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Travel safety profile · Asia

Is Myanmar Safe to Visit in 2026?

77 / 100

Very High Risk

Civil conflict ongoing since 2021 coup. Many areas affected. Tourism heavily disrupted. Reviewed 24 April 2026 How we score

Live alerts in Myanmar Get the iOS app

⚠ Active conflict / rapidly changing situation

Our static profile may lag events. Always verify against the latest FCDO advisory before travel.

What Warnely Is Tracking

Real-time incidents pulled from the Warnely pipeline. The dashboard renders a richer feed.

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Official Travel Advisories

UK FCDO

Advise against all but essential travel

Advises against all but essential travel to Myanmar due to ongoing armed conflict and martial law.

View full advisory →

US State Department

Level 4 - Do Not Travel

Do Not Travel due to civil unrest, armed conflict, and arbitrary enforcement of laws.

View full advisory →

Myanmar compared to your home country

Myanmar's composite Warnely risk score is 77/100 (Extreme Risk). Here is how that compares to common home countries for English-speaking travellers. Append ?home=GB (or US, AU, CA, DE) to the URL to pin your home.

United Kingdom 22/100

Myanmar is materially riskier than United Kingdom (3.5× riskier on the Warnely index).

United States 35/100

Myanmar is materially riskier than United States (2.2× riskier on the Warnely index).

Australia 14/100

Myanmar is materially riskier than Australia (5.5× riskier on the Warnely index).

Canada 15/100

Myanmar is materially riskier than Canada (5.1× riskier on the Warnely index).

Germany 20/100

Myanmar is materially riskier than Germany (3.9× riskier on the Warnely index).

Lower scores are safer. Each home country's score is its own composite on the same 0-100 scale. See methodology.

Regional breakdown

Myanmar sits at 77/100 as a country-level composite. Specific regions vary. Each card links to the regional safety page.

Yangon Caution

Largest city; relatively calm. Foreign visitors functional but reduced services post-2021 coup.

Bagan Caution

2,000+ ancient temples; technically open but heavily reduced infrastructure.

Inle Lake Caution

Famous floating villages; tourism continues but logistics fragile.

Mandalay Caution

Cultural capital; functional but proximity to conflict zones (Sagaing) means caution.

Rakhine, Kachin, Shan, Sagaing Generally safe

Active conflict between junta and resistance forces. Travel inadvisable.

Risk Breakdown

This is the static baseline rating across six dimensions. The Warnely dashboard adds a live 30-day signal alongside.

Crime3/5

Petty crime in cities. Arbitrary detention risk. Scams targeting tourists reported.

Natural Disasters3/5

Cyclone risk May-Nov. Earthquake-prone. Flooding in delta regions.

Health4/5

Malaria widespread. Medical infrastructure severely degraded since 2021. Limited facilities.

Terrorism4/5

Armed conflict between military and resistance forces. Airstrikes in some regions.

Civil Unrest5/5

Ongoing civil war since Feb 2021 coup. Martial law in many areas. Curfews enforced.

Infrastructure4/5

Internet blackouts common. Banking system unstable. Domestic flights unreliable.

Quick Facts

Plug type	C/D/F/G
Voltage	230V/50Hz
Time zone	UTC+6:30
Driving side	Right
Tap water	Unsafe

Visa & Entry

Type	eVisa (apply online)
Length	28 days
Cost	$50 (Tourist eVisa)
Apply	Official portal →

eVisa required, $50 for 28 days. Active conflict and travel advisories against most regions – verify before booking.

Verify on IATA Travel Centre →

Summary: E-visa system operational but entry unpredictable. Check current situation before booking.

Passport: Valid 6+ months.

Customs: Declare cash over $10,000.

Prohibited: Drones. Political materials. Photography of military/government forbidden. Drug laws extremely strict (death penalty).

Practical Tips

Check UK FCDO/State Dept – currently advise against most travel
Tourism revenue funds the military – ethical considerations
Avoid Rakhine, Shan, Kachin states – active fighting
Yangon and Bagan remain (technically) accessible but with risk
Burmese language; English limited outside tourism

Common Scams & Practical Risks

Sapphire/jade pressure: Counterfeit gems sold to tourists; even "licensed" dealers can be untrustworthy. Don't buy gems unless you're an expert.
Currency change rates: Black-market dollar rates vary widely; sanctions context. Use hotel exchange or licensed bureaus.

Solo & Women’s Safety

Solo Travellers

Myanmar is NOT recommended for most travelers since the 2021 coup. Civil conflict, internet shutdowns, banking instability, and arbitrary detention risks make travel extremely challenging. If you choose to go, only visit established tourist areas (Bagan, Inle Lake) with extreme caution.

