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Tourist Visa requirements : two application forms, original passport
and three passport-size photos. Validity one month. Cost US$20. Processing
time two working days. Regulations are now relaxed for tourists arriving by
air in Yangon. Completed immigration and
customs declaration forms issued during the flight must be submitted on
arrival. All foreign currency in excess of US$ 2,000.-, plus jewellery,
cameras etc. must be recorded on the customs form and may be checked on
departure. No Myanmar
currency may be imported or exported. Duty free allowance is 200 cigarettes
and one litre of wine or spirit. Note that export of antiques, Buddha images
and gems without official dealer's receipt, is strictly prohibited. Baggage
may be X-rayed or inspected before departure. Mobile phones of any type will
be impounded and released on departure
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On arrival at Yangon International airport,
individual tourists are required to exchange a minimum of US$200 into 200 FECs
(Foreign Exchange Certificates). Any unused certificates from this amount
cannot be refunded. Visitors booked on an inclusive group tour package are
not subject to this requirement, but if they wish, they can also purchase
FECs with US Dollars or Sterling.
FECs are Myanmar's
second legal tender and are issued by the Bank of Myanmar specifically for
visiting tourists. They come in denominations equivalent to US$20, 10, 5 and
1. Payment for FECs is only accepted in US Dollars or Sterling, in cash or travellers cheques.
(credit cards sometimes accepted) One US Dollar equals one FEC (the Pound
Sterling equivalent fluctuates according to the Pound-Dollar variance). FECs can be spent anywhere in the country, or
exchanged into kyats at officially authorised banks, bureaux de change,
hotels and Myanmar Travel and Tour offices. Cash payments can also be made in
US Dollars, but only at establishments (eg, hotels, railway stations, and
airlines) that have an official license allowing them to accept dollars. The
FEC system (and the possibility to pay in US Dollars at numerous
establishments) largely eliminates the necessity to exchange national
currencies into Kyat. It is advisable to carry small denominations, as large
notes may be difficult to change.
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