Health Alert: Potential Evacuation Flights for Foreign Citizens in Mongolia Affected by COVID-19-related Travel Restrictions www.mn.usembassy.gov
On March 11, 2020, the Mongolian government informed the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar that it intends to offer a limited number of seats on potential evacuation flights to foreign citizens wishing to depart Mongolia.
On March 11, 2020, the Department of State allowed for the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. Government employees and ordered the departure of their family members under 21 years of age due to travel, transport, and other restrictions related to Mongolia’s response to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 (the “novel coronavirus,” also known as the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2).
On March 10, 2020, Mongolia suspended all inbound travel from foreign locations until at least March 28. The final commercial flights in and out of Mongolia occurred on March 11. All, commercial flights, passenger rail, and auto traffic into and out of Mongolia are suspended during this time period. The Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will facilitate repatriation of foreign nationals via vehicle border crossings into Russia until March 31, however, the mechanism to do so remains unclear at this time. Travelers should not rely on this border crossing.
The Mongolian government has informed the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar that it intends to offer a limited number of seats on potential evacuation flights to foreign citizens wishing to depart Mongolia. The exact number, destination(s), and departure date(s) of these flights is not yet known. The Mongolian government has informed us that these flights will be operated as charter flights and passengers are expected to pay for transport. The exact mechanism or amount of payment is currently unknown. Passengers will also be responsible for arranging their own onward transportation from the point of evacuation and may be subject to varying screening measures in place at their chosen evacuation destination. Currently there is no guarantee that these flights will take place. The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar is collecting information on interested passengers in order to pass their information on the Mongolian government. The Mongolian government will then work with interested passengers on further details.
The United States government is not sponsoring or otherwise endorsing the potential flights organized and chartered by the government of Mongolia. The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar is nevertheless making this information available to potentially interested U.S. citizens, and is prepared to liaise with the Mongolian government to facilitate travel information for individual private U.S. citizens and their families who decide to avail themselves of this avenue for departing the country.
United States citizens interested in departing on these flights and who are in possession of a valid passport should contact UlaanbaatarCoronaVirusEmergency@state.gov. There is no need to call the Embassy to confirm receipt of your email; you will be contacted. In your email please provide the following:
Full name
U.S. passport number
Date of birth
Gender
Email address
Phone number
A photograph of the biographical information page of your passport
United States citizens without a valid passport but who wish to express interest in the flights should send the above information and refer to their most recent expired passport. If you do not have a valid passport you should clearly indicate this in your email. You will be contacted with information on how to obtain an emergency passport.
Individuals who avail themselves of this transport will be subject to entry and exit and health requirements at the plane’s arrival country. If that is the United States, passengers will be subject to CDC screening, health observation, and monitoring requirements upon reentry to the United States. For additional questions, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Information for Travel page.
For more information regarding the COVID-19 situation in Mongolia and preventative measures imposed by the Mongolian government please visit the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia’s COVID-19 Information page and review the current Travel Advisory.
Published Date:2020-03-13