Customs regulations for your trip to Mongolia

Customs regulations

Used Household Goods and Personal Effects

Documents Required

• Copy of passport
• Detailed inventory / packing list
• Original bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB)
• Declaration form
• Commercial invoice, if applicable
• Valid national ID card (returning citizens)
• Valued inventory (returning citizens)
• Letter of employment (returning citizens)
• Copy of residence permit (non – citizens)
• Employer registration certification (non – citizens only)
• Letter of request from diplomatic organization (diplomats)

Specific Information

• The owner of the goods’ name must match on the passport and original bill of lading / air waybill exactly.
• The copy of residence permit must be valid for at least 183 days (non – citizens)
• The declaration form must list the items being imported (statement of non-commercial use)
• The letter of employment must confirm that the owner of the goods has worked abroad by foreign company’s appointment (returning citizens)
• The owner of the goods must obtain the residence permit within 7 days after arrival in Mongolia and provide a copy for Customs clearance (non – citizens).
• The owner of the goods must have stayed abroad for at least 6 months without returning to Mongolia in order to be able to import household goods and personal effects without import tax and value added tax (VAT) charges on the shipment (returning citizens).
• Used antiques, artifacts, carpets and paintings may be imported duty free if amounting to a quantity proportionate to the items in the shipment.
• A valued Inventory or purchase invoice must be submitted for antiques, artifacts, carpets, and paintings included in the household shipment.
  • If they are for personal use and not for resale, the items are duty free; otherwise, duties and taxes must be paid.

Possession and use of any type of drugs including cannabis is illegal. If found guilty you could face a very long prison sentence in an institution with very basic facilities.

Never photograph the police, police escorts, or military. This is considered a criminal offence.

Though many Mongolians are familiar with foreign visitors, you should be aware of local customs, especially if visiting remote areas or calling on a Mongolian family (eg stepping on a door threshold can cause offence).

Some Mongolian men do not like seeing Mongolian women in relationships with foreign men. Be discreet to avoid causing offence.

Although not illegal, homosexuality is not generally accepted socially. See our information and advice page for the LGBT community before you travel.

Show appropriate respect in Buddhist monasteries. Ask permission before taking photographs, and do not touch any sacred images or objects.

If you’re a resident in Mongolia you should carry your registration card at all times. If you’re visiting Mongolia, and do not have a registration card, you must carry your passport at all times – a photocopy isn’t sufficient.

Failure to carry your registration card or passport may lead to a fine. Keep a copy of the bio data page and the page with your Mongolian border immigration stamp separately in a safe place.

It’s illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture any protected wild animal or trade its parts without a license. Mongolia is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). If you’re caught purchasing or trafficking illegal goods you’ll be prosecuted and could receive a prison sentence and fine.

In purchasing antiques make sure the supplier presents a certificate of authenticity for the item. You will need the document for exporting the item. Mongolian Customs produces an import, export guide on prohibited items.

If you become involved in a commercial dispute or a criminal investigation, you may be prevented from leaving Mongolia until the issue is resolved. This is called a travel ban. If you’re subject to a travel ban, you should inform the British Embassy.

If you bring a car into Mongolia you may have to pay a small fee. If you do not leave with your car you may also have to pay an import tax either on departure or at a later date when you’ve returned to the UK.

Free import by:

Passengers of 18 years of age or older:

• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars and 250 grams of tobacco;
• 1 liter vodka, 2 liters of wine, and 3 liters of beer;

All passengers:

• old currencies, 1 per appropriate unit, which is not in use but only for collection purpose;
• personal effects.

Restricted/Dutiable Items

• The following items may be imported duty free for personal consumption within the limits indicated:
  • Wine (2 liters), beer (3 liters) and Vodka (1 liter)
  • Cigarettes (200), cigars (50), smoking tobacco (250 grams)
• Alcohol and tobacco items exceeding duty-free limits must pay excise taxes as follows:
  • Vodka               5-6USD per liter
  • Beer                  0.2 USD per liter
  • Wine                 1.5-6 USD per liter
  • Cigarettes         0.6 USD per every 100 pieces
  • Tobacco            0.3 USD per kg

Prohibited Items

•  Narcotics and drugs
• Alcohols and spirits of more than 75% alcohol content
• Chemicals and toxic materials
• Several import permits are required for rifles depending on the type of rifle imported
• CITES and animal health certificates are required for stuffed animals / products of taxidermy

Miscellaneous (Pets, Motors, and others.)

Motor Vehicles

Documents Required

• Original purchase invoice
• Certificate of title
• Original bill of lading
• List of features (manufacture, make, model, type, volumetric capacity of the engine, engine number, chassis number, petrol, or diesel, etc.)

Specific Information

• The list of features must include manufacture, make, model, type, volumetric capacity of the engine, engine number, chassis number, petrol, or diesel, etc.
• Duties and taxes on the imported vehicle are to be paid.
  • The calculations are as follows:
    • Value of the vehicle       Invoice price of the vehicle + freight cost + other costs
    • Duties                            5% of the value of the vehicle
    • Excise tax                     Passenger vehicles only
  • VAT                             10% of the vehicle Value + Duties + Excise Tax
  • Payable fee                  7000 MNT
•  The excise duties imposed on imported cars are as follows:

Vehicle Engine (Cylinder) Capacity (in Cubic Centimeters or cc)	The Excise Duty (in USD)
manufactured year
0-3 years	4-6 years	7-9 years	10 years
1500 or under	500	1,000	1,000	6,000
1501 – 2500	1,500	2,000	3,000	7,000
2501 – 3500	2,000	2,500	4,000	8,000
3501 – 4500	4,500	5,000	6,500	10,500
4501 and over	7,000	7,500	9,000	13,000

Source: http://ecustoms.mn/tax.php?wmid=115&wmsid=151

Pets

Documents Required

• Original owner of the goods’ passport
• Residence permit
• Vaccination record
• Original bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB)
• Stamped veterinary health certificate issued by a government veterinarian in the origin country

Specific Information

• In addition to the documents identified in this section, the documents necessary for the household goods and personal effects shipment are also required.
• The veterinary health certificate must show the pet’s name, sex, and breed.

Baggage Clearance regulations:

Baggage is cleared at the first airport of entry.

Currency

Currency Import regulations:

Local currency (Mongolian Tugrik-MNT) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if declared on arrival.

Currency Export regulations:

Local currency (Mongolian Tugrik-MNT) and foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.