How to Apply Visas for Myanmar and Laos Tour

Lying in the area known formerly as Indochina, Laos and Myanmar are two very popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, and a combined tour of both these amazing destinations is one of the best trips in the region. For those traveling to Myanmar and Laos fir the first time, it is important to know the requirements for visas for the two destinations, including how to apply, and what type of visa you will need. Here, we have laid out the information you need to know, to make planning your trip a little easier.

Types of Myanmar visa and how to apply for it?

For Myanmar, a visa is required for the majority of nationals from around the world, with a few exceptions. For those traveling to Myanmar from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, and South Korea, a visa is not required for up to 30 days. Also, for citizens of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, there is a 14-day visa free period allowed. Everyone else is required to have a visa for their entry into Myanmar.

The type of visa you can use differs for certain countries, with a number of countries in Africa and the Middle East being required to obtain their visa before travel through an embassy. The visa can be obtained in person at the local Embassy of Myanmar, and takes around 3-5 working days to process. You are required to have a valid passport with at least 6 months validity remaining, a completed application form, and two passport-sized photos. Getting a visa in advance can also be done by anyone else, if they wish to ensure that they have their visa sorted before traveling. The standard visa allows a stay of up to 30 days in Myanmar, and can be extended once there.

For the nationals of eight countries, including Australia, China, Germany, India, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland, a Visa on Arrival service is available at the Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, and Mandalay Airports, which is valid for 30 days from the date of entry. The visa can normally be processed within around an hour, and costs US$50. The visa requires a valid passport with 6 months validity remaining, a completed application form (you can usually get this at the immigration desk or download it from the Myanmar Embassy website), and one passport-sized photo. This option for Visa on Arrival for six of the eight permitted nationals began on October 1, 2019.

Myanmar has also has an E-visa service available since 2014, albeit not the same kind of E-visa that you might expect. While the application is done online, the emailed letter you get is merely a confirmation that your visa has been approved, and not an actual E-visa. E-visas can be applied for online, either at the official website of the Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population (https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/Tourist) or through one of the many travel agency websites offering a visa-application service. However, with the ease with which anyone can apply for the E-visa, it is a better option to go direct, and not have to pay the fee of the travel agency.

The E-visa is available for the citizens of 100 countries around the world, and are valid for entry via the three major airports of Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, and Mandalay, as well as at the land border crossings at Mae Sai/Tachileik, Mae Sot/Myawaddy, Ranong/Kawthaung, Moreh/Tamu and Zokhawtar/Rikhawdar.

The Myanmar E-visa is valid for a period of up to three months and allows a stay of up to 28 days. This can be extended once you are in Myanmar. The fee for the E-visa is the same US$50 as all other visas, and payment can be made through the major credit cards, as well as with AliPay and other mobile payment options. Processing of the E-visa on the official website normally takes around three working days, and the visa letter is forwarded to the email address you use for the application. Once you arrive in Myanmar, you simply show the letter and the visa is stamped you’re your passport. While the application does actually ask for your selected Port of Entry, it is not required for you to actually enter there, though it can expedite your entry if you do.

Types of Laos visa and how to apply for it?

Laos has similar visa policies as Myanmar, and you can apply for the visa in any of three different methods. However, for the citizens of 19 countries, a visa is not required for periods of 14, 15, and 30 days. Nationals of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam can enter without a visa for up to 30 days. Nationals of Denmark, Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland can enter visa-free for up to 15 days, and citizens of Brunei and Myanmar have a 14-day visa-free allowance.

For all types of visa applications, applicants are required to provide a valid passport with at least 6 months validity remaining, a completed application for with one or two passport-sized photos attached, and the complete visa fee for your country of origin. Visa fees for Laos vary depending on your nationality, and must be paid in cash, with the exception of the E-visa. The fees for the visas are:

As with most countries, Laos does offer an advance visa service at its embassies and consulate offices worldwide, and anyone can make a personal application for a visa or a postal application in selected countries. Processing normally takes around 3-5 days, though it can take up to a week in some countries.

Laos has a good Visa on Arrival service that can be used at almost all of the 27 different ports of entry around the country, including the airports. The four entry points excluded from the Visa on Arrival service are Napao-Chalo in Vietnam, Subhun in China, Pakxan-Bueng Kan in Thailand, and the Xieng Kok River port of Myanmar.

The Visa on Arrival service is extended to all nationalities, with the exception of certain countries in Africa and the Middle East, as well as Bangladesh and Pakistan. The visa is valid for 30 days from the date of issue, and is extendable twice during your stay, up to a maximum of 90 days stay in total. Processing of the Visa on Arrival service can take up to 2-3 hours, depending on the queue at your port of entry, and if you do not have a photo, the immigration desk will use a scanned copy of your passport photo for a fee of a couple of dollars. You will also need to give the name of a hotel or guesthouse where you will be staying (find one on the internet and use it, whether you are staying there or not), and it is better to pay the fees in dollars, instead of Thai Baht, as there is a standard exchange rate used.

In July 2019 Laos opened their E-visa application website, to make obtaining a visa easier and faster for travelers from almost all countries around the world. The exceptions are the same countries as are ineligible for a Visa on Arrival. The E-visa is valid for up to 60 days from the date of issue, and allows a stay of up to 30 days in Laos. The visa cam be applied for through the official Laos E-visa website at https://www.laosevisa.com/.

A true E-visa, the process is simple, and once completed, sends the E-visa as a .PDF file to your registered email address. On average, the E-visa can be processed in around three working days, but there have been reports on TripAdvisor of applicants receiving their emailed visa within as little as 24 hours. Once you receive the visa, simply print a couple of copies, and show it to the immigration desk on entry, where it will be checked along with your passport, and you will normally be allowed entry within a short period, as long as the entries on the E-visa match your passport details.

On the down-side, you are required to have an address where you will be staying, as well as proof of the booking of a hotel. The E-visa is also only valid for entry through the Wattay International Airport in Vientiane or the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which connects Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane in Laos, across the Mekong River.

Useful Tips for visa application

If it is your first time to travel to Myanmar and Laos, then it does pay to get the visa either on arrival or as an E-visa, if your nationality allows it. Processing two visas through embassies can take some time and be costly for travel if you live far from where the embassies are located in your home country. As long as you are eligible and have all the requirements, the Visa on Arrival for both destinations is easy to obtain, and can be processed relatively quickly. The E-visa is also a great way to get your visa, if your nationality allows, and can cut down the time you spend in the airport dramatically once you arrive.

It is better to enter both countries by air, rather than traveling overland, especially if it is your first time to visit these two destinations in Indochina. Overland travel is more complex than traveling by air, and requires some experience of travel in Southeast Asia in order to make it easy enough to be a viable option.

Make sure that your passport has the required validity remaining before you travel, as you will not be allowed entry if your passport is too close to expiry. You should also make sure that you have the required two blank visa pages for both countries, unless you are entering Laos on an E-visa.

Summary

Traveling to Myanmar and Laos together is one of the most thrilling journeys in the world, taking you to two very different countries that have had the influences of two separate western nations. While Laos was a part of the former French Indochina, Myanmar, formerly Burma, was once a major British colony in Asia, and still retains much of the British influence of the period. And while both are very Asian countries, they differ greatly in culture, even if both are mostly devout Theravada Buddhist countries. A trip to both together is an experience of a lifetime.