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We provide you all the necessary information you should know before your trip to Myanmar in below. All foreigners are required visa for entry into the country. Visa can be obtained from Myanmar embassy or Consulate general office in world-wide. Normally, Myanmar visa is valid for 28 days start from the date of entry with 3 months period from issue date. Tourist Visa is extendable up to 14 days, Business Visa allows up to 12 months considering case by case basic. Download Visa Application Form Here
https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/noticetotourists.aspx
Travellers need to show passport with valid visa and disembarkation card on arrival at Immigration office at Yangon or Mandalay International Airport. Travellers can be obtained pre-arranged Visa on Arrival by prior arranging with the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism. We also provide Visa on Arrival services together with hotel reservations and car rental services. You may read more details info about VOA here and Download Transit VOA application forms here. Always check with Myanmar Embassy or with us regarding the Visa regulations as there may have several changes.
a) Entry (Tourist) Visa : Visa is only issued to tourists for visiting Myanmar with valid for 1 month from date of issuance and stay allows for 28 day upon arrival without any extension. Visa fee is about U$ 40.
b) Package Tour Visa : Require Visa applications with tour confirmation letter from Myanmar Tour operator during Visa submission. Visa is Valid for 3 months from date of issuance and stay allow for 28 day. Visa Fees is about U$ 40.
c) Entry (events) Visa : Only issued for attendance of meeting, events or workshop in Myanmar with 28 days allowance and fees is about U$ 40.
d) Transit Visa : Visa require for travellers designated to other country via Myanmar and allow up to 24 hrs stay in Myanmar. Visa fees about U$ 20 and require tickets and destination visa.
e) Business Visa : Specially issued for business person and cooperation works with Myanmar companies. Visa allows stay for 11 weeks and fees is about U$ 50. Needs a recommendation letter from Company in Myanmar.
f) Diplomatic Visa : Gratis Diplomatic Courtesy (GDC) and Gratis Official Courtesy (GOC) Visa issued specially for diplomatic official and their family members. This visa allowed for stay in Myanmar during his period of assignment and offer Gratis.
To get Myanmar VOA is not yet comparable to other countries. It is slightly more time consuming, needing time for preparation and paper work that has to be submitted local authorities before your arrival. You have to contact with us, or any travel operators in Myanmar, to prepare necessary paperwork as it is necessary to process in several different offices in the capital Naypyidaw.
• Passport with 6 months validity
• Two Recent (4cm x 6cm) color photos taken within the past six months.
• Scanned copy of passport
• Personal details for Application forms
• Flight numbers with date of arrival and departure
• Application needs to be lodged 1 month before arrival
Type of Visa on Arrival and their Fees :
V.O.A | Allownace | Extendable | Visa Fees |
Transit | 24 hrs. | N.I.L | 20 |
Entry (Meeting, Events) |
28 days | 14 days | 40 |
Business | 70 days | 12 months | 50 |
Usually, it may take up to 3 weeks to get approval letter from authorities in Naypyitaw and upon approval, we will e-mail it to you and your designated airlines. We will also email to you VISA application form which you need to filled in and bring together with 3 copies of approval letter. . That’s also necessary to bring 3 passport-size photo and U$ 40 for visa fees. Only U$ dollars are accepted and need not to be torn, dirty, old, written on or heavily creased otherwise rejected.
We send true copies of approval letter to Immigration office at Yangon International Airport before your arrival. You need to show approval letter at check-in counter at arrival counter at Yangon International Airport. After you have shown all necessary data, the officer will issue Visa at VOA counter that is about 6 metres before the Immigration Check point. Travellers have to be then checked by Immigration officer, as mentioned in arrival procedure, and our guide will welcome you in front of arrival counter and assist you to collect baggage and custom declaration. You have to fill in a very short custom declaration form before the exit of arrival hall. It is very smooth process without any harm or delay for travellers.
If travellers want to extend their stay, they can apply for permission to authority. Stay extension is US$50 for up to 3 months, US$100 for six months and US$200 for up to 1year. Over stay charges are US$3 per day for less than 3 months and US$50 per day for over 3 months. However, there will be a problem for overstay travellers whenever need to show their passport at the airport, hotel, jetty, etc.
