1-Year Business Visa from the E,mbassy

[simon43]

I'm currently working in Naypyidaw on a business visa-on-arrival (70 days), and I've done visa-runs to/from Bangkok on several occasions to get new 70-day VoAs at Naypyidaw Airport.

 

Now my school has asked me to get a 1-year business visa from the embassy in Bangkok.  (My understanding is that a 1-year business visa is available for those who have at least one single-entry business VoA in their passports.

 

The details of business visa requirements differs on the various websites that I've looked at.

 

Can someone more knowledgable than me please confirm that such a 1-year visa actually exists, what the document and application requirements are, and how much has to be paid.

 

Thanks

[jphasia]

Yes, it is available and easy to get 1 year business visa multiple entry from the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok. You just need to provide the same as you provide for the VOA's, means a LOI + local company documents. I think before they were requesting that you have already at least 2 business single entry (or VOA's) before you could apply for a multiple entry but I am not sure they are still requesting that.

To get your visa at the embassy in Bangkok, you apply in the morning and collect the next day afternoon or if you pay an extra 1,000 THB, you can collect the same day in afternoon (3pm).

However, please note that the prices of the business visa have seriously increased last Dec 2016. 1 year multiple entry used to be 10,000 THB. It is now 24,000 THB. 

Note also that with a 1 year multiple entry, you still need to go out of the country every 70 days. 

Check the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok website as they have also new business visa type ( 3 months, 6 months...).

 

visa.pdf

[simon43]

Note also that with a 1 year multiple entry, you still need to go out of the country every 70 days. 

 

My school tells me that this isn't required, (otherwise what would be the benefit of paying 24,000 baht for a 1-year visa?).

 

In any case, I've sent an email to the Myanmar embassy in BKK about this - I'll post their reply if/when it is received.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

Yes Simon please report back with your findings.  I am interested also.

[jphasia]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

My school tells me that this isn't required, (otherwise what would be the benefit of paying 24,000 baht for a 1-year visa?).

 

In any case, I've sent an email to the Myanmar embassy in BKK about this - I'll post their reply if/when it is received.

Yes, you might check and they might have changed recently. I have been working in Myanmar since 2012 (non stop) and I think I am on my 4th 1 year business multiple entry. The last one I got was issued on 10 November 2016 and I paid the regular price of 10,000 THB in Bangkok as they revised the prices in December. All the 1 year visas I got (including valid one) allow me to stay 70 days each time only (it is stated on the visa itself. My last entry in Myanmar was 12 February and the "stay until" in the stamp is 23 April.

[jphasia]

On 2/18/2017 at 0:34 PM, jphasia said:

Yes, you might check and they might have changed recently. I have been working in Myanmar since 2012 (non stop) and I think I am on my 4th 1 year business multiple entry. The last one I got was issued on 10 November 2016 and I paid the regular price of 10,000 THB in Bangkok as they revised the prices in December. All the 1 year visas I got (including valid one) allow me to stay 70 days each time only (it is stated on the visa itself. My last entry in Myanmar was 12 February and the "stay until" in the stamp is 23 April.

Not sure if you got a reply from the Myanmar embassy already but to give you an additional information's, some of my colleagues just got their new 1 year business multiple entry recently (this month and last month) and it has changed compared to mine who got my last one in November. My visa category is "B" while their visa category is "BM". When I enter Myanmar, I still get 70 days (my last entry was yesterday) while my colleague get 1 year each time they enter. One of my colleague just entered Myanmar yesterday too with a new business 1 year multiple entry. His visa category is "BM" and got stamped for 1 year at the immigration.

[gregk0543]

Yes the method of dating has changed. You will notice that you get a green entry stamp now. With tick boxes for 3 6 and 12.

I am still on my 12 month 70 day each entry from last year which will get a blue entry stamp.

This new method took effect from 1 Dec 2016

 

Now the first time you enter they set the end date from that and each time you leave and come back that end date is the same.  

 

For instance on a 3 month multiple entry which costs about $200 if you enter first time on it on January 9th they will give you till April 9th. (3 months). Then if you leave and come back in March 9th they will still put stay until April 9th. So you get 3, 6 or 12 from first entry on that visa. No more 70 days.

 

I have been to the airport and confirmed with the immigration about this change which was not published anywhere. 

[simon43]

 I think before they were requesting that you have already at least 2 business single entry (or VOA's) before you could apply for a multiple entry but I am not sure they are still requesting that.

 

I just got back from the embassy in BKK, and my request for a 1-year, multi-entry (or single-entry) business visa was politely refused by the embassy...

 

They explained that their current policy for applicants who have only previously used the 90-day business visa-on-arrival service is to issue a 3-month multi B visa, then next time a 6-month multi B visa, and then finally a 1-year multi B visa.

 

I had about 7 previous 70-day visas, plus extended in-country visas.  The embassy officer looked at all of these, listened to my explanations, and then politely explained their visa policy.  So I just got a 3-month B visa for 8,000 baht.

 

This is actually all fine with me.  It is my school employer who is trying to get teachers at all their school branches to get a 1-year visa, so that they don't have to pay the airfare and hotel costs for the 70-day trips.  But most teachers like a break from Myanmar every 70 days!

 

So I should be back in BKK in 3 months to apply for a 6 month visa, and then early in 2018 for a 1 year visa.

[simon43]

As an update to my recent post, I collected my passport from the Myanmar embassy today.

 

The start and expire dates of the 3-month visa were correct, but the duration was typed as '70' (days), just like a 70-day Business visa-on-arrival.  An 'M' indicated multiple-entry and under 'Annotations' was typed the name of my employer.

 

I queried the '70 days' duration with the office clerk who advised me that this was how they issued 3-month (90 day) visas (!). She stressed that I must point this out to the immigration at Naypyidaw Airport, to ensure that I get stamped in with 90 days, not 70 days.

 

Sounds like they are making things more complicated that they need to be.  I'll update this thread in a few days after I fly back to Myanmar.