eSIM and SIM cards in Myanmar

The 30 day rule that blocks your phone

• Visitors get a 30-day grace period for a mobile device when it first connects to a local SIM network.
• For a longer stay you must register the phone's IMEI through the Central Equipment Identity Register's official portal, or the device is automatically blocked from local networks.
• This is the single most consequential piece of admin in the country for anyone staying more than a month, and there is no warning on the handset when the clock runs out.

Your own SIM will probably not work

• Foreign mobile phone SIM cards do not reliably work in Myanmar. Roaming is not a plan.
• Visitors can buy a local SIM for a nominal fee on arrival, topped up as needed with cards from kiosks and supermarkets.

The network is controlled

• The Myanmar authorities have influence over the mobile networks and coverage is subject to disruption. It is good in urban areas and some rural ones.
• The authorities control internet access and periodically cut it off entirely.
• Some services are blocked, including Facebook and WhatsApp, and are inaccessible without a VPN.
• Wifi is widely available in Yangon, in hotels and malls, and the internet service is generally good when it is on.

A practical consequence

• Do not rely on a messaging app to stay in contact. If your family expects a daily WhatsApp message, agree in advance what silence means, because an outage is a normal event here rather than a sign of trouble.