The Re-entry visa is issued to travellers who have to leave other countries during his permitted stay, and submitted re-entry application before their leaving. There have two types of re-entry visa, Single and Multiple. Multiple re-entry visa are only issued to business and diplomat person with recommendation from Ministries. Single re-entry visa fee is US$ 60and multiple re-entry visa fee is US$ 200.
Passport holder from the following countries and Taiwan are eligible to apply Visa On Arrival:
1. Australia | 2. Laos |
3. Austria | 4. Latvia |
5. Belgium | 6. Lithuania |
7. Brazil | 8. Luxembourg |
9. Brunei | 10. Malaysia |
11. Bulgaria | 12. Malta |
13. China | 14. Norway |
15. Canada | 16. New Zealand |
17. Cambodia | 18. Netherland |
19. Czech | 20. Nepal |
21. Cyprus | 22. Poland |
23. Croatia | 24. Philippines |
25. Denmark | 25. Portugal |
27. DPRK | 26. Romania |
29. Estonia | 30. Russia |
31. France | 32. Switzerland |
33. Finland | 34. Singapore |
35. Germany | 36. South Africa |
37. Greece | 38. Spain |
39. Hungary | 40. Sweden |
41. India | 42. Slovakia |
43. Indonesia | 44. Slovenia |
44. Italy | 46. Thailand |
47. Ireland | 48. UK |
48. Israel | 50. USA |
51. Japan | 52. Ukraine |
53. Korea | 54. Vietnam |
Step 1 : Fill in disembarkation card before foreigner immigration counters and let officer check your passport, Visa, disembarkation card and your photo will be taken by webcam. Our staff will welcome you with name on placard just in front of Immigration counter and help you through other steps of arrival.
Step 2 : After clearance from Immigration Officer, check the monitors above conveyor belt, with number of your flight so as to collect baggage. There have adequate trolleys near conveyor belt to pick-up your luggage.
Step 3 : Fill in custom declaration form for any electrical goods, jewellery and foreign currencies. If you have nothing to declare pass through green channel and otherwise choose red channel. Put your luggage inside X-Ray inspection machine for investigation by custom officer.
Step 4 : Step through exit of arrival hall, and pick-up point is just on the left side of exit door.
Step 1 : Pay airport tax (US20) at the airport before entering in to departure hall. This is only applicable to some flights. For tickets purchased after 1st April 2016, the full 20 USD should be included in the ticket price.
Step 2 : At the entrance of departure hall, put your luggage into X-Ray machine and take a body check by the inspection officer.
Step 3 : Show your air tickets, passport and airport tax (some flights) at the airline counter for baggage check-in and take boarding pass.
Step 4 : Fill in embarkation cards at counter in front of airlines and step up to the 1st floor with escalator to Immigration counters. Show your passport and embarkation form at Immigration counter.
Step 5 : Walk through to your gate mentioned in your boarding pass, and pass X-ray for baggage and body-check by custom officers. Now, you are ready for your flight and wait for the announcement of boarding call.
Travellers need to declare their expensive items such as foreign currencies (> US$2000), electronic equipment, jewellery, and cameras, recorded with custom declaration at the port of entry. Retain your copy of declaration form and re-check upon your departure. Request receipts for all jewellery and antiques bought from authorized dealers as they have to be shown whenever requested by authorities concerned.
Export of antiques and archaeologically valuable items such as fossils, artefacts, old coils, bronze or brass weights, inscribed stones, historical documents, and all religious images are prohibited.
Travellers are allowed two cartons of cigarettes or 100 cigars, 1.5 lb of tobacco, 0.5l of perfume or cologne and 2.0 litres of liquors. Yangon International Airport provides duty free shops with reasonable price.
Airport duty tax is U$ 10 per person payable at counter before check-in to departure hall (applicable to some flights). No charges for domestic’s flights.
There is a medical scanned counter before arrival Immigration checkpoints. Medical certificates need to be presented for travellers from infected areaa or yellow fever zones.
