Requirements change for stay permit applications

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Effective immediately, the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) is no longer requiring an embassy endorsement letter or ward registration letter for foreign workers applying for stay permits.

What does the change mean? The change will reduce paperwork and allow faster filing of stay permit applications by DICA-registered employers. Previously, foreign employees of DICA-registered companies were required to obtain an endorsement letter from their home country’s embassy and a registration letter from the township of residence upon arriving in Myanmar.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Stay Permits.
• Who is affected: Foreign nationals who will be working in Myanmar for DICA-registered companies.
• Impact on processing times: The change will significantly reduce the time it takes to gather and prepare documents, as the embassy letter normally takes one to five business days and the ward registration letter takes one to three days.
• Business Impact: Employers should update their policies to reflect this change in the application process.

Background: This change only applies to DICA-registered companies. Foreign workers who are sponsored by companies that are registered with the Myanmar Investment Commission still need to include the two documents when applying for a Stay Permit application in the country.

BAL Analysis: The elimination of two steps in the process will save time for applicants, but it will not affect processing times which continue to be about four weeks for DICA-registered companies.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Myanmar. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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