New York City

Mongolian citizens must have a US B1/B2 visa (ESTA does not apply). Fill in the DS-160 online (list your social-media handles from the last 5 years), pay the $185 fee in tugrik in cash at a Golomt Bank branch or by card, book a slot through ustraveldocs and attend an in-person interview at the US Embassy in Ulaanbaatar. Bring an employment letter, bank statements and proof of ties to Mongolia (family, job, property). Phones and bags are not allowed into the embassy.

Tip: Buy flights and hotels after the visa is issued — the fee is non-refundable.

Mongolia joined the visa bond program on 2 April 2026. If you pass the interview, the consular officer sets the bond: from 3 August 2026 it is $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 (via Pay.gov, Form I-352). Bonded visas are usually valid for 3–12 months; you must enter and leave the US through a commercial airport (e.g. JFK, Newark); the bond is refunded in full if you leave on time. Never pay before the officer tells you to, and never through third-party sites. The $250 'visa integrity fee' enacted by a 2025 law was not yet being collected as of October 2026.

Tip: Mongolia is not on the 2026 travel-ban list (39 countries) — tourist visas are issued normally.

US healthcare is the most expensive in the world: an ambulance or a single emergency-room visit can reach thousands of dollars. Buy travel insurance with high cover for treatment and evacuation, and save the insurer's assistance number in your phone.

Tip: Keep every document (visa, hotel, return ticket, insurance) on paper and on your phone — border officers may ask.

After landing, show your passport and visa to the CBP officer and give fingerprints and a photo; you will be asked about the purpose of your trip, where you are staying and when you leave — answer briefly and truthfully. After the border, check your authorised stay on the I-94 site.

AirTrain JFK runs from the terminals to Jamaica or Howard Beach stations for $8.75 a ride (children under 5 free), paid on exit with OMNY — tap your card or phone. From Jamaica take the E or J/Z subway, from Howard Beach the A ($3), about an hour to Manhattan.

Tip: With big suitcases the subway's many stairs are hard — the LIRR or a taxi is easier.

From Jamaica the LIRR reaches Penn Station or Grand Central in ~20 minutes; buy an in-city CityTicket on the TrainTime app. Yellow cabs charge a flat fare JFK–Manhattan (plus surcharges, tip and tolls); only use the official taxi line and ignore anyone touting rides in the hall.

If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a US data plan from Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi or similar before the flight — it works the moment you land. JFK has free public Wi-Fi.

Tip: Download New York in Google Maps for offline use.

Restaurants, taxis and hotels often call or text a US number with codes. Get a T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon prepaid SIM at one of their city stores with your passport; eSIM carriers such as Mint Mobile also give you a number.

A subway or bus ride costs $3. No ticket needed — tap a contactless bank card, Apple/Google Pay or an OMNY card at the turnstile. After 12 paid rides (≈$35) in 7 days on the same card or phone, the rest of those 7 days is free — no need to buy a pass upfront. Subway ↔ bus transfers within 2 hours are free.

Tip: Families: each person pays with a different card or phone — tapping several people through on one card doesn't count toward the weekly cap.

Express (fewer stops) and local (every stop) trains share lines, so check the car's sign and coloured symbol. Uptown = north, Downtown = south; some stations have separate entrances for each direction. Late at night avoid empty cars; the conductor's car (middle of the train) is safer.

NYC Ferry links Brooklyn, Queens and Wall Street; the Staten Island Ferry is free. Rent a Citi Bike on the app for the Hudson riverside or Central Park. Most Midtown sights are within easy walking distance of each other.

Almost everywhere takes Visa/Mastercard, contactless and Apple Pay; a little cash (street food, tips) is enough. Withdrawing with a foreign card means fees from both your bank and the ATM — use ATMs inside bank branches.

Tip: If a card terminal asks 'USD or MNT?', always choose USD.

Sales tax (8.875% in New York City) is added at the till to shop and restaurant prices. Hotel rates get ~14.75% tax plus a flat per-night fee on top — check the final total of your booking. The US gives no tax refunds to tourists.

At table-service restaurants tip 18–20% of the pre-tax bill, taxis 15–20%, hotel porters a few dollars per bag — it is a major part of staff pay. Check whether a 'service charge' is already on the bill.

A thin, foldable pizza slice; a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast; a pastrami sandwich (Katz's); hot dogs; New York cheesecake. Chelsea Market and Brooklyn's Smorgasburg (weekends) are food halls with lots of choice.

Chinatown, Flushing in Queens and Jackson Heights have the cheapest, tastiest Asian food. Delis and bodegas sell sandwiches and coffee around the clock. Ready meals from supermarkets (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods) eaten in a park are the best value.

Tip: The A/B/C letter in a restaurant window is the city's hygiene grade — pick an A.

Book popular restaurants ahead on Resy or OpenTable. New Yorkers dine late; many places stay open late. Drinking alcohol in public or on the street is prohibited.

Police, ambulance and fire are all 911 — free, 24 hours, with interpreters. For non-emergencies (lost property, city information) call 311. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Washington or Mongolia's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

In Times Square, costumed characters and people handing out 'free' CDs or bracelets demand money — say 'No, thanks' and walk on. Avoid street shell games, bus-tour touts and fake 'monks'. On the subway don't hold your phone or wallet by the doors; at night stick to lit, busy streets.

For serious cases go to a hospital emergency room; the city's Bellevue, NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai are open 24 hours. For minor illness or injury, urgent-care clinics (CityMD) are cheaper and faster. Medicines from CVS and Walgreens; carry prescription drugs with an English prescription. Call your insurer's assistance line first.

New Yorkers walk fast: don't stop in the middle of the sidewalk to take photos — step aside. Stand on the right on escalators. Don't hold subway doors, let people off first, and take your backpack off and put it by your feet.

Loud talk, loud music and taking two seats are rude. Panhandlers and performers are common — if you don't give, just look away. Offer your seat to people with disabilities, children or the elderly.

Direct, brief exchanges are normal — 'Excuse me' and 'Thank you' go a long way. Don't ask strangers about age, salary, religion or politics. Smoking is banned in restaurants, bars and parks.

Google Maps shows real-time subway, bus and ferry information well in New York. Buy LIRR and Metro-North tickets on the MTA TrainTime app.

TodayTix — same-day and discounted Broadway tickets, lotteries. If you plan many sights, price up CityPASS or the New York Pass — usually worth it from three or more paid attractions.

Notify NYC — the city's emergency alerts (storms, heat, transit disruptions). The I-94 site — check your authorised stay in the US. NYC Tourism — events and free things to do.

From Manhattan, AirTrain + subway takes ~1–1.5 hours, LIRR + AirTrain a bit less; rush hour (16–19) traffic can make taxis slow. Be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight; when AirTrain has overnight works, replacement buses run — check jfkairport.com.

Never stay even one day past your I-94 date: overstaying automatically cancels the visa and forfeits the bond. Bonded visa holders must leave through a commercial airport (JFK, Newark); the bond is refunded automatically after departure — check your departure record on the I-94 site.