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Guide Details
Household Goods
Documents
Documents required for importing used household goods, personal effects, and related shipments.
- Copy of passport, including photo page and 70-day visa page with last Myanmar immigration entry stamp
- Copy of company registration letter or MOU
- Air ticket copy
- Original airline boarding pass
- Authority letter to the local agent, printed on company letterhead
- Appointment letter from the local Myanmar employer
- Original Bill of Lading (OBL) / Air Waybill (AWB)
- Packing list
- Original Import Declaration (ID)
- Inventory list with values
- Invoice with values
- Copy of work permit
- Temporary Import Permit (TIP). Application must be submitted to Customs within 3 days of the shipment's arrival at Yangon port or airport.
- Official letter from overseas organisation stating dates of employment and position held
- Income tax slips issued by the Myanmar Embassy
- Return air ticket / copy of passport and copy of airport entry stamp page
- Original boarding pass
- Copy of Myanmar NRC card (National Registration Card) for each family member
- All documents listed above plus approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an authorisation letter from the embassy. The Tax Exemption Certificate (TEC) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes approximately 3 to 5 weeks to issue and should be applied for immediately once shipping documents are ready.
- Standard documents plus approval from the Foreign Economic Relations Department and an authorisation letter from the UN organisation.
- Standard documents plus approval from the Ministry of Finance and an authorisation letter from the relevant organisation.
Specific Information
Foreign expatriates with a 70-day visa may import used household goods and personal effects duty-free. All goods imported duty-free by non-citizens must be exported upon the owner's departure from Myanmar. The Temporary Import Permit must be renewed by providing the renewal visa page to Customs each time the visa is renewed until the end of the assignment.
Returning citizens must have lived abroad for a minimum of 12 full months to qualify for duty-free import. Returning citizens may import used household goods duty-free when returning to a personal residence. Only one of each type of electrical appliance (television, washing machine, refrigerator, generator, computer, etc.) is permitted duty-free. Citizens who have been abroad for less than 12 months may import clothes and books duty-free only.
The owner of the goods must be present for Customs clearance. The owner's name must appear on all documents and packages and must match exactly the name on the passport.
Shipments must arrive within 3 months of the owner's last date of arrival in the country.
Only one sea shipment and one air shipment are permitted duty-free per owner of the goods.
All new electrical items (LCD televisions, washing machines, computers, generators, refrigerators, dryers, electric ovens, etc.) are subject to duty and taxes regardless of the importer's status.
All non-citizen importers, other than diplomats, must pay duty on consumable items.
Since December 2016, Myanmar has operated the Myanmar Automated Cargo Clearance System (MACCS), which requires an original Import Declaration (ID) for all shipments. Without the ID, re-export of personal effects is prevented. The only exceptions are small shipments containing no furniture and no teak wood.
Clearance times: Sea freight household goods take 10 to 14 days to arrive; air freight takes approximately 2 days. LCL (less-than-container load) shipments require approximately 3 weeks from arrival before they are available for clearance by the Myanmar Port Authority. Estimated customs duties for foreign expatriates: approximately USD 300 for a 20-foot container and up to USD 600 for a 40-foot container.
Diplomatic clearance: The diplomatic franchise and importation approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes approximately 3 to 5 weeks to issue. To avoid demurrage and port storage fees during this period, shipments can alternatively be cleared under "special order" formalities, which takes approximately 7 days from arrival. Documents for the special order must be prepared by the local office.
Prohibited & Restricted Items
Prohibited Items
The following items are prohibited from import into Myanmar. Any such items found in a household goods shipment will be confiscated and the shipper will be subject to fines.
- Firearms and ammunition
- Weapons of any kind
- Shortwave radios
- Communications equipment, including satellite dishes, receivers, fax machines, telephones, switchboards, walkie-talkies, and similar devices *(Permit Required for authorised users)*
- Pornographic literature and indecent or obscene video cassettes, DVDs, and similar materials
- Narcotics and controlled substances
- Meat, including poultry, and many other animal products
- Endangered species and products derived from CITES-listed wildlife *(CITES)*
- Teak wood requires specific documentation and declarations; undeclared teak in shipments will be confiscated
Restricted / Dutiable Items
Alcohol: A maximum of 5 bottles of alcohol is permitted in personal effects shipments.
New electrical and electronic items: All new electrical items are subject to duty and taxes regardless of importer status. These include but are not limited to LCD televisions, washing machines, computers, generators, refrigerators, dryers, and electric ovens. Returning citizens are limited to one of each type.
Antiques: Antiques must be declared to the Ministry of Archaeology upon importation to avoid difficulties at the time of export.
