Applying for a visa for Myanmar (Burma) tourist visa with a Kenyan passport is now much easier the government’s eVisa program compared to back in the day when we had to hand in a manual application.
Under the Myanmar e-visa program, Kenya passport holders are among 100 countries eligible to apply for their Myanmar (Burmese) tourist visas online.
What's Covered in This Article
When and where to get the Myanmar tourist visa
There are two ways of getting a Myanmar Tourist Visa:
OPTION 1: Through an online application at the website of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population of Myanmar. I elaborate on the process below.
OPTION 2: If you don’t have a debit/credit card and/or would rather stay analog, then please go ahead with the manual sticker application at the nearest Myanmar Embassy. If you’re based in Kenya, this would be in Bangkok Thailand at: 110 N Sathon Rd, Khlong Toei Nuea, Khet Bang Rak, กรุงเทพมหานคร 10500, Thailand. The visa application is very straightforward.
- Need to visit or find the nearest Myanmar Embassy? Click here for a complete list of the Myanmar Embassies around the world and find the nearest one to you.
Simply go to the Burmese embassy in Bangkok and you get to opt for same day processing, one day processing, or two day processing depending on how urgently you need it and as long as you’re okay coughing the extra money.
Click here and scroll down the page for a complete list of all nationalities who can apply for a Myanmar tourist visa online.
Option 1: Eligibility to apply for a Myanmar tourist visa online
To proceed with Option 1 as explained above, you need the following:
- Your Kenyan passport validity has at least (6) months validity.
- You have one digital COLOR PHOTO (4.6 cm X 3.8 cm) taken during last (3) months.
- You have an Alipay account or a Visa, Master, American Express or UOB credit cards for the payment of USD 50.00 for the normal tourist visa (up to 3 working days Myanmar time) or USD 56 for the express tourist visa (24 hours).
- You only need a single entry
- Your port of entry falls among on one of the designated International Airports or Land Border Checkpoints for Myanmar e-Visas.
- You must have reserved accommodation in registered hotels, motels, inns, guest house or resort during your stay in Myanmar.
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How to apply for a Myanmar tourist visa online
In 5 easy steps, you could be on your way to Burma in no time!
STEP 1: Go to evisa.moip.gov.mm. Click apply E-visa and read all the important notices and information for entry and exit. Select your Visa type, Nationality, and Port of entry. Then enter the security verification code, and click continue. (Your e-visa is valid for 90 days from the issued date, and you can stay for a period not exceeding 28 days. Should your visa expire, you will be denied entry, so plan accordingly.)
STEP 2: Carefully read the terms and conditions then select the green I Agree button.
STEP 3:
- Upload a valid digital photo by clicking on the Browse button on right hand side of the screen;
- Correctly fill in all your personal information as it appears on your passport;
- Select accommodation type (hotel, motel, inn, registered guest house, or resort);
- Enter name and address of selected accommodation in Myanmar (Please note that strictly no residential or home addresses will be accepted under any circumstances. Please specify only registered hotel, motel, inn, registered guest house, or resort that you plan to stay at);
- Enter a valid e-mail address as this is where your visa approval letter will be sent to;
- Enter a contact phone;
- Enter your passport information correctly;
STEP 4 (Optional): If traveling with children under 7 years old who share the same passport with you, enter their information by clicking on the Add minor button. If your child has a separate passport, then they require their own SEPARATE eVisa application, and cannot be added here.
STEP 5: Go through the information on the pop up link and verify that it is all correct. (Please make sure all the information provided is as per your Passport as it will be cross-checked against your passport at immigration upon arrival. If any of the information declared above doesn’t match with information on your passport information, you will be denied entry to Myanmar).
If all is well, click Confirm
A confirmation link will be sent to your email. Click Approve, and you’ll be redirected to the payments section.
You’ll be redirected to a page with all your visa information: Visa Transation Fee, Visa Type, No. of Entries, and Validity to Stay in Country.
STEP 6: Select your preferred payment option for the Myanmar visa. You can pay using Alipay (beta) Mastercard, Visa, or by UOB payment, or by American Express.
- If you encountered “CRASH” or “EMPTY WHITE PAGE” after the payment, please verify with the Myamar Immigration first or verify your application submission status at Application Status Enquiry.
- Kindly take note that the payment process may take anywhere from to 5 to 15 minutes.
You will be redirected to an external website page where you make the payment.
STEP 7: Enter your card details correctly, accept terms and conditions, then proceed with the payment by clicking Submit.
- Please note that you will be paying to Galaluz Pte Ltd for the Visa Transaction Fee collection.
- Please do not use your BACK or RELOAD/REFRESH browser functions or CLOSE your browser while using this service
STEP 8: Once you have completed the payment process, you’ll be redirected back to the the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population of Myanmar page that says that the payment was successful (or not) and the application is submitted (or not).
