General Visa information

Myanmar eVisa Official govern

we are not lawyers and this is just general information on getting a visa , types, and what is required.  Check with you Country Embassy for more information.

Information from Myanmar Government eVisa page    http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/

1. eVisa Online System is currently only available to Tourists for Tourism purpose only.
2. For more information please go to evisa.moip.gov.mm and information on restricted area go tomip.gov.mm.
   You will need the following before you apply:
   (a) Your passport validity must have at least (6) months.
   (b) You have to upload one color photo (4.8 cm X 3.8 cm) taking during last (3) months.
   (c) You will need your visa or master credit card for the payment of USD 50.
3. Visa processing information
   (a) The validity of eVisa approval letter is 90 days from the issued date. If it is expired, entry will be denied.
   (b) Length of stay is (28) days from the date of arrival in Myanmar.
   (c) eVisa service is none refundable.
   (d) You will receive an email acknowledgement within 1 hour after successful payment.
   (e) The processing time is upto (3) working days.
4. If the applicant has child(ren) under (7) years old on the same passport, you have to put the name of that child, date of birth in the minor section of the application form.
5. eVisa is currently only available to Tourist seeking entry into Myanmar. If you are seeking entry for business, meetings, seminars purposes please apply at a Myanmar embassy in your respective country.
6. Tourists must stay in registered hotels, motels and inns during your stay in Myanmar.
7. The applicant should complete individual personal data whether passenger is FIT or package tour.
8. eVisa is a only valid for a single entry. Re-entry will require a new visa.
9. Currently passengers with eVisa are only permitted to enter via Yangon International Airport, Nay Pyi Taw International Aiport and Mandalay International Airport. We will announce other port of entry in due course.
10. If the decision is not allowed to entry, you may return by the same flight.

For a list of countries that are available to apply for e Visa  check their web site.

Visa Processing Fees

Taken from US Embassy Myanmar Burma

After a long period of isolation, Burma has started to encourage tourism. As a foreigner, you can expect to pay more than locals do for accommodations, domestic airfares, and entry to tourist sites. Tourist facilities in Rangoon, Bagan, Ngapali Beach, Inle Lake, and Mandalay are superior to tourist facilities in other parts of the country, where they are limited or nonexistent.  Read theDepartment of State’s Fact Sheet on Burma for additional information.

On September 1, 2014, the Government of Burma announced an eVisa program for tourist visas.  The program allows tourists to apply for a visa online rather than physically applying at an embassy or consulate.  Once tourists are approved for the visa, the visa needs to be used within three months.

The Government of Burma controls travel to, from, and within Burma. To enter Burma, you must have a valid passport with at least six months remaining validity and a valid visa. You should apply for your visa at a Burmese embassy or consulate abroad before you arrive in Burma. In Burma, you will be required to show your passport with a valid visa at all airports, train stations, and hotels. Security checkpoints are common outside of tourist areas.

In 2012, the Government of Burma announced a visas-on-arrival program for business travelers in order to facilitate investment in the country. More information about the program can be found on theEmbassy of Burma’s website. Pursuant to those guidelines, the visas-on-arrival program is available only to those with a formal letter of invitation from a business registered with the Burmese Ministry of Commerce, and not to those intended for tourists seeking tourist visas.

Some In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures to verify the status of children travelers at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian for the child’s travel. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may help you with entry/departure.

Travel within Burma: Burmese authorities require that hotels and guesthouses furnish information about the identities and activities of their foreign guests. Burmese who interact with foreigners may be compelled to report on those interactions to Burmese authorities. Security personnel traditionally place foreign visitors under surveillance; your actions, such as meeting with Burmese citizens, particularly in public spaces like hotel lobbies, rooms, and restaurants, could still be monitored.

You will not generally be required to obtain advance permission to travel to the main tourist areas of Mandalay and the surrounding area, Bagan, Inle Lake, Ngapali, and other beach resorts. However, tThe Burmese government restricts access to some areas of the country on an ad-hoc basis, stating it cannot guarantee the safety of foreigners. If you plan to travel in Burma, you should check with Burmese tourism authorities to see whether travel to specific destinations is permitted. Even if the Burmese authorities allow travel to specific destinations in Burma, you may not be safe traveling in those areas.

Import and Travel Prohibitions: The U.S. government prohibits the importation into the United States of jadeite and rubies mined or extracted from Burma, as well as articles of jewelry containing them. It is important to know that this prohibition extends even to those gems purchased in third countries if they were originally mined in or extracted from Burma.

Computers, Internet, and Email: Cyber cafes and larger hotels provide Internet services. All emails are subject to monitoring by Burmese security services.

Telephone and Electricity: Telephone service is poor in Rangoon and other major cities and non-existent in many areas. Calling the United States from Burma is difficult and expensive.  Internet service is improving but still limited and slow,  Though electrical service has improved over the last two years, it is still sporadic, particularly in the hot months of March, April, and May, when demand for air conditioning often overburdens the modest capacity of the electrical infrastructure. Many hotels and restaurants have gas-powered generators to provide electricity during periodic blackouts.

