Yangonculture & etiquette

Myanmar has been under military administration since February 2021 and armed conflict continues across much of the country. Several Western governments advise against all or all-but-essential travel. That advice does more than describe risk: it commonly voids or restricts ordinary travel and health insurance, including medical evacuation. Check your policy against your government's current advisory before you commit to a move.

Yangon has been on grid rationing since the start of 2025, with townships divided into groups receiving power in short blocks. Reported schedules and reality diverge, and residents commonly get less than the announced allocation. Any home or office you take should be judged on its generator, its solar and its battery capacity before its floorplan. Budget for fuel.

Myanmar operates strict foreign-exchange controls and international sanctions reach a significant part of the banking and state-linked corporate sector. Inbound and outbound transfers, correspondent banking and international card acceptance are all unreliable. Assume you need a functioning account outside Myanmar and meaningful cash reserves, and do not plan a move on the basis that money will move easily.

The Central Bank of Myanmar's reference rate has been set at MMK 2,100 to the dollar since January 2025, while the rate used for trade-related transactions was several times higher through 2026. Which rate applies to a given transaction is a technical question with a large financial answer, so get local advice before signing anything denominated in kyat or converting a significant sum.

A business visa allows 70 days per entry, however many entries it has. The stay permit granted on top of it removes that ceiling for three, six or twelve months, and a Foreigner Registration Certificate is required once you intend to stay 90 consecutive days or more. The FRC expires on 30 November each year regardless of when it was issued.

Myanmar switched from left-hand to right-hand traffic in 1970, but most imported vehicles are right-hand drive, so the driver sits on the kerb side. Overtaking is genuinely dangerous and bus doors open into traffic. If you are being driven, sit where you can see, and be extremely careful crossing in front of a stopped bus.