Online Business eVisa Now Available For A Stay In Yangon, Elsewhere in Myanmar

A business visa to Myanmar can now be applied for online, the same as a tourist visa can. The non-refundable fee for a business visa is US$70 which is payable by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or JCB credit card.

In applying for a business visa, the requirements are that an applicant’s passport be valid for at least six months, a colour passport size photo taken in the past three months, a Letter of Invitation to the applicant from a registered company and Company Registration of inviting company.

The validity of the eVisa approval letter is 90 days from the issue date, and the length of stay is 70 days from the date of arrival in Myanmar. The eVisa is valid for a single entry (re-entry requires a new visa) and can be used to enter Myanmar at Yangon International Airport, Nay Pyi Taw International Airport and Mandalay International Airport.

The application website states that the applicant will receive an e-mail acknowledgement within one hour of successful payment of the fee and that processing time for the application is up to three working days.

Passport holders from just over 50 countries can apply for the business eVisa, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and the United Kingdom.

Ordinary passport holders from the following countries are given visa exemption for 14 days: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Tourists to Myanmar have been able to apply for a tourist eVisa through the online application system since it was introduced in 2014. Citizens of 100 countries can apply for this and it can also be used to enter Myanmar through the international airports of Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. The tourist eVisa is valid for a stay of up to 28 days from the date of arrival and comes with a validity period of 90 days from the issuing date.

Ordinary passport holders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are also eligible for 14 days visa exemption.

Requirements for a tourist eVisa are that an applicant’s passport is valid for at least six months, one colour photo taken during the past three months and the fee (non refundable) of US$50 paid either with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or JCB credit card.

Likewise, the website states that the applicant will receive an email acknowledgement within one hour of successful payment of the fee, and that the application processing time is up to three working days.

International tourism to Myanmar is surging. In 2012 the country welcomed 1 million visitors for the first time, in 2013 that figure rose to 2 million and in 2014 it reached 3 million and for 2015 the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is expecting 4.5 million tourist arrivals.

Yangon is the country’s main international gateway and as such many tourists visiting Myanmar will include a stay in Yangon in their travel plans. The city offers stunning pagodas and temples, museums, bustling markets and picturesque parks and lakes to explore and when it comes to accommodation, the choice from budget to three star to luxury five star properties, including some of the finest historic hotels in Southeast Asia.

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Foremost among these is The Strand Yangon, built in the early 1900s and which is today one of the most iconic five star hotels in Yangon. Among the grand colonial hotels in Asia, The Strand Yangon, along with other historical Yangon hotels, enjoy a prestigious reputation, exuding as they do the charms of a bygone era with the mod-cons and comforts of today.

Belmond Governor’s Residence is a romantic, colonial-style mansion dating from the 1920s, while The Savoy is among the leading boutique hotels in Yangon, offering guests the feel of staying in a colonial mansion.