Mongolia travel advice

Most visits to Mongolia are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

Violent muggings are rare but do occur. In February 2009, a resident Japanese teacher was attacked and killed walking home in the centre of town in the early hours of the morning. The motive was thought to have been theft. Petty crime is common in Ulaanbaatar, particularly in markets or other crowded public places. Watch out for pickpockets.

Communications and health facilities in Mongolia, particularly outside Ulaanbaatar, can be poor.

Travellers entering Mongolia by road should be aware that only a few specified border crossings are open to foreigners.

There are doubts about the maintenance of Mongolian-registered aircraft used by domestic airlines for internal flights and short-haul international flights. British Embassy staff do use Eznis for internal flights and the UN forbid their staff to use some domestic airlines, except in an emergency. The British Embassy has also received occasional reports of maintenance problems interrupting some long-haul international flights operated by domestic airlines. Bad weather can delay many domestic and international flights, sometimes for several days. Mongolia's Civil Aviation Authority has suspended all flights operated by Aero Mongolia until further notice because of safety concerns.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel