London

Mongolians are UK 'visa nationals', so a visitor visa is needed in advance; the ETA electronic authorisation is only for visa-exempt nationalities. Apply online on gov.uk, pay the £135 fee for a visa of up to 6 months, then give fingerprints and a photo at the VFS Global centre in Ulaanbaatar. A decision usually takes 3 weeks; apply no earlier than 3 months before travel. For frequent trips a 2-year multiple-entry visa costs £506.

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: recent bank statements, an employer letter with leave approval, hotel bookings, an itinerary, and an invitation if visiting friends or family. Anything not in English needs a certified translation. Your passport must be valid for your whole stay in the UK.

Even just changing planes in London without passing the border, Mongolians need a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50) — not needed with a valid Standard Visitor, US, Canadian or Schengen visa. Hospital admission in Britain is very expensive for visitors, so insurance covering medical treatment is a must.

Visa holders queue in 'All other passports' and show the officer their passport, hotel address and return ticket; answer briefly about the purpose of the trip. No landing card to fill in. Customs green/red channels — meat and dairy products (including borts and aaruul) may not be brought into Britain.

The Tube's Piccadilly line from Heathrow to central London (Zone 1) costs about £5.90 and takes ~50 minutes with no change. Hard with lots of luggage at rush hour (7–9, 17–19). The Elizabeth line is faster with more seats — about £15.50 to the centre.

15 minutes to Paddington, every 15 minutes. A walk-up single costs £26, from £10 online 30+ days ahead; children 15 and under travel free with an adult.

If your phone supports eSIM, install a UK or Europe eSIM from Airalo, Ubigi or similar before flying — it works as soon as you land. All Heathrow terminals and most Tube stations have free Wi-Fi.

Tip: Download London in Google Maps for offline use.

EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three are the main networks; giffgaff, Lebara and Lyca are cheaper. SIMs are sold at Boots pharmacies, supermarkets and network shops without a passport; top up with a monthly bundle. Airport SIM vending machines cost more than city shops.

Tap your bank card or phone (Apple/Google Pay) on the gate going in and again coming out. In Zones 1–2 a Tube single is £3.10–3.60 and the daily cap is £8.90 — you never pay more. One card per person; never share a card between two people.

Tip: Use the same card all day so the cap is applied automatically; Monzo, Revolut, Visa and Mastercard all work.

Buses take no cash, cards only. A ride is £1.75, with unlimited changes within an hour at no extra cost (Hopper), daily cap £5.25. It rises to £1.85 from 1 November 2026. Children aged 5–10 ride the Tube and buses free.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers runs between Westminster, the London Eye, Tower Bridge and Greenwich — cheaper than sightseeing cruises, paid by contactless. Like the Tube it has peak and off-peak fares; buying in the app is cheaper.

The currency is the British pound (GBP). Almost everywhere in London — markets, street food, even taxis — takes contactless, and some cafés take no cash at all. Withdraw small amounts from bank ATMs; avoid high-fee ATMs such as Euronet and airport exchange counters.

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

Restaurants often add a service charge to the bill already — check it and don't tip twice. Tipping in pubs and cafés is optional. Britain ended tax-free shopping (VAT refunds) for tourists in 2021, so shops give no tax refund.

Fish and chips, the Sunday roast, a full English breakfast, pub pies. Indian curry is Britain's 'national dish' — try Brick Lane, and Chinatown. Afternoon tea is a special treat; book ahead.

Tip: In a pub you order and pay at the bar; no one comes to the table.

Ready-made sandwiches and the 'meal deal' (sandwich + drink + snack) from Pret A Manger, Tesco, Sainsbury's and M&S are the cheapest lunch. Food markets: Borough Market (by London Bridge) and Camden Market — street food from every country.

Tap water is drinkable — ask for 'tap water' in a restaurant and it comes free. Most chain restaurants have kids' menus and high chairs; museum cafés are pricey, so packing food and eating in a park is perfectly normal.

Police, ambulance, fire — 999 or 112, free, 24 hours. For medical problems that are not life-threatening, NHS 111 (phone or 111.nhs.uk). To report a theft or reach the police in a non-emergency — 101. If you lose your passport, contact the Embassy of Mongolia in London.

London's most common crime: thieves on mopeds or bikes snatch phones from the pavement and ride off; pickpockets work Westminster, Oxford Street, Covent Garden and the Tube. Hold your phone away from the kerb, don't leave it on café tables, carry your bag in front. The street 'three cups' game is a scam.

The UK terrorism threat level has been SEVERE since 30 April 2026 — an attack is highly likely. Stay alert in crowds and report unattended bags to staff. Traffic drives on the left: follow the 'LOOK RIGHT' painted on the road when crossing.

The British are strict about queueing — always queue for buses, counters and tills. Saying 'please', 'thank you' and 'sorry' constantly is ordinary politeness. Avoid talking loudly or standing too close to people.

Stand on the right on escalators and leave the left free for people in a hurry. Let passengers off the train first; avoid boarding with big suitcases at rush hour. Eating and loud talking on the Tube are frowned upon.

In working churches such as Westminster Abbey keep quiet and remove hats; no photos during services. Don't touch or block the royal guards — they are real soldiers and will warn you. Some museums ban flash photography and large bags.

Citymapper is the most precise in London: which carriage is nearest the exit, when the bus arrives, delays. TfL Go shows Tube closures and engineering works (weekend line closures are common).

The free museums (British Museum, Natural History Museum) take timed bookings on their own sites. Buying the Tower, the London Eye and the Harry Potter studio on their official sites in advance is cheaper with shorter queues.

NHS 111 online — enter your symptoms and learn where to go. Uber and Bolt show the price upfront; hail a black cab from the street with a raised hand, and all of them take cards.

Heathrow has 4 terminals (2, 3, 4, 5) — check which one is on your ticket. The Heathrow Express from Paddington takes 15 minutes, the Piccadilly line ~50 minutes. Be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight; Gatwick and Stansted are different airports.

Heathrow uses new security scanners, but liquid rules for hand luggage can differ by terminal — packing to the 100 ml rule is the safe choice. Connecting back via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Seoul on one ticket, your bags go straight through to Ulaanbaatar.