This article is from the Mongolia FAQ, by Oliver Corff with numerous contributions by others.
You must obtain a visa at a Mongolian embassy or consulate. (See below
for a list of embassies / consulates). In order to obtain a visa for
stays of one month or longer you must produce an invitation issued by
a) a Mongolian private person or b) a Mongolian institution. This may
be a university.
It is principally possible to apply for a visa directly at the airport
Buyant-Uxaa, at least when flying in from Beijing. The applicant
should carry an invitation (see above) and is usually only granted a
stay of one month. Two passport photographs are required and USD 50.--
are levied.
Once you have entered Mongolia various regulations on registering with
police may apply depending on the length and nature of your stay.
Registration is mandatory when staying for longer than one month. It
is more than highly recommended to observe the registration procedure
since you may risk being denied exit from the country upon presenting
your passport at the airport without the proper police registration
stamps. You also risk being fined somewhere in the area of USD 100.--
upon exiting Mongolia when disobeying the registration rule. You may
even risk being mentioned in a newspaper article on foreigners
violating Mongolian laws (like: Önöödör, Jan. 6, 2000, p. 6: Gadaadyn
79 Irgän juram zörqjää).
Persons staying on official visa (category ``A'') should turn to their
official host (university, government ministry, etc.) for assistance.
For details, ask your Mongolian embassy when receiving the visa.
The registration is done at the National Civilian Information and
Registration Centre (Irgädiïn Mädäälliïn Bürtgäliïn Ulsyn Töw,
abbreviated IMBUT) in the North of Ulaanbaatar at Zuun Aïlt. Every
taxi driver knows this place name.
Registration requires paying 500.-- Tugrik at the bank counter (Golomt
Bank), ground floor. Then proceed to room 303 on the third floor,
exchange your payment coupon against a form to fill in (asking your
name, host institution, address in Mongolia, etc.) which must be
filled in and handed to another counter in the same room. Do not
forget to bring your passport and one photograph with you. The
assistance of a Mongolian friend or colleague is invaluable in case
language capabilities are overstretched when filling in the Mongolian
form, which features, by the way, a question concerning the
applicant's Mongolian language skills.
 
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