What to do if someone dies in Mongolia

Mongolia is a manageable repatriation destination for deaths in Ulaanbaatar. The British Embassy maintains a resident presence, the State Forensic Science Center handles non-natural death certification, and cargo connections exist via Beijing and Seoul. The complication specific to Mongolia is geography: a significant proportion of UK deaths occur in remote areas — the Gobi desert, the central steppe, the Altai mountains — where body recovery must happen before the standard process can begin.

First 24 hours

Call the FCDO Emergency Travel Line: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours). Then contact the British Embassy Ulaanbaatar: +976 11 458133.

If the death is non-natural, the National Police Agency must attend before the body is moved. For remote deaths, call the Embassy immediately — the first question is location and access.

British Embassy Ulaanbaatar

The British Embassy Ulaanbaatar is a resident mission with experience of UK traveller deaths. Adventure tourism from the UK has grown steadily, and the Embassy handles horse trekking, Gobi overland, and mountaineering deaths with some regularity.

The Embassy registers the death and issues the notifications required for UK purposes.

Death in Ulaanbaatar: the standard process

For hospital or witnessed deaths in Ulaanbaatar:

1. Attending physician certifies cause of death
2. National Police Agency attends if non-natural — do not move the body first
3. State Forensic Science Center examination for non-natural deaths (5 to 14 days)
4. Civil Registration and Information Department issues the death certificate
5. Ministry of Health issues the export permit
6. Funeral director preparation
7. Cargo via Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN)

Remote deaths: recovery first

If the death occurred outside Ulaanbaatar, the immediate priority is body location and access assessment. Mongolia has:

• Very few paved roads outside the capital
• Limited helicopter assets
• Weather that closes mountain and desert access for days at a time
• The world’s lowest population density — nearest settlements may be hours away

The Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) coordinates ground and air response for remote incidents. Aimag (provincial) emergency services assist at the local level.

Recovery steps for remote deaths:

1. Confirm location — GPS coordinates or nearest sum (district) centre
2. Contact NEMA and local aimag authorities via British Embassy
3. Arrange body transport to Ulaanbaatar — helicopter charter where available and accessible; vehicle convoy on road-accessible routes
4. Body arrives in Ulaanbaatar — State Forensic Science Center examination begins
5. Standard process continues from that point

Recovery time from remote areas: 1 to 5 days for accessible terrain, longer if weather grounds helicopter operations or the location is off any vehicle track.

Gobi, steppe, Altai: specific risks

Gobi desert: Extreme temperature range, limited water, navigation challenging without GPS. Off-track vehicle accidents and heatstroke are documented causes.

Central steppe and horse trekking: Riding accidents on remote routes are a consistent risk. Horses in Mongolia are semi-wild and physically demanding.

Altai mountains: Climbing and trekking at altitude. Mountain passes exceed 3,000m. Weather changes rapidly. River crossings on approach routes carry risk. The Altai is also close to the border regions with China and Russia.

State Forensic Science Center

All non-natural deaths in Mongolia are referred to the State Forensic Science Center in Ulaanbaatar. The National Police Agency must confirm there is no pending criminal investigation before the Center’s certificate completes the death certification process.

This stage takes 5 to 14 days for routine cases.

Document checklist

Cremation option

Cremation is available in Ulaanbaatar. If cremation is acceptable to the family, this simplifies repatriation significantly — ashes transport involves less documentation than body repatriation. Discuss this with the British Embassy and specialist firm early if it is a consideration.

What to do first

FCDO: 020 7008 5000. British Embassy Ulaanbaatar: +976 11 458133.

For remote deaths, the firm’s value is coordinating with NEMA and local aimag contacts for body recovery. Do not engage a firm without confirmed Mongolia and remote area experience.

Sources: UK FCDO Mongolia travel advice (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mongolia, updated 2024); British Embassy Ulaanbaatar; Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency.