This is my third time in Myanmar, my favorite country, but apparently, 28 more days will not be enough to see all I want. The other two times I have been in the country I have never overstayed my Myanmar visa. I will do it this time for the first time.
I keep hearing and reading that is easy to overstay a Myanmar visa, but I’m not sure about it as I have never attempted it. Everybody says it is pretty easy, but apparently, there is one problem: checking in at some places.
How much should I pay?
It seems like crossing the border after the expiring date of your Myanmar visa is not a problem at all, as long as you have enough dollars to pay your overstay. And that is 3 USD per extra day you overstayed. I stayed 6 extra days and paid 18 USD when I left Myanmar by land from Myawaddy to Mae Sot in Thailand.
So, I can tell from my experience that it was pretty simple. They just asked me for the dollars as they wrote my name on a book full of other names. Having in mind that book, I guess that many people overstay in Myanmar. The maximum register I remember to see on the mentioned book was a 60 USD overstay. Making the calculations that are 20 days overstay. I keep on listening that it is not a problem if you overstay a Myanmar visa for up to 2 weeks. After seeing that note in the book, I can’t tell…
Can I check-in?
Now, back to the problem of checking in. Apparently, there are some places that will not allow you to check-in if you don’t have a valid visa. I was really scared of it, but for me, it was not a problem. I was able to check-in without a valid visa at Paradise Beach in Dawei and in Mawlamyine. However, not all places are the same. I met a Danish couple that was living in Myanmar for almost one year, and they told me that when a family member tried to check-in in Yangon, no one would let. So, I’m guessing that probably breaking the rules in bigger cities might be harder. Still, you can give it a try.
One thing you can do if people don’t allow you to check-in is to sleep at a monastery for free. In Myanmar, it is possible to sleep in Monasteries for free, and actually some people do that, so in the last case, bare this solution in mind.
This was my experience and it was pretty easy if you have a different story let us know in the comments. Other’s experiences might be useful. I did this in January 2020 and maybe things will change in the future.
You can Apply for Myanmar Visa HERE:
