Myanmar Visa for American Citizens

How and where to apply for Myanmar visa for American citizens: the easiest, the fastest and the cheapest way – choose the one that suits you best.

Myanmar is growing in popularity as a travel destination in South East Asia after the government started to relax the visa policy for foreigners. American citizens can get their Myanmar visa within a matter of days and virtually every application is successful.

You have two realistic options to get your Myanmar tourist visa. The first is to apply for an e-Visa online and second is to go through the local Burma embassy. This article describes how to get a visa for Myanmar if you’re an American citizen.

Myanmar Visa on Arrival

Americans aren’t eligible for the Myanmar visa on arrival and need to apply in advance. Only a small number of countries in Asia can get visa free travel.

Applying for the Myanmar e-Visa

The e-Visa is the fastest way that Americans can obtain a visa to enter Myanmar.

First, you visit the official website and fill in an online visa form that needs your address in Myanmar as well as a colour photograph. After submitting the application form and making the payment (non-refundable $50 USD), you’ll receive an approval letter within three business days. The single entry e-Visa is valid for 28 days.

One of the visa requirements is to have an address in Myanmar from a registered hotel, hostel, or resort. You can’t use Airbnb or CouchSurfing. The e-Visa will be rejected if you put down a residential address and if you’re caught staying at one, there may be severe consequences.

The Myanmar visa photo size requirements are also strict. You can find a link to the specific details at the end of this article.

If you want to apply for the e-Visa, follow the steps below:
1) Arrange accommodation (registered hotel, hostel, or guesthouses etc only)
2) Take a colour photograph being careful to meet their strict criteria
3) Complete the online form and make the payment on the e-Visa website
4) Print the approval letter and take it with you to immigration

How to Get a Visa for Myanmar from the Embassy in the US

Some may not be able to apply for the e-Visa for a number of reasons ranging from concerns about payment security to being unable to get the correct one, such as a social visa. If you fall into this category, it’s possible to obtain one in the more traditional way at the Myanmar embassy.

Getting Myanmar visa from the embassy is more inconvenient. Potential visitors need to show evidence of their itinerary such as flight and hotel reservations and need to provide a work history form. Two original photographs (35 mm x 45 mm) are also required.

You can complete the form and post the documents together with your original passport to the nearest Myanmar embassy. The single entry visa that lasts for 28 days costs $40 to be paid with a bank or company cheque.

If you want to visit the embassy to apply for your visa for Myanmar, follow the steps below:

1) Check your passport has at least two free pages and more than six months validity from the dates you intend to be in Burma.
2) Book return flights to Myanmar and arrange your accommodation (registered hotels, resorts etc only)
3) Download the tourist visa form.
4) Get two colour photographs that meet their strict requirements.
5) Post all these documents along with your passport and a cheque for $40 to the Myanmar embassy.

The visa processing takes up to three business days. Expect anywhere up to two weeks to receive your passport and visa.

Where to Apply for a Visa to Myanmar in the USA?

There are three places Myanmar diplomatic missions in the USA where you can get a visa. You can follow the traditional customs of applying in person or use a courier service to:

The Embassy of Myanmar in Washington DC
The Myanmar Consulate General in Los Angeles
The Permanent Mission of Myanmar in New York

Links to the respective websites are at the bottom of the article in the Myanmar resources section.

Is it possible for US citizens to apply for a Myanmar visa Outside the USA?

This section looks at how to apply for a tourist visa for Myanmar if you’re a US citizen in another country.

It’s perfectly possible to get your visa as a foreign tourist in another country. And in some respects, the process is faster. Large numbers of Americans travelling around South East Asia tend to go to Myanmar from Thailand.

You can visit the Myanmar Embassy on Sathorn Nuea Road in Bangkok between 9 am and 12 pm to submit your application. Some are available on the same day for 1260 Baht or you can collect it the following day with a cost of 1000 Baht. The cheapest option takes three working days (810 Baht). You can find more information in the resource section below.

Can Citizens of Other Countries Apply for a Myanmar Visa in the USA?

The answer is yes, but it may be quicker and more convenient to get the e-Visa instead. If you’re a non-US citizen residing or travelling within America, you still have to give the embassy your original passport. Unless you’re near one of the three embassies, you’ll need to use the postal service. Do you really want to be without that valuable travel document in a foreign country? An e-visa is fast and straightforward.

Myanmar Visa Resources

The official e-Visa website:
https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/

This link has details on the specific requirements for the photograph on the Myanmar e-Visa application form:
http://www.myanmar-visa.org/view_samples/

Tourist visa form to apply at the Myanmar Embassy in the US:
http://www.mewashingtondc.com/pdf/visa/TouristVisa2016.pdf

The contact details of the Myanmar embassies in the United States:
https://www.passportsandvisas.com/embassy-consulate/myanmar

How to get a visa for Myanmar as a US citizen in Thailand:
https://myanmarvisa.com/bangkok.htm