Myanmar
Myanmar (officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, formerly Burma) is a 676,000-square-kilometre Southeast Asian country bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. The Irrawaddy River runs north-to-south through the country's centre, the Bay of Bengal coastline runs along the west, the Shan plateau rises to the east, and the Andaman Sea touches the southern Tanintharyi region. Around 54 million people speak Burmese as the national language and follow Theravada Buddhism in the great majority. Yangon (Rangoon), the former capital and still the largest city, holds the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda — among the most revered Buddhist sites in Asia — and a remarkable belt of preserved British colonial architecture; Naypyidaw is the current administrative capital, built from scratch in the 2000s. The cultural and historical core is in central and northern Myanmar: Bagan, on the Irrawaddy plain, preserves over two thousand surviving Buddhist temples and stupas built between the ninth and thirteenth centuries — one of the world's densest archaeological landscapes; Mandalay was the last royal capital before British annexation and remains the centre of Burmese craft, monastic education and traditional dance; Inle Lake in Shan State is famous for its stilt villages, leg-rowing fishermen and floating gardens. Other distinctive places include the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea, the railway hill stations of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) and Kalaw, and the cliff-hung Buddhist site of Mount Popa above Bagan. Important note: the security situation in Myanmar has shifted significantly in recent years, and most Western government travel advisories restrict travel to large parts of the country — consult the current advisory from your home government before any planning.
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Visa Requirements for Myanmar
Myanmar issues most tourist and business visas through its official e-visa portal. Citizens of around one hundred eligible nationalities — including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of Latin America — can apply online for a 28-day single-entry tourist e-visa for USD 50. Standard processing is 3–5 working days; the visa is valid for entry within 90 days of issue. Required documents are a passport scan (valid at least 6 months from the date of entry, with at least one blank visa page), a recent colour photograph, and accommodation details. Citizens of ASEAN states (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei) and a small number of others enter visa-free or visa-on-arrival under regional agreements. Some nationalities are required to apply through a Myanmar embassy or consulate; visa-on-arrival options have been narrowed in recent years and the e-visa is the most reliable route for most international travellers. Yangon International Airport (RGN) is the principal entry point; Mandalay International (MDL) and Naypyidaw (NYT) also operate but with fewer international flights. Important note: most Western governments currently maintain significant travel advisories for Myanmar — always consult the current advisory issued by your home government before booking and verify that travel insurance covers the country under current advisory levels.
Visa types
Tourist e-Visa (28 Days, Single Entry)
Tourism and family visits for citizens of around one hundred eligible nationalities — including the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Latin America.
Business e-Visa (70 Days)
Business travel, conferences and short professional engagements for eligible nationalities, applied online before travel.
Embassy Visa
Tourism, business or longer stays for nationalities not covered by the e-visa system, or for travellers who require longer stays or specific visa categories.
ASEAN Visa-Free / Visa-on-Arrival
Free movement and short stays for citizens of ASEAN member states and a small number of others under regional or bilateral agreements.
Guides
Myanmar's traveller appeal is concentrated in three or four extraordinary places, all reachable on internal flights from Yangon. Yangon itself is the natural starting point: the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the city day and night and is one of the most revered Buddhist sites in Asia; the surrounding belt of British colonial architecture along Pansodan Street and around Sule Pagoda is among the best-preserved in Southeast Asia; the Bogyoke Aung San Market is a labyrinth of jade, lacquerware and longyi cloth. Bagan, an hour's flight north, is the heart of the country — over two thousand Buddhist temples and stupas built between the ninth and thirteenth centuries spread across a 100-square-kilometre Irrawaddy plain. Sunrise from a temple terrace, with hot-air balloons rising through the morning mist, is the country's defining travel image. Mandalay, the last royal capital before British annexation in 1885, anchors the cultural north — the Mahamuni Pagoda's gold-leafed Buddha, the U Bein teak bridge across Taungthaman Lake at sunset, and the surrounding ancient capitals of Amarapura, Sagaing (one of the largest monastic centres in the country) and Inwa. Inle Lake, in southern Shan State, is famous for its stilt villages, leg-rowing Intha fishermen, floating tomato gardens and the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. Beyond these four anchors lie the Mergui Archipelago's untouched islands, the colonial-era hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin, the trekking country around Kalaw and Hsipaw, and the cliff temple of Mount Popa above Bagan. Burmese tea-shop culture — sweet milk tea (laphet yay) and mohinga noodle soup at any time of day — is its own quiet pleasure. Brief reminder: consult current government advisories before any travel.
