Myanmar publishes its customs rules on the national trade portal, next to the procedures for freight forwarders and border truck operators. The traveller rules are the short part.
The declaration form
Travellers entering Myanmar “must submit a customs declaration using the CUSDEC-CR Customs Declaration Form for passengers.” If you are handed a document at the airport and are not sure whether it is the customs declaration, CUSDEC-CR is the one.
Personal belongings
The portal states: “A foreign traveler’s personal effects are exempt from duty and tax.” That covers the clothes, electronics and equipment you bring and take home again.
The currency threshold
Foreigners must declare foreign currency exceeding USD 10,000; citizens of Myanmar must declare all foreign currency.
For a foreigner that is USD 10,000 or the equivalent. A Myanmar citizen has no threshold and declares all foreign currency, which explains what you may see at the counter. If you carry a lot of cash, declare it once it passes the threshold.
The published allowances
The portal gives duty and tax free allowances for:
- up to 2 litres of beverage alcohol
- up to 150 ml of perfume
- up to 400 cigarettes
It then adds “and certain other items” without listing them on this page, so these are the named allowances and the list may be longer.
Duty-free shops
The portal says Myanmar “currently has only an airport warehouse”. It describes duty free stores at airports and land borders as a special form of customs warehouse where international travellers can buy goods without duties and taxes. Do not plan on buying duty free on the way in unless you know your point of entry has a shop.
What this page does not cover
Most of what the portal publishes is about commercial movement. It says, for example, that Myanmar has not adopted ATA carnets though it has a temporary admission procedure, and that cargo from other countries must be offloaded onto Myanmar-registered trucks at land borders. That matters for freight and not for a suitcase.
The portal gives no value threshold for gifts and new goods, and does not say what happens if you exceed an allowance. Declare at the counter and ask.