drive own vehicle advice
Mongolia has right side road rules as Cars drive on the right side of the road, but most of the cars in Mongolia are imported from Japan and with steering on the right side. We use both of them.
Road signs and rules follow Mongolian standards, and some road signs on regional roads are Mongolian and English but not that good to understand. Country roads have no road signs. Better for you to use GPS or APPs when you have self-driving to explore the Mongolian countryside. The typical maximum speed limit is 60 km/h in cities and towns, 80 km/h in provincial roads (highways).
Most roads in Mongolia are toll-free, except for some provincial or regional paved roads (highways). These paved roads have a small number of a fee (1000 – 2000 MNT_2024). You can pay it at road checkpoints outside the cities or towns.
Major cities are connected with paved roads, while most of the ways in Mongolia are gravel and dirt roads, mostly in rural areas.
Paved roads that connected from Ulaanbaatar to province center.
Ulaanbaatar-Zuunmod (Tuv) – Mandalgobi (dundgobi province) – Dalanzadgad, umnugobi
Traffic congestion is a frequent problem in only Ulaanbaatar city. Drivers generally tend to be well mannered and considerate. However, some common dangers on UB roads include drivers speeding over intersections even well after the traffic light has turned red, people stopping their vehicles at the edge of the road, which they block traffic.
International driving permits
Foreign residents can drive in Mongolia with International Driving permits (IDP). You can use your valid international driving permit for up to one year in Mongolia.
Gas stations are found widely in Ulaanbaatar city and province center cities. in rural areas, Small towns have at least one gas station. They traditionally provide full service, although self-served gas stations are not in Mongolia yet.
Most of the gas stations are open 24 hours. A liter of regular gasoline costs roughly 4210 MNT (A95) (as of July 2022) in Ulaanbaatar city and bit expensive in other aimags. High octane gas and diesel are also available in major cities. Payment is possible by credit card or cash.
Car parking
Parking space is a big problem in Ulaanbaatar city because of the high number of cars. There are a few free and paid outside parking in the town. The parking of the city center usually starts with 1000 MNT per hour. Some parking has flat fees.
Big shopping centers or landmarks in the outer part of the city mostly have free outside parking while center-located landmark has paid outside and inside parking.
In the countryside or other cities, parking is free.
Driving in Mongolia tips
• Cars in Mongolia mostly doesn’t have navigation. So if you do self-driving, you should use additional GPS or use some apps like Google Maps or maps.me. Maps.me work pretty well in Mongolian country roads even it is offline.
• Learn more about road conditions and weather forecasts during your travel. Then choose your right vehicle.
• Some rural places, sometimes it is not available to pay by card in the gas station. Keep some appropriate cash with you.
• Choose the right mobile phone service along with your travel routes in case of an emergency.
• Keep some cash for the road toll fee and national park fees. They do not accept cards.
Buying or owning a car and insurance
Brand new and used cars are widely sold in Ulaanbaatar. Official distributor companies from Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, porches in Mongolia. You can visit their showrooms or workshops.
There are many used car import companies in the City. Used cars with various models from Japan, South Korea, USA, Germany, and Russia mostly sold in Auto markets or local websites. You can also check local web sites likewww.unegui.mn for the price arrange and conditions.
You can buy and own the car if you live with Mongolian resident permission. When you own a car, you must have insurance for the vehicle. There are two types of protection for the vehicle.