Chinese Visa in Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia)

[olmo]

Applied on November 30 (Wed) and pick up following Monday. German passports.

Had the following documents:
- application form (we used this one, http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/fd/, allows to fill in the pdf and print it. Disable Javascript to put in non-US phone numbers ...). They also had free copies and pens, glue etc at the embassy.
- passport copies, also copy of mongolian entry stamp
- copy of previous chinese visa from earlier this year, as it was in our old passports.
- passport photos
- detailed itinerary for 28 days Beijing to Hong Kong, plus another 2 weeks Hong Kong to somewhere, with stuff to do each day and the place we are staying
- booking.com confirmation for all those hotel bookings
- plane ticket in and out (nothing for HK, as we would obviously go over land). Just did a screenshot of the confirmation before payment, cut nicely so you'd see our names, price/tax, flight details but not the "please pay now" part.
- Nothing else. They also didn't bother about any previous travels, as we had just switched to a new passport and Mongolia were our first entry stamps

Asked for double entry 2x30 days, six months validity, and got it. They actually asked "60 days?", but since our itinerary was only for 30 each entry and a longer stay would not have been of any use to us this time, we said 30 would be fine but please within 6 months, as we had heard stories people had gotten "irregular" visas there before even though 6 months should be standard for double entry ...

Asked about express processing but were told this is not possible for us Germans. Four working days, Wednesday morning to Monday afternoon then, remember they are just open three times a week. It is $30 for single and $60 for double entry payable at a nearby bank whenever you like, just bring the confirmation slip when you pick up your visa. You can pay with MNT, they'll just convert to USD first - as in most places in Mongolia the exchange rate is less than 0,5% off so that's not costing you extra either.

We heard of several others who had gotten the Chinese Visa without problems as well, except for one person, but she had overstayed her last two visas on her trip so that may have been the reason ... so I'd say everything back to normal!

[quidde]

Any recent updates for this embassy?

[ash_sak]

It is still possible to get a Chinese visa from the embassy in UB but not a sure thing.

I (UK national) got mine (50 days [asked for 44], single entry, same day processing) but the British guy behind me (14 days, single entry, same day processing.). I couldn't tell you why the difference between us was, this was his 5th attempt, each time he was told he needed to bring more documentation and I think he had everything I did. Instead, here's the list of people I've met who have gotten one, as you can see it's not all that clear who wins, and then details of what forms I submitted.
Hope it helps.

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Reports from people I've met over the past 2 weeks.
- French; one guy refused same day processing but offered 4 day (30 day tourist visa with invite from Chinese citizen), two told to wait a month before applying (wanted tourist visas), and I saw one girl received theirs (not idea visa details).
- Dutch; two girls received their's a month ago (tourist visa)
- German; two people had their forms accepted (i.e. should receive) today (tourist visa, 2 day processing)
- British; as above. 1 yes, 1 no.

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Embassy report
Only open monday, weds n friday except chinese public holidays.

Open for submission 0930-1200.
Expect a crowd of people forming by at least 0910, don't expect an orderly queue just be/get to the front when they open to be let in. They let in one group then make everyone else wait outside till the first group is finished.
There's forms, pens and glue inside and only 1 person accepting forms (out of three windows). There is a queue here but it goes slowly. Definitely recommended to have everything ready when you go in, you can download and complete the form on a computer before printing or do it by hand. Form is v. 2013 [http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/ ... 289342.pdf].

Collection is from 1600.
Much smaller queue when I collected and the queue inside moves fast.

Payment is done via the bank across the road in Mongolian Tugrik, possibly USD as well.

Cost of single entry tourist visa:
Mongolian - $53
US national - $140
Canadian - $79
Romanian - $75
Other - $30

Two day processing +$20
Same day +$10

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What I took
- Return flight ticket
- Bookings for every night in China
- Day by day itinerary (date,city,accommodation,activities)
- Passport copy (B&W; they did this inside for me but that was only after 1 person refused. Again, I recommend sorting this beforehand)
- Passport photo

- I didn't do this but one guy even bought a copy of his travel insurance policy.

[ash_sak]

Edit for the above.

Apparently the French girl who received her visa was on her fifth attempt. I'm not sure why it took so many.

[Wanderingboot]

I just received my Chinese tourist visa today (American) from the embassy in Ulaanbaatar. I dropped it off last Friday and it would have been completed the same day had the bank been open to make the payment (closed for Naadam). The one caveat is that they do ask you to bring your old passport if it is newer because they want to know where you've traveled in the last three years. Well, silly me, I don't travel with my old passport. They conditionally accepted my application and required me to bring in photocopies of every page, cover to cover. When I went to pick up my visa they didn't even ask for the copies. Just be prepared, in any event. I had somebody at home with the ability to do this for me.

I paid $140 for a 10-year multiple entry visa available to US citizens. Just note it on your application because it's all the same price for Americans.

[quidde]

Status: Easily possible according to the hostel staff - but we applied in germany due to the mixed information available.

[julistan]

Someone can update the possibilty to get a chinese visa in early september in UB?

[julistan]

Early september 2017. Still possible to get a chinese visa. But if you have a turkish stamp on your passeport, seems almost impossible.

[TomasS]

Why exactly Turkish? I will apply in one week... Do you have idea, what about iranian one?

[julistan]

You can ask them why. I have no idea.
It seems ok with iranian stamp.