Dublin

Ireland is not in Schengen — Schengen and UK visas are not valid. Apply online on AVATS, then hand in the signed printout in person at the VFS Global Ireland Visa Application Centre in Ulaanbaatar; the decision is made by the Irish Embassy in Beijing. The fee is €60 single entry or €100 multiple entry, plus a VFS service charge — paid at the centre on your appointment day. Decisions take a minimum of 8–12 weeks.

Tip: Buy your ticket after the visa is issued, or choose a refundable fare.

Show the purpose of your trip and your reasons to return: bank statements, an employer letter, hotel bookings, an itinerary, an invitation if visiting friends or family, and previous passports. Anything not in English needs a notarised translation. The border officer may ask again for your hotel and return ticket.

The UK Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50) is not valid for onward travel to Ireland. To change planes in London for Dublin you need a UK Standard Visitor visa (£135) — unless your Irish visa says 'BC' or 'BC BIVS' in the Remarks. Connecting via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Beijing is simplest.

Show your passport and visa to the officer and answer briefly about the purpose of your trip, where you are staying and when you leave; have your hotel booking and return ticket ready. The officer stamps your passport with how long you may stay — this stamp, not the visa, is your permitted stay. Meat and dairy products from outside the EU (including borts and aaruul) are banned.

Departs outside both terminals roughly every 7–8 minutes to the city centre (O'Connell Street, Heuston Station). A single is about €9–10 online, with two large bags included. It takes around half an hour to the centre depending on traffic.

Dublin Bus routes 16 and 41 go to the centre for €2 with a Leap card (90-minute fare) — slow and awkward with lots of luggage. A taxi to the centre is €25–35 by day, more at night and on Sundays; use the official rank or the FREENOW app.

If your phone supports eSIM, install an Ireland or Europe eSIM from Airalo, Ubigi or similar before flying — it works as soon as you land. The airport, museums and most cafés have free Wi-Fi.

Tip: Download Dublin in Google Maps for offline use.

Three, Vodafone and Eir are the main networks; SIMs are sold at the airport, network shops in the centre and supermarkets. Under EU roaming rules an Irish SIM works in other European countries at no extra charge — handy if you travel on.

Unlimited travel on Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and city rail: 24 hours €8, 72 hours €18, 7 days €24. Sold at the airport and city shops; the clock starts at first tap. With a regular Leap card, unlimited changes within 90 minutes cost €2.

Tip: Buses may not take cash — get your card before you board.

The DART train follows the shore of Dublin Bay north to Howth and south to Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey — scenic and covered by Leap. Half a day is enough for the Howth cliff walk and seafood restaurants.

St Kevin's bus runs daily from the city centre to Glendalough: €23 return, children €14, about 1 h 20 min each way. For far-off places such as the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, a tour company day coach is easiest.

Ireland uses the euro (EUR). Pubs, cafés and taxis almost all take contactless cards and Apple/Google Pay. Withdraw small amounts from bank ATMs; avoid airport exchange counters. Northern Ireland (Belfast) is a different country — it uses the British pound.

Tip: When paying, choose to be charged in EUR — decline conversion into your home currency.

Leaving a tip for good restaurant service is customary, but check whether a service charge is already on the bill; no tip is needed when ordering at the pub bar. Visitors from outside the EU spending over €75 in one shop can ask for a tax-free form, get it validated at the airport and reclaim the VAT.

Irish stew (lamb and potato) — familiar comfort food for Mongolians. A full Irish breakfast, soda bread, fish and chips, fresh Howth oysters and fish, beef and Guinness pie. Pub lunches are good value and families are welcome.

Tip: Many pubs take your order and payment at the bar.

Ready sandwiches and salads from Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl and Aldi are the cheapest. Temple Bar's Saturday food market and the Moore Street market. Restaurants close early, so plan dinner early.

Tap water is drinkable — ask for 'tap water' in restaurants and it's free. Most pubs welcome families in the daytime but restrict children in the evening. Alcohol is not sold to minors.

Police (Garda), ambulance, fire and coast guard — 112 or 999, both identical, free, 24 hours. If you cannot speak you can text 112 (registration needed in advance). If you lose your passport, contact the Embassy of Mongolia in London, which covers Ireland.

Pickpocketing and phone snatching happen around O'Connell Street, Temple Bar, the Luas and Trinity. At night use lit main streets and keep clear of drunk groups. Refuse anyone offering to 'help' you at an ATM.

Traffic drives on the left — look right first when crossing. Stay on the path on cliffs in wind or rain; the weather changes fast, so a waterproof jacket is essential. Emergency Departments charge visitors and waits are long — travel with medical insurance.

The pub is the heart of Irish social life: friends buy drinks for the whole group in turns ('rounds') — when your turn comes, you buy for everyone. Don't talk loudly during a traditional music session or sit at the musicians' table.

The Irish are chatty and love a joke — saying 'cheers' or 'thanks' to the bus driver as you get off is customary. Queue properly. Never call Ireland 'Britain' or Irish people 'English'; don't raise Northern Irish politics or religion yourself.

Visitors are not admitted during church services; keep quiet. Some museums ban flash; photography is not allowed in the Book of Kells room. Note: Dublin Castle tours are closed until the end of December 2026, and the Chester Beatty library is closed from 15 June 2026 until the end of the year.

TFI Live — live times and routes for buses, Luas and DART. TFI Leap Top-Up — top up your Leap card by phone. Google Maps also covers Dublin public transport well.

Book the Book of Kells, Guinness, Kilmainham Gaol and the zoo on their official sites — cheaper and shorter queues. Kilmainham tickets sell out weeks ahead.

FREENOW is Dublin's most used taxi app and shows an estimate upfront. Uber only books licensed taxis. You can also hail a cab in the street; all taxis are metered.

Dublin Airport has two terminals (T1, T2) — check which is on your ticket. Go by Dublin Express or taxi from the centre; morning rush-hour traffic is heavy, so arrive early for international flights.

With a tax-free form, show your goods to customs before check-in and get the form validated. On one ticket via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Beijing your bags go straight through to Ulaanbaatar. Check the hand-luggage liquids rule before you fly.