In this short post I’ll describe the extremely easy way to get a Mongolian visa in Korea’s capital. It’s part of my Seoul Visa Trilogy, which includes getting Russian and Chinese visas too. Of the three, the Mongolian visa was by far the easiest one to obtain.

This is for a single entry tourist visa. It gives you 30 days.

Step 1: Figure out if you actually need a visa

A lot of nationalities don’t actually require a Mongolian visa for a tourist visit. Here is a big list where you can find out if you need one or not. If you’re from Malaysia, like Caroline, then you don’t need a visa. If you’re from New Zealand, like me, then you do.

Step 2: Get a tiny amount of stuff together

• Passport with 6 months of validity left after your intended exit date from Mongolia
• One 3.5 x 4.5 passport photo (following the usual rules: white background, no smiling, no head dress, no sunglasses)

Step 3: Check your wallet

You’ll need a bit of cash to get your visa, and Korean won is acceptable.

• 48,000 won for three day service (including the day you submit your application)
• 96,000 won for same same day service

Step 4: Take your pile to the visa office

The office is simple enough to find. The easiest thing to do is get the train to Yongsan station and walk from there.

Here is the GPS location:
37.525340, 126.963836

Phone number:
02 792 5985 6

Opening hours:
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. then 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday

The embassy is on the 5th floor of a blue and white striped building. Visa application submissions can be made during the morning opening hours (10-12). I walked in, took an application form, filled it out, glued my photo to it with the supplied glue stick, and took it to the counter. The man took it along with my passport and standard payment, and told me to come back after three days. I was given a card with the time to return.

The application is basic enough, but you do need to write in the address of your intended stay in Mongolia. On that note, Booking.com allows you to make hotel bookings without payment upfront, and then cancel them.

If you want to fill out the form before you even get to the visa office, here is a printable PDF of it.

Step 5: Collect your passport and Mongolian visa!

Go back to the same office to collect your visa. Compared to the Chinese and Russian visas we got, this was a breeze.

Thanks, Mongolians.

~~~