olgii.

You need:
Passport photo
Letter explaining reason for extension
Fill in application form (they give you this when you go to the office)
Photocopy of passport and original visa (they can do this for a small fee)

You pay the fee at Golmot bank in cash, then return to the immigration office with receipt. 27000T for 7 days up to 109800T for 30 days. Registration costs 2000T.

For us it was a 24 hour process.

The immigration building is hard to miss despite being marked in the wrong place on maps.me and I-overlander. Turn right before Kazakh tours and it is the big blue building that says 'immigration'. Its the same building to get registered in which you need if staying in Mongolia for more than 30 days.

Pretty easy process and the girl speaks very good English.