Telephones calls in Mongolia: The country code for Mongolia is (976) 11... .
The city code of Ulaanbaatar is 11 although you don’t need to dial it when calling from within the city. For example, phoning Ulaanbaatar from outside of Mongolia, dial the international access code 976 plus 11 to a landline. For cellular phone is the not necessary. Satellite and cellular phones are available to buy.
Cell Phones
GSM 900 network operated by Mobicom and Unitel companies. CDMA network operated by Skytel and G-Mobile company. Aimags are covered with mobile phone network.
While traveling through Mongolia, it would be a good idea to get yourself a SIM card. They are cheap, easy to reload, and will definitely come in handy.
Texting is very cheap and is now the main form of telecommunication in the country. Most Mongolians text using Latin characters, creating a whole new (and not yet universal) alphabet in the process. Callers are only charged for outgoing calls that connect, so receiving a call and being hung up on is an invitation for you to call that person back because they probably don’t have many units. Incoming calls are not charged.
The main cell phone providers in Mongolia are: MobiCom, Skytel, G-mobile, and Unitel. Each phone company has varying coverage and plans. Some offer in-network bonuses like free talking or texting, which has led many people to carry multiple phones with multiple phone numbers on multiple SIM cards.
There are some restrictions on which domestically purchased phones allow which SIM cards. Your safest bet would probably be MobiCom because they offer the most coverage throughout the country. They also have a conveniently located main office in Ulaanbaatar with some English-speaking staff who will be able to meet your cell phone needs. The MobiCom-TEDY Center is located in the Chingeltei District on Sambuu Street between the State Department Store and Tengis Movie Theatre.
To purchase a SIM card, you will need a valid passport and an internationally equipped cell phone. The card will cost MNT10,000 and is loaded with 5,000 units. If you do not have a cell phone that is enabled for international usage, you can purchase a cheap used cell phone upstairs in the TEDY Center, above the main MobiCom office.
Units can be purchased at most shops throughout the country. It would be helpful to know how to say your phone number in Mongolian, but you can also just write it down and show it to the shopkeeper or enter your number as a contact and show them. Numbers are spoken in pairs. For example 95292857 would be expressed as: 95-29-28-57 (ninety-five, twenty-nine, etc.). They will ask you your number and how many units you would like to purchase. MobiCom units come in packages of 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000. There are bonuses if you purchase more units at a time. Usually if you buy 10,000, you get an extra 1,000 free, and 30,000 gets you an extra 5,000. Units will either be given in the form of a card with a scratch-off back that reveals a secret code, or they will be electronically transferred to the phone by the shopkeeper.
Unit costs for talk time are about MNT70 per minute within network and MNT100 per minute to other networks. Text messages or SMS are MNT19 within network and MNT40 to other networks. The country code for Mongolia is +976. If you have trouble dialing a land line number (usually starting with 1 or 2) put a 0 before it.
