Passport
and Visa
A valid passport, visa and onward tickets are required of all visitors. Those arriving without visas will be deported
if required. Children over 7 years mentioned in
the passport of a parent must hold a separate
visa. A transit visa is valid for 24 hours
only. A Tourist Visa allows a stay of 28 days,
extendible for an additional 14 days and it can be easily obtained by Myanmar
Embassies and Consulates. However,
those who come to Myanmar for business, educational or diplomatic
purposes can be obtained visas for longer stays. A Business Visa
allows a stay of 28 days (cost $18), extendible to from 3-12 months on a
case-by-case basis. Visa on Arrival is granted on prior
arrangement.
Three passport-size photos must be accompanied with such arriving
foreigners for visa applications and three for submission to the
immigration authorities.
For updated information (such as visa fees), contact Myanmar
Embassies and Consulates nearest you.
Customs
You will be required to fill out a customs form declaring camera,
jewelry, and other electronic appliances. This declaration must be
returned to customs officials upon departure. Export of antiques and
archaeologically valuable items are prohibited. Artifacts of
archaeological interest cannot be taken out of the country, nor can any
precious stones unless they have been purchased from the
official-selling shops. There is no enforced restriction on the
export of souvenir of genuine tourist interest. Besides, all kinds
of narcotics and obscene literature, picture and articles are also
prohibited. Duty Free allowance:
Two bottles of liquor; two cartons
of cigarettes; 100 cigars; 1.5 lb of tobacco; one pint bottle
of perfume or eau de cologne.
Currency
Myanmar currency is the Kyat, made up of 100 pyas. Currency notes come in the following denominations:
K500, K200, K100, K90, K50, K45, K20, K15, K1 and Pya
50. Visitors are not allowed to bring in or take out
Kyats. There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency which may be brought
into Myanmar but all of it must be declared upon entry. Myanmar currency should be purchased only from authorized money
exchangers at the airport, hotels or banks.
Foreign Independent Travelers (FITs) and Business Travelers
are required to exchange US $300 for Foreign Exchange
Certificates (FEC) on arrival at the Airport. FECs, equivalent to US Dollars, are issued in $20, $10, $5 and
$1 denominations. FECs can be purchased with US Dollars
or Pounds Sterling either in cash or Traveler's cheques. FECs are accepted by hotels, airlines, travel agencies, taxis,
restaurants; and as payment of admission fees for museums, and
pagodas. FECs can be exchanged for Kyats at market rates
at Authorized Money Changers. The acceptable Traveler's Cheques are American Express, Bank
of Tokyo, Bank of America, CITI Corp, Commonwealth Bank of
Australia, First National CITI Bank, Master Card, National
Westminster Bank Ltd., Swiss Bankers and VISA.
Visitors may bring in any amount of foreign currency but it
must be declared to the customs if it exceeds US $2,000.
Health and
Pets
Health Certificate
of immunization against cholera or small pox is required according
to the health regulations, if a visitor is coming from an infected
area. Passengers are allowed to bring their
personal pets on production of health certificates.
Advice : If
you regularly need some medicine, bring enough of it with you
since chances are that you will not get the same or a
replacement for it. It is also recommended to bring one
or two clean needles in case of an emergency. Doctors
and hospitals normally expect immediate cash payment.
Be careful not to drink tap water.
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