- After the application is submitted AND online payment is successful, you will receive an application acknowledgment-mail.
STEP 9: Wait for your e-visa approval status.
- The processing time is up to 3 working days for normal Business and Tourist Visa, and 24 hours for Tourist Visa Express Service (365 days a year).
- In all cases, processing time starts when the application acknowledgement e-mail is sent.
- In case your eVisa application is approved, the Approval Letter is sent directly to your designated e-mail address.
STEP 10 : Print out the eVisa Approval Letter and present it to the Immigration counter upon arrival.
- Failure to provide a printed copy may delay your entry.
- You only need to print one copy.
- Please take note that the download option is only available if your application has already been approved.
- Just click download, print it, and you’re ready for Myanmar! 🙂
- Alternatively you may download your Approval Letter via Visa Application Status Enquiry at http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/statusenquiry.aspx.
- Approval letter is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.
For FAQS regarding the E-Visa Application, please click here.
How long can I stay in Myanmar on a tourist e-visa?
You may stay for up to 28 days from the date of arrival in Myanmar.
How much does the Myanmar tourist e-visa cost?
A Myanmar tourist eVisa costs US$50 and must be paid at the time of application with Visa, Master, American Express or JCB credit cards.
How long does it take to receive a Myanmar tourist e-visa?
The processing time is up to (3) working days(Myanmar time) for normal Tourist Visa, and 24 hours for Tourist Visa Express Service.
In all cases, processing time starts when the application acknowledgement e-mail is sent (usually within 1 hour), after application is submitted AND online payment is successful.
If approved, you will receive a letter which you then print out and present to immigration at any of the approved points of entry for Myanmar e-Visas to get your visa stamped upon arrival.
Ports of entry you can enter Myanmar with a tourist e-visa
You can only enter Myanmar with a tourist eVisa at the following selected Port of Entries:
- Yangon International Airport
- Mandalay International Airport
- Nay Pyi Taw International Airport
- Tachileik Land Border Checkpoint
- Myawaddy Land Border Checkpoint
- Kawthaung Land Border Checkpoint
At the moment, you can not use your e-Visa to enter Myanmar via a sea port.
How to proceed on arrival in Myanmar
- eVisa is not a Visa on Arrival hence there is no need to queue for any visa sticker. Proceed straight to immigration counter when you arrive, and hand over a printed copy of your Myanmar eVisa approval letter together with your valid passport to the officer.
Option 2: Application at the Myanmar Embassy / Consulate
Documents required for physical application
- The completed Visa Application Form
- A valid Kenyan passport
- A photocopy of the first page of your passport
- 2 passport size photos ( one glued to the application form and the other loosely paper- clipped to the application form)
- Address of the registered accommodation where you will be staying in Myanmar.
- Evidence that you will be leaving the country e.g round trip ticket (required if applying for an express same-day visa).
STEP 1: Go to the Myanmar embassy as early as possible and queue so that by the time the doors open, you’re among the first.
- The Visa Section is open for applications only from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. Afternoons are reserved for pickup.
- Confirm the Myanmar embassy holidays for both Myanmar and host country, before you leave.
Print the Visa Application Form
MyanmarVisaApplicationFormBangkok
STEP 2: Show your completed form the Consular Officer and get a queue number. You then sit down and wait for you number to be called. (Forms are available from the front counter so you can be filling it out while you wait your turn.)
- The wait takes about an hour.
STEP 3: Once your number is called, pay for your visa (1,260 baht for Same-day visas; 1,000 baht for Next-day visas; and 810 baht for Three day visas), and hand over your filled in form and valid passport. Present the above documents to the Consular Office/embassy..
- It quite a hustle getting the express same-day-visa and you must have a reason compelling enough for the embassy staff to buy.
- You will be given a claim stub which you must keep well as you will need it to redeem your passport.
STEP 4: Come back on an afternoon to pick your passport and visa.
- Wait in line at the appropriate window i.e. regular, express or business visa
- When your turn is up, present your receipt and pick up your passport.
Note: If by any chance you will be flying AirAsia to Myanmar, make sure to have US$800 in cash to present to check in staff before they give you a boarding pass. It has happened to me more than once. You can also read about this other passenger’s experience.
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Disclaimer: NO ONE can guarantee that your Myanmar e-visa will be approved or that the visa will grant you entry into the territory. That being said, what I have offered you in this post is a comprehensive guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that Myanmar tourist visa online. While I undertook the necessary due diligence in researching and writing this post, please visit http://www.mip.gov.mm for more information, including any changes that may occur to the visa application or approval process in the future.
Photo by Dominic Chung 道明 on Unsplash
