Visas for Driving to Mongolia

An overland trip to Mongolia, by car, isn’t just thousands of kilometres and spectacular roads, but also some serious planning on the bureaucratic side. Visas, entry requirements and transit rules differ from country to country, and some of them can quickly become show-stoppers if they aren’t sorted out in advance.

Below is a clear walk-through of all the countries on the Bucharest – Ulaanbaatar route, with a focus on the visas required for Romanian citizens travelling by car.

🇷🇴 Romania → 🇧🇬 Bulgaria

Bulgaria

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border: Giurgiu – Ruse (alternative: Calafat – Vidin)
🔹 Length of stay: up to 90 days
🔹 Documents required: ID card or passport
🔹 Road tolls: mandatory vignette (electronic)

🇧🇬 Bulgaria → 🇹🇷 Turkey

Turkey

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border: Kapitan Andreevo – Kapıkule
🔹 Length of stay: up to 90 days
🔹 Documents required: passport or ID card (passport recommended for the long route)

Entering Turkey is easy for Romanians, with no visa. The roads are good and the country is very friendly to overland travellers.

🇹🇷 Turkey → 🇬🇪 Georgia

Georgia

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border: Sarp – Batumi
🔹 Length of stay: up to 1 year
🔹 Documents required: passport or ID card

Georgia is one of the easiest countries in the Caucasus in terms of bureaucracy. Perfect for transit and longer breaks.

🇬🇪 Georgia → 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

🔹 Visa: YES
🔹 Border: Red Bridge – Qirmizi Körpü
🔹 Visa type: e-Visa (ASAN Visa)
🔹 Duration: 30 days
🔹 How to apply: online, before departure

⚠️ Important note about the route:
Entering Azerbaijan is not possible from Armenia. Because of the conflict between the two countries, the Armenia–Azerbaijan border is completely closed.

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan → 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan (ferry across the Caspian Sea)

Turkmenistan

🔹 Visa: YES (mandatory, difficult)
🔹 Border: Port of Alat (Baku) → Türkmenbaşy
🔹 Type: transit or tourist visa
🔹 Duration: very strict (3–5 days for transit)

⚠️ Turkmenistan is the most complicated country when it comes to visas.
The procedure is bureaucratic and unpredictable, and it requires serious planning. Many overlanders consider this country the bottleneck of the route.

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan → 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border: Farap – Alat
🔹 Length of stay: up to 30 days
🔹 Documents: passport

Uzbekistan is one of the easiest countries in Central Asia for Romanian citizens.

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan → 🇹🇯 Tajikistan → 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

🔹 Visa: YES (e-Visa)
🔹 Outbound border: Jartepa – Panjakent (for the Samarkand route)
🔹 Special permit: GBAO (for certain mountain areas)
🔹 Duration: 45 days
🔹 Temporary vehicle import Tajikistan TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for 16 days, fee of $25–45 per car

The roads can be tough, but the country is spectacular for overlanding.

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan → 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border:
🔹 Duration: up to 60 days

Very popular with overlanders, with plenty of mountain routes and wild camping.

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan → 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border:
🔹 Duration: up to 30 days

Kazakhstan means very long distances, but the bureaucracy is minimal.

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan → 🇷🇺 Russia

Russia

🔹 Visa: YES – e-Visa (online application)
🔹 Border: Mashtakovo, Zhanaul (Astrakhan), Troitsk–Kairak
🔹 Length of stay: up to 16 days (e-Visa) or 30 days (standard visa)
🔹 Online application at evisa.kdmid.ru, at least 4 days before travelling
🔹 Documents required: passport valid for 6 months, health insurance

⚠️ WARNING: Because of the current geopolitical situation, always check before departure whether the e-Visa is available to Romanian citizens and whether the border crossings are open

🇷🇺 Russia → 🇲🇳 Mongolia

Mongolia

🔹 Visa: NO
🔹 Border: Kyakhta (RU) – Altanbulag (MN)
🔹 Alternative borders: Tashanta (RU) – Tsagaannuur (MN) in the west, Solovyevsk (RU) – Ereentsav (MN) in the east
🔹 Duration: up to 30 days
🔹 Documents: passport
🔹 Vehicle import into Mongolia: ~4,000 MNT import fee + mandatory insurance of ~110,000 MNT for 2 weeks

Entering Mongolia is relatively simple, but the roads and logistics become the real challenge.

⚠️ WARNING: Important note – you cannot cross on foot at Kyakhta–Altanbulag! Vehicles only

Conclusion: where are the real problems?

For a road trip to Mongolia, the hardest parts aren’t the distances, but:

1. ⚠️ The Turkmenistan visa
2. ⏱️ Timing the transit visas with the ferry across the Caspian Sea

Otherwise, surprisingly, most countries are visa-free for Romanians.