Myanmar's visa-on-arrival set to accommodate 22 European countries

The Ministry of Immigration plans to expand a visa-on-arrival program to citizens of 22 European countries, a government official said last week. “We can’t say exactly which countries and when it will start. The types of visas made available will be the same as we are offering to citizens of 29 countries,” said U Zaw Win Myint, assistant director of the Immigration and Population Department. A limited visa on arrival system was introduced on Friday, June 1 for travellers from 27 countries, while citizens of Macau and Hong Kong became eligible for the program in August. A 70-day business visa costs US$50, while a 28-day entry visa for meetings, workshops, events is priced at $40. A 24-hour transit visa costs $20. However, fewer than five percent of visitors use the program, according to government statistics. Between Friday, June 1 and Wednesday, December 19, 11,357 received a visa on arrival, or about 66 a day, just 4.4pc of the average of 1500 people who arrive at Yangon International Airport each day.