Myanmar travel guide →
The full guide — the temple plain, the floating world, the tea-shop culture and the check-first plan.
Money in Myanmar →
Kyat, pristine-condition USD and the cash-first reality — the practical money guide.
Eating in Myanmar →
Laphet thoke from a country that eats its tea, mohinga's regional argument and why the tea shop is the real institution.
Getting around Myanmar →
Why flights are the default rather than the fast option, the one overland corridor and checking what's actually open.
Health & safety in Myanmar →
The advisory check that comes first, tap water and health infrastructure, SIM cards and the emergency numbers.
Embassies & missions
Europe · 1
Accredited missions for Myanmar
Austrian Embassy in Bangkok
Based in Bangkok, Thailand
Poland Embassy in Bangkok
Based in Bangkok, Thailand
Spanish Embassy in Bangkok
Based in Bangkok, Thailand
Sweden Embassy in Bangkok
Based in Bangkok, Thailand
Swiss Embassy in Bangkok
Based in Bangkok, Thailand
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Myanmar right now — and should I?
Two honest layers. CAN: most Western governments currently restrict travel to large parts of the country and advise heightened caution everywhere — your government's current advisory is the first document of any plan, and insurance validity under advisory levels needs checking too. SHOULD: travellers weigh this differently — some stay away on political grounds, others argue carefully-routed visits support ordinary livelihoods through guesthouses and guides. No side is taken here; the only ask is that the decision be made informed, current and deliberate.
How does the Myanmar e-visa work?
Through the official e-visa portal: the 28-day single-entry tourist visa costs USD 50, processes in 3-5 working days, and stays valid for entry within 90 days of issue — apply at least a week out with a passport scan (six months' validity, one blank page), photo and accommodation details. A 70-day business e-visa exists with an invitation letter. Print the approval for the airport; Yangon (RGN) is the reliable entry point.
What money should I bring to Myanmar?
US dollars in cash — and in famously fussy condition: crisp, unfolded, unmarked notes of recent series, because banks and exchangers reject creased or older bills on sight. Foreign cards and ATMs are unreliable, so the working budget travels as pristine USD, exchanged to kyat at licensed counters as needed. Split it, guard it, and let hotels' safes carry the bulk.
Which parts of Myanmar do travellers actually visit?
The classic circuit concentrates on four anchors that historically sat in the calmer central zones: Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake, linked by internal flights. Ngapali beach and the Kalaw trekking country extend it. Large areas of the country are restricted to foreigners outright, and the permitted map shifts — operators on the ground and current advisories define what's actually open in any given month, not older itineraries.
When is the best time to visit Myanmar?
November to February: the cool dry season, when Bagan's mornings mist perfectly, balloons fly (seasons operating), and the plains stay under 35°C. March to May bakes — Bagan and Mandalay regularly top 40°C — and June to October brings the monsoon to Yangon and the coast while Bagan's rain-shadow stays surprisingly dry. The advisory calendar overrides the weather one in current conditions.
What etiquette matters at Myanmar's pagodas?
The rules are simple and taken seriously: shoes AND socks off before entering any pagoda compound (bring wet-wipes for the feet), shoulders and knees covered, no pointing feet at Buddha images, and always ask before photographing monks, nuns or anyone at prayer. Walk clockwise around stupas, keep your head lower than Buddha images when sitting near them, and treat the longyi you'll inevitably buy as the most practical garment the country will hand you.
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Treat this Visaja page as your starting point: verify the current rules directly with the official source before you submit an application.