A total of 22,000 foreign citizens have a temporary or permanent residence permit in Mongolia. More than 5,000 of them are citizens of Russia. 2,787 citizens of Russia extended their stay in Mongolia by 30 days over the past month.

According to the law, the period of stay of a foreigner who arrived in Mongolia without a visa can be extended once up to 30 days. If this period expires, they must leave the Mongolia and return to their country. However, Russian citizens submit a large number of applications for temporary residence in Mongolia due to the situation in their country.

Thousands of Russians streamed across the land border into Mongolia last month since President Vladimir Putin issued a mobilisation order for the war in Ukraine. More than 3,000 Russians had entered Mongolia within a week via the Altanbulag border crossing since the call-up was announced, most of them men. Many of those who have entered Mongolia have now made their way to Ulaanbaatar, over 350 kilometres’ (220 miles’) drive from the nearest border crossing.

The Mongolian government has taken a neutral stance on the invasion, which Russia launched in February.