Myanmar Visa Online

Passport holders from Asean countries, China, Bangladesh and Russia do not need to apply for Myanmar visas to visit Myanmar. All other nationalities do. A tourist Myanmar visa's validity expires 90 days after issue and only allows a 28 day, single-entry Myanmar visit. It costs US$ 20. You'll need three passport-sized photos for the process to apply Myanmar visa online. There are also 28 day business Myanmar visas (US$ 30) and 28 day special visas (US$ 30) for former Myanmar citizens (Myanmar (Burma) visas can be extended for three to six months once in Yangon, for US$ 36). A multiple entry business Myanmar visa is US$ 150. There is also a meditation Myanmar visa (US$ 30), which requires an invitation from a monastery; those seeking to enter Myanmar on this type of visa must do an autobiographical "sketch" as part of the process.

It may be possible to apply for an Myanmar visa online at www.visa.gov.mm. Myanmar visas online previously cost US$ 30. If you're planning to enter Myanmar country overland, however, you must first get a visa directly through a Myanmar consular service. Bangkok travel agents, particularly on Khao San Rd, specialized in getting quick tourist Myanmar visas for Myanmar. Rates depended on turnaround times, which aren't always met: a Myanmar visa in one day costs B 1100. The process at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok takes atleast a day. Show up early. Myanmar's embassies and consulates abroad are scrupulous in checking out the backgrounds of anyone applying for a tourist visas. In particular, writers and journalists may have a difficult time obtaining Myanmar visas. Therefore, it's probably not a good idea to list your occupation as any of the following: Journalist, photographer, editor, publisher, motion-picture director or producer, cameraperson, viedographer, or photographers do get into Myanmar by declaring a different profession on the visa application.

Myanmar foreign missions may also be suspicious of anyone whose passport shows two or more previous visits to Myanmar in a five-year period. Obviously Myanmar government can't believe anyone would want to visit Myanmar more than once or twice! Incases such as these you'll need more of a reason than simply "tourism" for receiving another visa. Be creative.

It was possible to extend a Myanmar tourist visa by an additional 14 days beyond its original 28-day validity in Yangon only. The extension costs US$ 36 and usually takes about three days to issue. A Myanmar travel agent can help sort through the bureaucracy, or you can drop by thee MTT office, which charges an extra US$ 2 for the service. You'll need two copies of your passport details and Myanmar visa, two passport-sized photographs, and a letter of recommendation from your hotel in Myanmar. The process cannot be started in advance or from elsewhere in Myanmar apart from Yangon.

Another option, if you want just a couple more days, is overstaying your Myanmar visa. Many Myanmar travelers have overstayed up to seven days without incident. Check with a Yangon travel agent before your Myanmar visa's up, but there was generally little hassle if you overstayed if you were leaving from the Yangon or Mandalay airports. Be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes doing some paperwork, and pay US$ 3 perday, plus a US$ 3 "registration fee". Have correct change, as immigration will likely not be able to change your US$ 100 bill in Myanmar.

If you're leaving overland to Thailand on an expired visa, it's best to enlist help from a travel agency before popping up at Myanmar border. In one case an extra US$ 35 fee was slung onto the US$ 3 per day penalty to cross to Ranong, Thailand. It's likely not an official fee, but it seems to be regularly applied.