Stay Permit

[DagonKhan]

This article recently appeared on one of the local media's websites:-

Authorities threatens deportation of Chinese citizens in Mandalay

Authorities have threatened to deport Chinese citizens who have been renting houses in Mandalay

regardless if they have work permit.

Moreover, legal actions will be taken

against the home owners who knowingly rent their homes to the Chinese. A

guilty verdict could send the convicted to one and a half year in jail.

Business visa holders can extend their

stay with the permission of respective ministry and cannot rent a house

themselves except factory, workshop and building the company hire for

them.

Among 500 foreign workers who have come

with business visas, Chinese citizens made up about half of them. They

are working mainly in natural gas pipeline, education and construction

sectors. Mandalay Region Immigration and National Registration

Department is checking with respective companies monthly not to live

overstay, not to go to the restricted areas and not to break the rules

and regulations of visas, it is reported.

“Recently, two Chinese came to our

office and informed us that they want to rent a house. They can speak

Burmese clearly. When we found out that they are from Hong Kong looking

at their passports, we told them that they are not allowed to rent

houses and have to stay in hotel. The Chinese citizens are not much

different with Chinese who born and live in Myanmar and difficult to

take action against breaking the rules and regulations of visas,” Thaung

Zaw, Regional Head of Mandalay Region Immigration and National

Registration Department said.

Among the tourists, Chinese visitors

stand in second place and they prefer to live with long stay to make

business than just visit. “Chinese traders who came to do business in

gem market hire houses with long term rent. No one stay at hotel for

months,” a rosary merchant from Mandalay said.

Link:- http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/national/3753-authorities-threatens-deportation-of-chinese-citizens-in-mandalay

Some may be wondering why I'm posting this. Well as SVB points out in his post here, there are two parts that you need if you're going to be here any period of time. There is a difference between a multiple entry visa and a stay permit.

Many people apply for a multiple entry visa and are successful. What some seem to be unaware of is, is that they're generally seen by the visa issuing authority at the respective Embassy as a visiting businessman, e.g. a travelling salesman. A businessman who will be living and working in Myanmar will have both the multiple entry visa as well as the stay permit.

Simply put, and as the article above suggests, if you only have the multiple entry visa, you'll be expected to stay in hotels. If you have a stay permit as well, you can live in serviced apartments or rent a house.

Now serviced apartments are a grey area. Most keep a few rooms available for short stays, essentially a small part of their operation is run just like a hotel.

In the past no one really bothered to check, if you managed to get in the country in the first place you were pretty safe providing you weren't stupid and didn't overstay. What is alarming about the story above, is that foreigners here without the stay permit might find themselves in a spot of bother if they're not staying in a hotel.

Food for thought.

[hyperdimension]

Is the "work permit" actually the Business Visa?

How is a Stay Permit obtained?

[DagonKhan]

Is the "work permit" actually the Business Visa?

How is a Stay Permit obtained?

There is no 'work permit' as such. Basically the Business Visa allows you to come here and conduct 'business', so yes you could argue that it is a work permit. If you're here for any period of time you're supposed to get a F.R.C. (Foreigners registration certificate) as well, there is even a requirement to register with the Ministry of Labour who also give you a credit card sized ID. And of course you're expected to register with the local tax office.

How do you get a stay permit? Well in my case, the Company writes a letter each year to the relevant Ministry to ask for a supporting letter. The Ministry write it and send it direct to the Immigration Dept. I go along with my completed forms (same as what are available on this website plus one other for the stay permit) and pay my dues. Immigration then puts two stamps/stickers in my Passport, one for the visa and one for the stay permit. Last year it cost US$180 for the Multiple Entry Visa and US$90 for the Stay Permit, each valid for one year. I also pay US$10 (or thereabouts, could be US$9) for the FRC each year.

In order for me to stay where I do, I have to register with the local authorities. In order to do that, I have to show both my passport and my FRC (they require a photocopy of both stamps and the FRC). I can't remember for sure, but I'm almost positive that you can't get a FRC unless you have a stay permit.

Now if you've got a Business Visa and you stay in a properly registered hotel, you don't have to bother with any of that. The problem will come if you want to rent a place.

[SeaVisionBurma]

^ Brilliant explanation. Many thanks DK!!

[DagonKhan]

You and I are both aware of how they pick and choose what to enforce here SVB when it suits them!

It used to be the case that you never had to bother with the local authority, now it's different. You used to have to go to the relevant Ministry to pick up the supporting letter and take it to Immigration yourself, now they won't let you do that, they send it direct themselves. I can't remember whether it was during the 'Saffron Revolution' or just after Nargis, but one year I even had to show my tax clearance certificate before the Ministry would issue a supporting letter.

Here in Yangon, YCDC are getting pretty hot on foreigners living in rented property. Some of the boards readers may not be aware that foreigners are expected to pay in US$ and at a different (higher) rate for utilities like electricity. The local authorities get it in the neck if YCDC discover a foreigner and they haven't been advised. Moreover, I've heard that many Burmese are now being forced to declare to the tax authorities that a foreigner is renting from them, they as landlords are expected to report it. They have to pay 10% tax on any rental income in US$ (higher if in Kyats believe it or not!).

Right now many foreigners don't do this, most seem completely unaware which is worrying.