Foreigners are advised to bring enough only cash in US$ dollars in to Myanmar as that is the only foreign currency that can be directly and easily exchanged into local currency with market price. There is no Credit cards, traveller’s cheque, or international bank transactions services in Myanmar yet. ATM machines are now readily available in Yangon and Mandalay. Credit cards only accepted in a few major hotels. Normally money exchange outlets in Myanmar do not accept notes that are torn, dirty, old, badly used, written on or heavily creased. We strongly suggest you exchange your money only at authorized money exchange outlets at bank or market. Exchange money in private shops at your own risks. DO not exchange money with street money dealers. In the past, the Central Bank of Myanmar issued FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificates) that were equivalent to US$ dollar. Other currency like Euro and Singapore Dollars can be exchanged at some money exchange outlets or banks. Myanmar uses “Kyats” as local currency and the rate is somewhat volatile, but usually US$ 1 dollar is equivalent between 950-990Ks. U$ dollars are widely used in Myanmar at hotels, for entrance fees and at souvenir shops.
Postal services in Myanmar are run by both government authorities, and international companies such as DHL. Internet connection is provided in most hotels and wi-fi is available in major restaurants and hotels. Internet cafes are common in tourist areas. There is no International Roaming Service available in Myanmar and IDD calls from Myanmar are quite expensive compared to other countries. IDD call & facsimile services are normally provided by the hotel.
Country code of Myanmar is (0095) and area code for Yangon is 1. (e.g calling to our office : 0095 1 8603291). Area code of Bagan & Mandalay is 2 and Inlay lake is 81. Sim cards from foreign countries may not work in Myanmar and travellers may hire local GSM Sim card at airport with U$ 3 per day for one time used during your stay in Myanmar, US#20 for one month. Permanent sim card are available at a floating price between US$150 –US$200.
Standard Voltage in Myanmar is 220-240 Volts with A.C 50 Hz. Standard plug in Myanmar is the British standard flat three pin plugs, and the two-pin plug. The Myanmar electricity sector mainly relies on hydro-electrical power as well as thermal plants using coal, natural gas, or diesel fuel. The electricity in some tourist destinations incur power cuts or voltage fluctuation, and it is advisable to bring torchlight and adaptor for some electronics goods such as video cameras, laptops as protection Most of the hotels have their own generator for emergency usage.
Myanmar is +6:30 hrs ahead of GMT (+0.00) with 0:30 hr later than Thailand and 1:30 hr behind of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China.
Normally, most travellers visit within October to March even though the country has favourable weather all year round. It is the hottest period in April & May, with no rain and very hot temperatures. Monsoon season starts from July to September and only effects coastal and hilly regions. There is not much effect from the monsoon in upper Myanmar such as Mandalay, Amarapura and Bagan.
Most Government offices operate from 09:30 am to 04:30 pm on weekdays whilst private companies operate from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and half day on Saturday. Normal banking hours are 10:00 am to 02:00pm on weekdays. Most of markets & shops are open everyday, except for Bogyoke (Scott) Market which is closed on Monday.
In official meetings, long sleeve shirt and black trouser are required. It is not necessary to wear a tie and coat due to the hot weather. Most Burmese people do not have a family name or first name. Myanmar culture always uses “U (pronounce as Oo) for Mr. and Daw for Ms./Mrs. in front of their name when addressing people and showing courtesy to them. Appointments should be made in advance and punctuality is respected. English is widely used by businessmen in Myanmar and business cards are normally exchanged during greetings.
Local people are genuinely happy to help visitor and do expect anything in return. Tips in hotel and restaurants are not mandatory but accepted with a smile. It is not necessary to tip for taxi fares.
Myanmar costumes are simple and very elegant. Traditional dress is called “Longyi” and is very comfortable for Myanmar’s hot climate. Longyi is a woven cloth wrapped around the waist and cover lover part of body without diverge at the middle as a trousers.
