True current process of extending Mongolian tourist visa

Question

I'm in Ulaanbaatar with just a few days left on my tourist visa, but Christmas is also only a few days away so I would prefer to stay here a bit longer than spend Christmas doing border crossings.

A Mongolian tourist visa lasts for 30 days. (I'm from Australia if there are any variations on the 30 days part).

I had a rough check online before I came and got the impression that obtaining a visa extension sounded fairly easy.

But now that I'm here and checking more thoroughly I'm finding conflicting information, outdated information even on official-looking websites, and far too many "fake" web pages with copypasted rubbish about embassies, consulates, visas, etc. It's really difficult to know which pages are not fake and which of the genuine ones are up to date.

For instance one website that seems genuine is from the Mongolian consulate in Australia but they still list an address that travellers in forums say is wrong, so I don't trust any info on the site.

Forum posts tend to be a few years old or at best are about people who applied for their extension early, which seems to be recommended or even mandatory.

• What is the actual true procedure to obtain a tourist visa extension in Mongolia?

• Is it only possible if you apply in your first three or first seven days after arriving in the country?

• How much does it cost? (For an Australian citizen if that matters.)

(I'm assuming I'd get a further 30 days.)

Answer 1

After some reading it would seem that two things are true.

1. The Australian embassy site is correct, you CAN extend it, provided you enter on a J tourist visa type. This has to be done in person at the OINFC.

2. However, the address provided is wrong. The OINFC moved in 2009, from the location near the Peace Bridge, to out of town, near Chinggis Khan International Airport.

From Mongolia Travel Advice:

Heading southeast just before you reach the airport, you will pass through a big white concrete arch/gate which spans over the road, and ahead on the left will be the big shiny new dome/yurt-shaped Ulan Bator stadium. It is impossible to miss.

They have a picture of the building on their site, so it certainly seems accurate.

As for the costs, it's probably going to vary on the ground and the day if it's like some other Central Asian countries. The Consulate site again has some prices, but if the address is out of date, the prices may be too. I guess it gives you a minimum! Note that the extension prices there are for a week, not 30 days.