Relations in Education, Culture, and Other Areas
2025-11-18
Mutual Visits of Citizens
Since June 16, 2018, holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries have been able to travel visa-free for up to 90 days.
Citizens
As of 2025, around 4,200 Mongolian citizens reside and work in Switzerland, including approximately 30 employed at the United Nations and other international organizations.
Mongolian language training centers for children operate in Geneva, Lausanne and Basel. In addition, nearly 20 Mongolian associations and non-governmental organizations in Switzerland actively promote the Mongolian language and culture, while also supporting initiatives in sports and humanitarian affairs.
Educational Relations
The University of Bern has offered Mongolian Studies since the 1999–2000 academic year. Around 20 students from Switzerland and abroad pursue bachelor’s and master’s programs in Mongolian language and religious studies.
In 2023, the School of Law at the National University of Mongolia launched a partnership with the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern. In 2024, a second Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Faculty of Law at the University of Zurich.
Cultural Relations
The Swiss-Mongolian Society (2002) and the Swiss-Mongolian Cultural and Unity Society (2004) play an active role in fostering cultural ties.
In 2024, to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and within the framework of Mongolia’s “Year of Visiting Mongolia” initiative (2023–2024), the exhibition Go Mongolia was held on May 25 at the Rietberg Museum in Zurich. Organized with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Mandakh Naran NGO, the exhibition highlighted Mongolia’s tourism and cultural heritage.
That same year, Mongolia participated for the first time as an honorary guest at the Valais Fair, one of Switzerland’s leading trade fairs. The fair featured Mongolian products, tourism promotion, and a Cultural Day with traditional wrestling, shagai (ankle bone) shooting, folk art exhibitions, and a concert by the band Uukhai.
Other Areas of Cooperation
Medical collaboration has long been a cornerstone of bilateral ties. Since 1998, the Swiss Society of Surgeons has worked with the First Central Clinical Hospital and the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. A cooperation agreement signed in 1999 has enabled annual visits by Swiss surgeons, who provide consultations, surgical care, training, and technical assistance, while also offering opportunities for Mongolian doctors and nurses to receive further education in Switzerland.
In 2023, the National Center for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Children’s Hospital of the University of Zurich. Under this framework, two Mongolian specialists completed one-month professional training programs at the hospital in September 2024.
In 2024, the National Cancer Center of Mongolia and the Geneva University Hospitals signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Geneva. The agreement was concluded by Mr. N. Erdenekhuu, Director General of the National Cancer Center, and Mr. Robert Mardini, Director General of the Geneva University Hospitals.
Defense and security cooperation has also expanded. In 2024, with support from the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, two representatives of Mongolia’s General Authority for Border Protection participated for the first time in the “Partnership for Peace” winter mountain training in Andermatt. The parties intend to hold such joint training annually and are preparing for Mongolia’s participation in the 2026 “Patrouille des Glaciers” mountain sports event.
Economic relations have been strengthened through business forums. On June 3, 2015, the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), in partnership with Swiss and Asian Chambers of Commerce, organized the Mongolia–Switzerland Business Forum in Ulaanbaatar. During the event, the chambers signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote bilateral economic cooperation.