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Country driving guide · 2026

Driving in Mongolia

Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Mongolia: 9 legal requirements + 6 other things worth knowing.

9

Required

2

Recommended

4

Good to know

Tick before you go

Pre-departure checklist for Mongolia

9 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.

  • 1968 IDP required alongside UK/EU licence

    Mongolia recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit; carry it with your home licence at all times. The 1949 IDP is not accepted.

  • Passport with valid visa or e-visa

    UK and most EU nationals need a visa or e-visa in advance; carry the passport in the vehicle as police checks are frequent on intercity routes.

  • Temporary vehicle import permit at border

    Bringing your own car requires a Temporary Admission Permit from Mongolian Customs (GAAMC), valid up to 6 months, plus V5C/proof of ownership and a notarised letter if the car is not in your name.

  • Buy local third-party insurance (DLA) on entry

    Foreign insurance and Green Card are not valid; compulsory Driver Liability Insurance must be purchased at the border or in Ulaanbaatar, typically MNT 30,000-60,000 (EUR 8-17) for short stays.

  • Drive on the right

    Traffic drives on the right, though roughly half the vehicle fleet is right-hand-drive Japanese imports, so overtaking sightlines can be awkward.

  • Speed limits 100 / 80 / 60 km/h

    Paved intercity roads 80 km/h (100 km/h on the few divided sections), unpaved rural 60 km/h, urban areas 60 km/h dropping to 20 km/h in residential zones.

  • Zero-tolerance alcohol limit 0.0 g/L

    Any measurable alcohol means licence suspension, heavy fines and possible detention; random breath tests are routine, especially leaving Ulaanbaatar.

  • Dipped headlights and seatbelts mandatory

    Dipped headlights are required at all times outside cities, seatbelts mandatory for all occupants, and handheld phone use is banned.

  • Warning triangle, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, hi-vis

    All four are legally required in the vehicle; police spot-checks at provincial boundaries will fine you for missing items.

Documents

1968 IDP required alongside UK/EU licence

Required

Mongolia recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit; carry it with your home licence at all times. The 1949 IDP is not accepted.

Passport with valid visa or e-visa

Required

UK and most EU nationals need a visa or e-visa in advance; carry the passport in the vehicle as police checks are frequent on intercity routes.

Temporary vehicle import permit at border

Required

Bringing your own car requires a Temporary Admission Permit from Mongolian Customs (GAAMC), valid up to 6 months, plus V5C/proof of ownership and a notarised letter if the car is not in your name.

Buy local third-party insurance (DLA) on entry

Required

Foreign insurance and Green Card are not valid; compulsory Driver Liability Insurance must be purchased at the border or in Ulaanbaatar, typically MNT 30,000-60,000 (EUR 8-17) for short stays.

Driving rules

Drive on the right

Required

Traffic drives on the right, though roughly half the vehicle fleet is right-hand-drive Japanese imports, so overtaking sightlines can be awkward.

Speed limits 100 / 80 / 60 km/h

Required

Paved intercity roads 80 km/h (100 km/h on the few divided sections), unpaved rural 60 km/h, urban areas 60 km/h dropping to 20 km/h in residential zones.

Zero-tolerance alcohol limit 0.0 g/L

Required

Any measurable alcohol means licence suspension, heavy fines and possible detention; random breath tests are routine, especially leaving Ulaanbaatar.

Dipped headlights and seatbelts mandatory

Required

Dipped headlights are required at all times outside cities, seatbelts mandatory for all occupants, and handheld phone use is banned.

Emergency numbers 102 police, 103 ambulance

Good to know

Dial 102 for police, 103 for ambulance, 101 for fire; mobile coverage is patchy outside towns so a satellite messenger is recommended for the Gobi and western aimags.

Required equipment

Warning triangle, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, hi-vis

Required

All four are legally required in the vehicle; police spot-checks at provincial boundaries will fine you for missing items.

Tolls

Cash tollgates on a handful of paved routes

Good to know

No vignette system; small toll booths (MNT 1,000-2,500, EUR 0.30-0.70) operate on some paved roads out of Ulaanbaatar such as the road to Zuunmod and the airport expressway. Pay cash in MNT.

Environment

Winter tyres and survival kit Oct-Apr

Recommended

Winter tyres are strongly advised from October to April when temperatures drop below -30C; carry blankets, food, water, a shovel and extra fuel as breakdowns in remote steppe can be life-threatening.

Most roads are unpaved off the main corridors

Recommended

Outside the AH3/AH4 paved spine, expect dirt tracks, river fords and no signage; a 4x4, paper maps, GPS with offline tiles and a second vehicle in convoy are standard practice.

Money

Currency MNT, fuel approx EUR 0.75/litre

Good to know

Mongolian Tögrög (MNT); petrol roughly MNT 2,700/litre (EUR 0.75) and diesel similar, with prices rising sharply in remote aimags. Carry cash MNT as rural pumps rarely take cards.

Cash declaration over USD 15,000 at border

Good to know

Amounts equivalent to USD 15,000 or more must be declared to customs on entry and exit; tipping at fuel stations is not expected.

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Don't get caught out

Watch out for these

Drive on the right

Required

Traffic drives on the right, though roughly half the vehicle fleet is right-hand-drive Japanese imports, so overtaking sightlines can be awkward.

Speed limits 100 / 80 / 60 km/h

Required

Paved intercity roads 80 km/h (100 km/h on the few divided sections), unpaved rural 60 km/h, urban areas 60 km/h dropping to 20 km/h in residential zones.

Zero-tolerance alcohol limit 0.0 g/L

Required

Any measurable alcohol means licence suspension, heavy fines and possible detention; random breath tests are routine, especially leaving Ulaanbaatar.

Dipped headlights and seatbelts mandatory

Required

Dipped headlights are required at all times outside cities, seatbelts mandatory for all occupants, and handheld phone use is banned.