The most suitable costume to wear is light colour cotton material with sandals or slippers for all year round. Because of hot weather and rains, sandals are more suitable than shoes. Additional clothing of light jerkin or sweaters for winter season, and umbrella or raincoats for rainy season, is adequate for your light travel. Hats and sunglasses are recommended for hot season.
In visiting pagodas, shrines or any religious place, it is important to dress decently and abstain from wearing shorts pants or miniskirts. Sandals or slippers are convenient, as all footwear including socks or stockings must be removed before entering pagodas or temples. Ladies should not wear shorts, briefs or braless shirts to religious places.
Myanmar has a strict cancellation policy, especially in Yangon. Booking cannot be cancelled within 21 days for groups and 7 days for individual travellers before their check-in date.
The country is very friendly and you may explore around cities, towns or villages without worry, even at night. Even though Myanmar is one of the safest tourist destinations in the world, it is better to put your valuable items in a safe-deposit box in your hotel room for your own protection. You should not bring your passport or valuable items if you happen to be visiting a crowded area.
It is fantastic to do shopping in Myanmar and you will always feel that you got more than what you paid for. Compared to others countries; things are much cheaper in Myanmar, except for hotel rooms, land and cars. Bargaining is also widely accepted in most areas, and feel free to bargain. Lacquerware from Bagan is famous. Textile, woodcarving, silverware, tapestries and puppets are famous products of Mandalay. Myanmar’s gems, such as ruby, jade and sapphire, are known around the world for their outstanding quality. Beware of street shops and you should only buy from reputable stores or authorized dealers that can provide you official receipts that need to be shown at customs checkpoint as export permits. Authentic antiques are prohibited from taking abroad and are better to avoid buying in Myanmar.
The country is well known for its rich culture and natural beauty. Myanmar is famous among photographers for its scenery. Our recommendation is to bring a number of memory cards for your camera and handycam.
It is advisable to bring a first-aid kit with you for emergency usa. Insect repellent, sunscreen or UV protection body lotions are a must. Best to bring brand medicine for fever, diarrhea, insect repellent and bandages. Medicine is widely available in all areas but it is safer to use products you know are reliable. Never drink tap water and drink only bottle water. Ice in most large high standard hotels is made from purified water.
Things can be bought in Myanmar at reasonable prices. However, the following items you should be bring with you for emergency usa:
1. Flash Light
2. Sun glasses
3. Sun Cream
4. Sunshade hat
5. Frequently used medicines
6. Sandals
7. Insect repellent
8. Toilet paper
There are three International airports in Myanmar, one in Yangon (Business capital), Mandalay (Biggest city of Upper Myanmar), and in Naypyidaw (new government’s capital).
These are the international airlines fly into Myanmar;
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Direct air-links from Yangon,
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There are 8 domestic airlines, such as;
Myanmar Airways is government owned and others are private airlines. Most of private airlines are using ATR-72 /42 and F-100 aircrafts with punctual, good and reliable services. Baggage allowance is limited to 20 kg. Taxi can easily hire only in Yangon Airport.
Taking a train is one of the good experiences to meet with local people as they travel. Yangon-Mandalay trip is most popular and all railways destinations are open to foreign travellers. Total railway is over 4000 km of track and is use for travel only inside country.
Myanmar has over 27000 km of expressways and most of the buses are operated by state-owned Road Transport Enterprise. Most of air-conditioned express buses link Yangon with Naypyidaw, Mandalay, Pyay, Taungyi and some destination has standard buses routes planned. The expressways link with Thailand and China at border bridges. Taxis are widely available in Yangon. City buses are overcrowded, old, and not punctual. In other tourist destinations like Bagan, Pyin Oo Lwin, you can easily find horse carts, bicycles, trishaws etc..
More important for carrying cargo and products via inland waterways which has over 12800 km of navigable rivers, and over 3000 km open for large commercial vessels. Most of major cities in Myanmar are river port. Tourist enter from sea ports can get Visa on Arrival with prior arrangement.
Myanmar shares borders with China, Thailand, India, Laos & Bangladesh. The country has popular border checkpoints for foreigners between China and Thailand with border pass. Overland entry permit with border pass is permitted at the following check points ;
From China :
From Thailand :