Wei Chen
Mongolia has kept its temporary visa-free window open for another year. The exemption that lets citizens of 34 countries enter for tourism for up to 30 days without a visa, first introduced in 2023 and due to expire at the end of 2025, has been extended through 2026, with the Immigration Agency of Mongolia publishing the 2026 list under the same terms. The 34 passports are mostly European, plus the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Separately, and often confused with the extension, Mongolia also has permanent visa-free agreements that give United States passport holders up to 90 days, and a time limited tourism exemption that gives South Korean passport holders up to 90 days through 31 December 2026. This guide separates the three layers, names the 34 countries in full, and explains what travellers outside every list should do instead.
Quick Facts: Mongolia Visa-Free Entry in 2026
- The extension: The temporary tourist exemption for 34 countries now runs through 2026, confirmed by the Immigration Agency of Mongolia list titled for 2026 and by Mongolian embassy notices dated 31 December 2025.
- Stay allowed: Up to 30 days, for tourism only, on an ordinary passport.
- The 34 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
- United States: Not part of the 34. US passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days under a separate, permanent agreement.
- South Korea: Up to 90 days for tourism under its own exemption, which also ends on 31 December 2026.
- Extension in country: Travellers on the 34 country exemption who need longer can apply to extend once, for up to 30 more days, through the Immigration Agency of Mongolia, in person or online.
- End date to plan around: 31 December 2026. No 2027 continuation had been published on the official pages checked on 13 November 2026, so do not assume visa-free entry for a 2027 arrival on one of the 34 passports.
- Facts checked: 13 November 2026, against the Immigration Agency of Mongolia and the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What Exactly Was Extended, and Until When?
The original measure was a government resolution of 4 January 2023 that temporarily exempted the listed nationalities from tourist visa requirements as part of the Visit Mongolia Years programme. It was written to end in 2025. In late December 2025 the government renewed it for 2026, and the Immigration Agency republished the country list as the list of countries to be exempted from tourist visa requirements to visit Mongolia up to 30 days in 2026. Mongolian embassies announced the same decision on 31 December 2025, describing a temporary exemption for the 34 countries, including 32 European countries plus Australia and New Zealand, for tourism stays of up to 30 days in 2026.
Two planning consequences follow. First, a trip that arrives and departs inside 2026 is covered on the terms above. Second, a trip that crosses into 2027 is not covered by anything currently published, because the legal text still ends on 31 December 2026. Travellers booking a winter trip over New Year, or a 2027 summer trip on a sale fare, should build the plan so a visa application remains possible if no further extension appears.
Which Passports Does the 34 Country Exemption Cover?
The list is worth reading in full, because near misses are common. A German passport, for example, is not on it, not because Germany was excluded but because Germany has its own permanent 30 day visa-free agreement dating from 2013, so it never needed the temporary measure. The 34 are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland in Europe, plus the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
The exemption is for tourism on ordinary passports. Work, study, journalism, long stays and other purposes need the visa category for that purpose, arranged in advance, even for a passport on the list. It also does not override the general rule that visitors planning to stay in Mongolia for more than 30 days register with the Immigration Agency in Ulaanbaatar within the first week, a requirement that applies to long stays regardless of how you entered.
How Is This Different From Mongolia’s Permanent Visa-Free Agreements?
The 90 day agreements
Under bilateral agreements recorded by the Consular Department, citizens of the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Macao SAR, among others, can enter without a visa for up to 90 days. Colombia joined the 90 day group in January 2026 under a newer agreement. None of these travellers depends on the 2026 extension, and a US traveller, in particular, should ignore headlines about the 34 country window entirely: the American position is stronger and permanent.
The permanent 30 day agreements
Japan, Germany, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Israel, Türkiye, Russia, Laos, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives and Vietnam sit in a permanent 30 day group, with the Philippines at 21 days and Hong Kong SAR at 14 days. South Korea is the special case, with a tourism only exemption of up to 90 days that is itself time limited to 31 December 2026. Regional travellers comparing systems may also find our guide to China’s extended visa-free entry, who gets 30 days and what other travellers can use useful, because Beijing and Ulaanbaatar now run similar looking windows on different legal bases, and a Trans-Mongolian itinerary can touch both.
What If Your Passport Is on No List?
Mongolia runs an electronic visa system at evisa.mn for a long list of nationalities, including China and India, covering a tourist e-Visa for a stay of up to 30 days. The e-Visa is applied for and paid online and delivered electronically, and official guidance notes it cannot be extended or converted in country, which makes the entry route a real planning choice rather than a formality. Travellers not eligible for the e-Visa apply at a Mongolian embassy or consulate. Either way, the check takes minutes on the Consular Department pages, and it should happen before flights are booked, because Mongolia has no general visa on arrival scheme to fall back on at Ulaanbaatar airport. Travellers assembling a multi country visa picture for the region can compare the entry point discipline in our guide to the Laos eVisa, its entry points and the visa on arrival backup, which shows how differently neighbouring systems handle the same problem.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mongolia Visa-Free Entry
Has Mongolia extended visa-free entry into 2026?
Yes. The temporary tourist exemption for 34 countries was renewed for 2026, with the Immigration Agency of Mongolia publishing the 2026 list and Mongolian embassies announcing the extension on 31 December 2025. It covers tourism stays of up to 30 days and ends on 31 December 2026 unless a further measure is published.
Can US citizens enter Mongolia without a visa?
Yes, for up to 90 days, under a permanent bilateral agreement. The United States is not part of the temporary 34 country scheme and does not depend on its extension or expiry.
Can I stay longer than 30 days on the exemption?
Travellers on the 34 country exemption can apply to the Immigration Agency of Mongolia to extend once, for up to another 30 days, in person or online. Anyone planning a stay over 30 days for a purpose other than tourism needs the correct visa in advance, and long stay visitors must also register with the Immigration Agency within the first week after arrival.
Does the exemption cover work or business travel?
No. It is a tourism exemption for ordinary passports. Work, study and other purposes require the matching visa category arranged before travel, even if your passport is on the 34 country list.
Will the exemption continue in 2027?
Nothing published on the official Immigration Agency or Consular Department pages checked on 13 November 2026 extends it into 2027. It was renewed once already, at the end of 2025, so a further renewal is possible, but a 2027 trip should not be planned as visa-free until a new measure actually appears.
Visa exemption lists and end dates change by government resolution. This guide was checked on 13 November 2026 against the Immigration Agency of Mongolia 2026 exemption list and the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. It is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm your passport position on those official pages before you book.
