Everything You Need to Know about Myanmar Visa
09 Nov 2018
As a emerging hub of tourism, Myanmar has been attracting large number of visitors every year. Before getting into this golden land, one of your first preparation must be visa. Below are general knowledge you need to know, regarding visa application process.
» TO BE NOTED THAT: From Oct 1st 2018, Myanmar Government allows visa - free entry by air and land for travellers from South Korea and Japan (1 year trial). Additionally, visitors from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Russia, Spain, mainland China including Hong Kong and Macau can apply for Myanmar Visa on Arrival at Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw international airport at the cost of $50 USD per person. The validity can last up to 30 days from the date of entry and cannot be extended.
From 1st Jan 2020, travellers from Austria, Hungary, New Zealand, Czech and Luxembourg are permitted to get Myanmar Visa on Arrival as well. The trial policy will last for 3 years.
So, what about visitors from other country? How to apply for a Myanmar Visa. Let find out with Myanmar Group Tours.
There are 2 ways to get a Myanmar visa - Online and via Embassy.
1. Electronic visa (or eVisa)
eVisa system, as coming into effect since late 2014, has made the visa application process become much easier. There are two types of visa open for online application: tourist and business.
You will need to prepare these necessary things in order to apply for a Myanmar evisa:
- A valid passport for the next 6 months.
- A color recent photo (4.8cm x 3.8cm), taken within the past 3 months.
- An invitation letter from a local company in Myanmar with which you are about to partner (For Business visa)
- Credit cards of American Express, JCB, Visa and Master for processing payment.
Your photo must meet these requirements.
And after filling in the visa application, submitting and making a payment sucessful at the offical website of Myanmar evisa, you will receive an acknowledgement letter in within 1 hour. Then, the approval process will last for 3 days (Myanmar time, except for weekends and public holidays. See the list of Myanmar's public holidays here) with normal Tourist visa and 24 hours for Tourist Visa Express (all year round). When you get visa approval letter, present it to immigration officer upon arrival to get a stamp or a visa sticker in your passport.
To be noted that the aprroval letter is not a confirmed Visa letter. It will have the validity for 90 days upon reception; otherwise you have to start the application again.
Your Business visa is valid for up to 70 days after entry, while Tourist visa last for only 28 days, plus the chance to extend for another 14, giving you a total of 42 days (see more details of Myanmar visa exemption list below).
You will have to pay $50 USD application fee for a normal tourist visa; $56USD for tourist visa express and $70 USD for Business visa. Bear in mind that it is non-refundable.
» These are 6 ports of entry that allow tourist with eVisa to enter Myanmar:
- Yangon International Airport
- Mandalay International Airport
- Nay Pyi Taw International Airport
- Tachileik Land Border Checkpoint
- Myawaddy Land Border Checkpoint
- Kawthaung Land Border Checkpoint
- Tamu Land Border Checkpoint
- Rih Khaw Dar Land Border Checkpoint
Passport control at Yangon International Airport
» Citizens of the following countries are allow to extend their stay in Myanmar:
No | Country Name | Exemption Period |
1 | Brunei | 14 days |
2 | Cambodia | 14 days |
3 | Indonesia | 14 days |
4 | Laos | 14 days |
5 | Phillipines | 14 days |
6 | Thailand | 14 days |
7 | Singapore | 30 day |
8 | Vietnam | 14 days |
» Countries that are eligible to apply for Myanmar Evisa:
No | Country Name | No | Country Name | No | Country Name | No | Country Name |
1 | Albania | 27 | Ecuador | 53 | Korea, Republic | 79 | Romania |
2 | Algeria | 28 | Egypt | 54 | Kuwait | 80 | Russia |
3 | Argentina | 29 | Eritrea | 55 | Kyrgyzstan | 81 | Saudi Arabia |
4 | Australia | 30 | Estonia | 56 | Laos | 82 | Serbia |
5 | Austria | 31 | Fiji | 57 | Latvia | 83 | Singapore |
6 | Bangladesh | 32 | Finland | 58 | Lithuania | 84 | Slovakia |
7 | Belarus | 33 | France | 59 | Luxembourg | 85 | Slovenia |
8 | Belgium | 34 | Georgia | 60 | Malaysia | 86 | South Africa |
9 | Bhutan | 35 | Germany | 61 | Maldive | 87 | Spain |
10 | Bolivia | 36 | Ghana | 62 | Malta | 88 | Sri lanka |
11 | Bosnia | 37 | Greece | 63 | Mauritius | 89 | Sweden |
12 | Brazil | 38 | Guatemala | 64 | Mexico | 90 | Switzerland |
13 | Brunei | 39 | Guinea | 65 | Monaco | 91 | Taiwan |
14 | Bulgaria | 40 | Hungary | 66 | Mongolia | 92 | Thailand |
15 | Cambodia | 41 | Iceland | 67 | Morocco | 93 | Turkey |
16 | Cameroon | 42 | India | 68 | Nepal | 94 | Uganda |
17 | Canada | 43 | Indonesia | 69 | Netherlands | 95 | Ukraine |
18 | Chile | 44 | Ireland | 70 | New Zeland | 96 | United Kingdom |
19 | China | 45 | Israel | 71 | Norway | 97 | United States of America |
20 | Colombia | 46 | Italy | 72 | Pakistan | 98 | Uruguay |
21 | Costa Rica | 47 | Jamaica | 73 | Panama | 99 | Uzbekistan |
22 | Côte d’Ivoire | 48 | Japan | 74 | Peru | 100 | Venezuela |
23 | Croatia | 49 | Jordan | 75 | Philippines | 101 | Viet Nam |
24 | Cyprus | 50 | Kazakhstan | 76 | Poland | ||
25 | CZECH | 51 | Kenya | 77 | Portugal | ||
26 | Denmark | 52 | Korea, DPR | 78 | Qatar |
2. Embassy application
For some reasons, you are failed to apply for an eVisa, you can still apply for Myanmar Visa via Burmese Embassies and Consulates in your own country or in China and Southeast Asia.
Furthermore, visa application through Embassy is made for special types of visa and re-entry visas.
- Special visas
There are 8 types of visa in this category: social visa, religious visa, study visa, journalism visa, private flight crew visa, seminar/conference/research visa and transit visa.
Apart from the rest 28-day visas, the religious and study visas last for 70 days.
Three visas for: seminars, private flight crews and 24 hour transit can also be attained on arrival at three international airports of Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Tarv.
- Re-entry visas
Re-entry visa is for your stay extension.
Head to the Residence Permit Section of the Office for Foreign Citizen Affairs at number 122 Pansodan Street, in Yangon, to apply for a special re-entry visa for the country.
» For more useful Myanmar travel guides & tips, check out: https://grouptourmyanmar.com/myanmar-travel-guide