Dear All,
 
My cousin and I are hoping to visit Myanmar for about 5 weeks in the near future, both to go on retreat and spend some time travelling. With that in mind I have a few questions, particularly about the visa options:
 
1. If we apply for a ‘religious visa’ do you need a sponsorship letter from the retreat centre we plan to stay? Is it OK to travel on a religious visa as well as attend retreat (i.e. three week retreat, two weeks travelling)?
 
2. If we obtain a tourist visa, will a retreat centre let us stay and is it OK to overrun the visa by one/two weeks and pay extra at the airport on the way out? Is that allowed or frowned upon?
 
3. In terms of climate is February/March still OK to travel there? Are mosquitoes particularly bad or are some regions better than others?
 
4. Finally, I’ve had a look at the DhO wiki on retreat centres but there appears to be little news on Myanmar centres. Would anybody be able to provide a few pointers to some good ones to stay at (i.e. Panditarama)?
 
Thanks for any advice,
 
Nick

I can't speak to all of what you ask, because I haven't left yet, but I have recently gone through the visa process.

1. For a meditation visa, yes, you need a sponsorship letter. I have no idea if traveling around is allowed, too.

2. A tourist visa has a limit of 3 weeks, I believe, but I don't know whether the monastery will let you in or how they will react if you overstay. I *will* say that my meditation visa came with dates attached. I thought the visa was valid for 90 days in country, but I only received 70; no explanation was given, and since I hadn't purchased tickets yet, they told me to come back once I got the tickets and they'd change the dates for me.

3. I hear Feb/March is very lovely, and if you're in Rangoon, I don't believe mosquitos are a big problem.

4. I'm going to Shwe Oo Min, but I've also heard Panditarama recommended. A friend of mine stayed there a decade ago. I hear Panditarama is mostly Mahasi-style noting, and is strict about rules. (My friend meditated in his room for one sitting because he wasn't feeling well, and they sent a monk to ask him why he wasn't in the hall.)

I will also say that the whole process has taken way longer than I expected. Just getting a response from the travel agency responsible for the sponsorship letters took a month.

Good luck,
Matthew

You are not allowed to travel on a meditation visa. You need a sponsor letter. 3 years ago, the tourist visa length was 4 weeks. I don't know if it changed.

Thanks Matthew and Simon,

These were just the answers I was after!

Nick

I have been recently informed (by an administrator in America who helps process the applications for the 60-day meditation course held in Panditarama, Myanmar, each year) that it is relatively quick and painless process these days at the embassy in Bangkok and takes approx. 2-3 working days. If you decide to do this and to avoid any complications/frustrations then make sure you check for any possible hiccups such as finding out when national holidays are in Myanmar and also of course in Thailand as the embassy will most likely be closed on such days. You are also advised to take extra passport photos with you (if you plan to extend or overstay your visa) at least 12-14. (Even otherwise it is probably a good idea to have a few spare ones just in case). I have heard that some centres may not accept you to stay there on a tourist visa - so be sure to find out first. Also, I have heard that many guesthouses will not be happy to have you stay if you have the wrong kind of visa or more particularly if your visa has expired. Anyone else out there who knows more about this please chime in!
All the best,
Piers

Hey Nick!

I've been in Myanmar for 6 weeks with a Meditation Visa in May/June 2014, so I can answer most of your questions :

1. To get a meditation visa, you need a printed sponsorship letter from a Burmese monastery, otherwise the embassy you'll be applying at won't issue you the meditation (religious) visa. It's not allowed to do tourism with a meditation visa, but really, nothing stops you from taking a few days before and after the retreat to explore the country a little. Although it's not permitted, I really don't see how it would be a problem.

2. Some centers won't allow you to stay in their monastery with a normal "tourist" visa, and most will definitely not allow you to stay beyond your visa expiry date, as it would put them in legal trouble. The fee is 3$ per day if you overstay your visa, payable at the airport when you exit the country.

3. February and March are amongst the best months to travel in Myanmar. It's the dry season so there shouldn't be too many mosquitoes and the weather isn't as uncomfortably hot as in May/June. I would assume that regions closer to the water are worse for mosquitoes whereas those closer to Yangon are better.

4. I've stayed at Pa Auk Tawya, which focuses strongly on concentration practices, and I really liked the center. I've also heard good about other centers (like Panditarma). It really comes down to personal preference and what type of meditation/tradition you want to practice.

The tourist visa is 28 days, and most hostels/guesthouses won't rent you a room if it is expired. Normally, the meditation visa is also 28 days by default, but as far as I know, your monastery is able to extend it to 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. The process takes a little while so definitely do it as soon as you arrive in the monastery, especially if you plan to stay a short period of time. Also, you could always do a "visa run" by booking a flight back and forth to Bangkok with a cheap airlines, get a new tourist visa, and resume tourism in Myanmar then.

Don't hesitate to ask if you want more info!

Hi Gabriel,

Thanks very much for reply. Some really useful information there. Sounds like you had a productive trip

Nick

Hi,  i just got a 90 day meditation visa in Bangkok,  earlier this year I got the visa in Kuala Lumpur. February, March and April are pleasant times to go.  

Getting the visa in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur is easy.

Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok is located at the BTS Surasak 

Visa application 9 am to 12 noon 
Visa pick up 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm 

Submit 5 items 
1. Filled out application form (business/meditation visa is only 1page) 
2. An invitation/sponsor letter from the meditation center 
3. 2 passport fotos with a white background 
4. copy of the passport ID page (there is a copy machine at the embassy,  charing 3 thai baht per page) 
5. The original passport 

Submit these items at counter 4 to receive a queuing card,than go to queue at counter 1 for payment (they only accept thai baht) 

2115 thai baht for same day pick up 
1780 thai baht for next day pick up 

Visa Pick up time is from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm 

In Kuala Lumpur the myanmar visa office is located at Masjid Jarmek LRT

Application time is from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm Pick up time is 4 pm to 5 pm 

Same requirements as in Bangkok 
180 Malaysian ringgit for same day visa pick up

this is the application guide from thabarwameditationcenter.wordpress.com