Video tapes and DVDs: Subject to censorship review by the Ministry of Information. A fee of approximately USD 5 per tape or DVD is levied and collected from the owner of the goods. Allow additional time for this review process.
Consumable items: All non-citizen importers other than diplomats must pay duty on consumables included in a shipment.
Importing a Used Personal Vehicle
Required Documents
- Original title / registration certificate
- Original Bill of Lading
Specific Information
Private individuals cannot import vehicles into Myanmar. Vehicle import is restricted to foreign diplomats only. Motorcycles cannot be imported under any circumstances.
For diplomatic vehicle imports, the United Nations Mission or Embassy must apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a Customs clearance certificate before shipment arrival, using the bill of lading and the vehicle invoice. This process takes 3 to 5 weeks.
With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearance certificate in hand, Customs clearance for the vehicle takes approximately 3 to 5 days. Alternatively, the special order process takes approximately 7 days from arrival at Yangon port and avoids port storage and demurrage, with supporting documents prepared by the local office.
Note: Given ongoing civil conflict and significant restrictions on movement and operations within Myanmar, confirm all vehicle import procedures and feasibility with the destination agent well before committing to a shipment.
Pets
- ISO-compatible microchip
- Vaccination record, including rabies and core vaccines
- International veterinary health certificate, issued no more than 7 days before arrival, countersigned by a government authority in the country of origin
- Import permit, obtained from the Myanmar Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department at least 2 weeks before arrival. Supporting documents required for the permit application include: vaccination records, pet details (breed, gender, date of birth, microchip number, colour), copy of owner's passport, tentative flight details, pet photograph, and full origin and destination address.
Rabies vaccination must be given at least 21 days prior to entry. Pets entering from countries classified by the World Animal Health Organization as rabies-free are exempt from this requirement; however, Myanmar is not a rabies-free country, and keeping vaccinations current is strongly recommended for the animal's protection.
Dogs should also be vaccinated against distemper, adenovirus type 2, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. Cats should be vaccinated against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia. All vaccinations must have been administered within the past 12 months.
Most pets including dogs, cats, and birds can be imported with no quarantine period if all import requirements are fully met. Confirm the current status with the destination agent, as conditions may have changed given the political situation.
Wolf hybrids and Savannah and Bengal cats (unless 5th generation or more removed from wild pedigree) cannot be imported under standard regulations.
Consignment Instructions
Recommended: Contact the destination agent to ensure all requirements have been met prior to import, especially for differences regarding air / sea shipments.
Owner presence: The owner of the goods must be personally present for Customs clearance. This is a firm requirement and cannot be waived.
Name matching: The owner's name on all documents and packages must match exactly the name as it appears on the passport. Any discrepancy will cause delays.
Import Declaration: The original Import Declaration (ID) is required by the MACCS system. Without it, re-export of goods is blocked. Ensure this document is prepared and available.
Document timing: All Customs documents must be in the hands of the destination agent before the shipment arrives. For diplomatic clearances, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs TEC process takes 3 to 5 weeks; initiate this immediately once shipping documents are available to minimise storage fees. Special order processing (7 days from arrival) is available as an alternative.
Temporary Import Permit: For foreign expatriates on 70-day visas, the TIP application must be submitted within 3 days of shipment arrival. The TIP must be renewed with each visa renewal and remains in force until departure. All duty-free imported goods must be re-exported when the owner leaves Myanmar.
Teak wood: Myanmar has strict controls on teak. Any teak furniture or teak items in a shipment must be clearly declared and supported by documentation. Undeclared teak will be confiscated.
Principal port of entry: Yangon Port (Thilawa) is the primary seaport. Yangon International Airport handles air freight.
Cultural & Other Information
Myanmar (also known as Burma) is a country in mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India, with a long coastline on the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. The largest city and main commercial hub is Yangon (Rangoon); the administrative capital is Naypyidaw. Burmese is the official language. Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion and has deep influence on culture, daily life, and governance.
Myanmar was under civilian-led government from 2011 to 2021, during which significant economic development occurred. The military coup of February 2021 reversed this trajectory. Myanmar is currently under the rule of the State Administration Council (SAC) military junta, facing widespread armed resistance from the People's Defence Force, ethnic armed organisations, and other groups. The conflict has severely disrupted infrastructure, banking, logistics, and daily commerce. A major earthquake struck the country in March 2025, causing significant damage to Naypyidaw and prompting some government ministries to plan relocation to Yangon.
International movers and assignees should be aware that this is an extremely challenging operating environment. Most Western governments maintain travel advisories advising against non-essential travel. Commercial activity has contracted significantly since 2021, with most international organisations and multinational companies having reduced or suspended their local presence.
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