Health

We highly recommend that you share your travel plans with your doctor so that you can best prepare for the endemic health-related challenges that confront travelers in Burma. Most medical facilities in Burma are inadequate for even routine medical care. There are very few medical personnel in Burma who are trained to U.S. standards. You should also know that, in an emergency, you would likely need to be medically evacuated to a hospital outside Burma. Medical evacuation from Burma is expensive and is most often transacted in cash. We strongly urge all travelers to consider getting medical evacuation insurance before coming to Burma.

Most pharmaceuticals on sale in Burma have been smuggled into the country, and many are counterfeit or adulterated. Travelers should consider Burmese pharmaceuticals generally unsafe to use and should therefore bring adequate supplies of their medications for the duration of their stay in Burma. All travelers are advised to bring a complete and detailed list of regularly used medicine, and dosages, in case of an emergency. HIV/AIDS is widespread among high-risk populations, such as prostitutes and illegal drug users. Malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases are endemic in many parts of the country.

We recommend having Travel Insurance

ATM’s

Credit cards and ATMs

After EU and US sanctions were lifted, some hotels and restaurants have started to accept credit cards. Visa is more common than MasterCard. In 2014 there were working ATMs at airports and around tourist sites. Guides say there has been a real effort to improve coverage. There is usually an ATM fee of MMK5000 (USD5) associated with the transaction with maximum withdrawal amount being MMK300,000.

Visa and MasterCard are now accepted at ATMs throughout the country, especially in all the major tourist areas. As a result, you may now need only bring sufficient US dollars to pay for major expenses that the government may have a hand in (hotels, planes, tourist tickets, boats, etc). As of May 2014, ATMs are generally functional and take Visa/MasterCard as well as debit cards with Plus logos. There is a maximum limit of CAD350 equivalent per withdrawal, charging CAD5. The ATM machine in Yangon Airport has a maximum limit of CAD30 equivalent so avoid if you can.

Though the Burmese economy is rapidly modernizing, Burmese banks and merchants still rarely accept travelers’ checks or credit cards. With the lifting of U.S. sanctions in financial services, Burmese banks are just beginning to offer ATM and money transfer services. Reports of customer complaints resulting from technical problems with ATM machines and faulty withdrawals are common. U.S. citizen travelers who choose to use ATMs in Burma should carefully scrutinize their online banking records to ensure that transactions are registered accurately. Notwithstanding these new financial services, U.S. citizen travelers should still enter the country with enough cash to cover all expenses.

 Currency

myanmar money

from wikitravel:  Myanmar/Burma’s currency is the kyat, pronounced “chut/chat”. Prices may be shown locally using the abbreviation of K (singular or plural) or Ks (plural) either before or after the amount and depending very much on who is doing the sign writing. The ISO abbreviation is MMK and that is what we use in all our guides. The MMK symbolisation is placed before the amount with no intervening space.

Pya are coins, and are rarely seen since their value has become increasingly insignificant with even the largest 50 pya coin worth less than six US or euro cents in Feb 2014.

Foreigners are required to pay in US dollars for hotels, tourist attractions, rail and air tickets, ferry travel and sometimes for bus tickets as well, and are required to pay in kyat for most other transactions (trishaws, pickups, tips, food, etc.). According to the law, it is illegal for a Myanmar citizen to accept (or hold) dollars without a licence but this law is mostly ignored and dollars are generally accepted. Never insist though because it may be dangerous for the receiver.FECs are still legal tender but are rarely seen and are worth very little.

Kyat officially cannot be exchanged abroad, although money changers in places with large overseas Burmese populations such as Singapore will often exchange anyway. Bring very clean, unfolded US dollars (or they will not be accepted by hotels, restaurants and money changers), and dispose of remaining kyat before leaving.

Due to the low dollar, an increasing preference for paying in kyat is noticeable, especially when paying for food, private transport (car/taxi), and tours/activities.

Western Union/Money Changers

In January 2013, Western Union introduced money transfer services in seven Burmese banks. The seven Burmese banks involved in the partnership are Kanbawza Bank, First Private Bank, Myanmar Oriental Bank, Cooperative Bank, United Amara Bank, Myanmar Apex Bank, and the Myanmar Livestock and Fisheries Development Bank.

Although moneychangers sometimes approach travelers with an offer to change dollars into Burmese kyat at the market rate, it is illegal to exchange currency except at authorized locations such as the airport, banks, and government stores. Foreigners are still sometimes required to use U.S. dollars or other hard currency for the payment of plane tickets, train tickets, and hotels bills. Please be sure to bring pristine bills, as most establishments will not accept torn, folded or old U.S. currency. Burmese kyats are accepted for nearly all other transactions.

The $100 bill gets a slightly better exchange rate than a $50 or $20, and so on. And supposedly the exchange rate is marginally better early in the week (Monday or Tuesday). We’ve also been told that exchange rates sometimes fluctuate with poppy season too!

It’s safest to change money at banks, hotels and shops, rather than on the street. Many travellers do the bulk of their exchanging in Yangon, where you can get about K100 more per dollar than elsewhere, then carry the stacks of kyat for a couple of weeks around the country. Considering the relative safety from theft, it’s not a bad idea, but you can exchange money elsewhere.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-burma/practical-information/money-costs#ixzz3KWvgvgtd

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