I was just about to snail mail my visa application to the Myanmar Embassy in Washington D.C. until I realized that one of their permanent missions/consulates in NYC was only 2 blocks away from where I live. AWESOME.
Thinking it was going to be a simple endeavor, I walked over and attempted to get it done right then and there. Unfortunately they made me take 3 trips back and forth. There are a few rules they stand by:
You must attach a outgoing ticket that proves that you won’t indefinitely stay in the country. Seeing that I usually don’t buy my tickets until the last moment on these kind of trips, I asked if I could instead attach an itinerary typed up on Excel that showed I wasn’t planning to stay longer than 7 days. That sufficed.
For U.S. citizens, it’s a mere $20 (“mere” when you compare it to India’s $130+, Vietnam’s $100+, or China’s $160+), but they only take money orders or secured bank checks. Despite the relatively low visa cost, cash, personal checks, or plastics are not allowed.
Even if it’s just one application form, they want 2 passport-sized photos of your lovely face.
You need to bring the entire application, including the instructional cover sheet (because of which I had to walk back home again and print it out!).
You have to fill out a completed work history form to show you’re not a human rights activist or journalist. I was also told that they’ll Google me to see if I was legit. No joke.
And I guess since it’s the Myanmar consulate, it was funny to see so many surprised looks when I walked in. Apparently they don’t get a lot of visitors desperate to get into their country.
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