Women’s Safety Exercise Significant Caution

Pre-coup Myanmar was relatively safe for women. Current instability adds significant risks for all travelers regardless of gender.

LGBTQ+ Travellers

Legal status	Criminalised
Social climate	Hostile

Section 377 colonial-era ban active. Post-coup junta also socially repressive. Yangon’s small scene driven underground. PDA dangerous.

Verify current law on Equaldex →

Drug Laws

Severity	Death penalty possible
Cannabis	Severe penalties

Death penalty on books for trafficking; junta context means due process limited. Major opium-producing region. Avoid entirely.

Verify on UK FCDO →

Emergency Numbers

police

199

ambulance

192

fire

191

tourist

N/A

If you decide to travel to Myanmar

A practical checklist that applies to any trip. Each item links to the part of this guide where the specifics live.

1

Check the live advisory Read the UK FCDO and US State Department pages within a week of departure. Advisories change. View current FCDO advisory →
2

Register your trip US citizens: enrol with STEP. UK citizens: register your itinerary with the nearest British embassy. Both enable consular contact in an emergency.
3

Save the local emergency numbers Police: 199. Ambulance: 192. Pin them in your phone's emergency-contacts screen so they're reachable from a locked phone.
4

Insurance with medical evacuation Travel insurance with a medical-evacuation limit of £10m or more. Cheap policies usually exclude or cap medevac, the single most expensive thing that goes wrong abroad. See the medevac entry in the glossary for what to check.
5

Confirm vaccinations and prescriptions Visit a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for any routine vaccinations and country-specific recommendations. Check any prescription medication against the destination's import rules.
6

Set up a check-in routine before you go Agree a daily or every-other-day check-in time with a contact at home, plus a fallback channel if your primary one fails (WhatsApp goes down in countries that block it). The family communication plan covers the specifics.

Find every foreign embassy and consulate in Myanmar in the Warnely embassy directory →

Medical evacuation cost (pre-insurance)

Myanmar sits in Band C on Warnely's medevac cost dataset. The figures below are typical pre-insurance ranges in USD, calibrated against published bands from Global Rescue, MedJet, Allianz, and insurance-industry whitepapers.

Long-haul air ambulance

Typical $80,000 to $180,000

Long-haul fixed-wing repatriation typical, often multiple legs and specialised crew. Travel insurance with a meaningful medevac limit is not optional for trips to this band.

For the full methodology, the four-band table, and the downloadable CSV, see /methodology/medevac. Sanity-check your travel insurance limit against the high end of this band before booking.

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Full embed options including Markdown and iframe variants: /embed/myanmar.

Data version v2 · Last reviewed 24 April 2026 · Next review by 23 July 2026 · methodology · Found something out of date? Tell us.

Common questions about Myanmar

Is Myanmar safe for tourists in 2026?

Civil conflict ongoing since 2021 coup. Many areas affected. Tourism heavily disrupted. Warnely's overall safety assessment for Myanmar is Extreme Risk (77/100), very high risk. Always check the latest UK FCDO and US State Department advisories before booking.

What's the crime risk in Myanmar?

Petty crime in cities. Arbitrary detention risk. Scams targeting tourists reported. Crime category score: 3/5 (moderate).

Are there health risks travelling to Myanmar?

Malaria widespread. Medical infrastructure severely degraded since 2021. Limited facilities. Health category score: 4/5. Consult a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for recommended vaccinations.

Is Myanmar safe for solo female travellers?

Exercise Significant Caution. Pre-coup Myanmar was relatively safe for women. Current instability adds significant risks for all travelers regardless of gender.

When is the best time to visit Myanmar?

Cool Dry (Nov-Feb). 20-32°C, comfortable. Peak tourist window – though tourism much reduced post-coup.

What are the drug laws in Myanmar?

Drug penalties: Death penalty possible. Cannabis: Severe penalties. Death penalty on books for trafficking; junta context means due process limited. Major opium-producing region. Avoid entirely.

Do I need a visa to visit Myanmar?

eVisa (apply online). Stay length: 28 days. eVisa required, $50 for 28 days. Active conflict and travel advisories against most regions – verify before booking.

Which regions of Myanmar are safest to visit?

Generally safer regions include Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay. See the regional breakdown for current safety guidance on each area.

Is the tap water safe to drink in Myanmar?

Tap water in Myanmar is not safe to drink – use bottled or filtered water. Most travellers should stick to bottled or filtered water for cooking, drinking and ice.

What do governments say about travel to Myanmar?

UK FCDO: Advise against all but essential travel. US State Dept: Level 4 - Do Not Travel. Read the full advisories on the relevant government sites – links are inside the Official Travel Advisories section above.