Alcohol regulations in Myanmar

Licences needed

Factory permit, production licence, bottling licence, value-added manufacturing licence (as applicable), and industrial registration

Authority

General Administration Department (GAD), Ministry of Home Affairs; Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection, Ministry of Industry

Documents

Company registration and profile, factory blueprints, environmental and fire safety compliance certificates, equipment and capacity specifications, proof of Myanmar citizenship/corporate shareholding (foreign ownership capped at 49% under the 2026 Excise Law), and FDA sanitary approval

Fees

Prescribed by GAD notification depending on facility category and capacity (not confirmed)

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Myanmar-registered companies with an Exporter/Importer Business Registration where at least one company director holds a Foreign Liquor wholesale licence (FL-11) or relevant vend licence (FL-4, FL-5) from GAD, and holds an exclusive distributorship or dealership appointment from the foreign producer

Licences or registrations

Foreign Liquor Wholesale Licence (FL-11), Certificate of Alcoholic Beverages Importer Registration (RCAI), and individual Import Licence per shipment via Tradenet 2.0

Authority

Department of Trade, Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and General Administration Department (GAD)

Documents

Official company letterhead application, director's valid FL-11/FL-4/FL-5 licence, exclusive distributorship agreement, GAD liquor storage licence, shop/warehouse address, and detailed product specifications (brand, ABV, packaging, manufacturer, and bottling facility)

Fees

Alcoholic Beverages Importer Registration fee plus import licence fees ranging from MMK 30,000 to MMK 90,000 based on consignment value

Time to obtain

Approximately 2 to 4 weeks once prerequisites (FL-11 and GAD storage clearance) are verified

Required

yes

Process

Importer must declare product formulation, ABV, packaging, brand name, and bottling origin via Tradenet 2.0 to MOC and GAD; must obtain safety and fitness-for-consumption approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) / relevant authority; brand trademarks must be registered under the Myanmar Trademark Law with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP)

Authority

Department of Trade (MOC), General Administration Department (GAD), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Department of Intellectual Property (DIP)

Documents and samples

Certificate of Analysis (CoA), Certificate of Origin (CoO), specimen labels and packaging artwork, ingredient and alcohol percentage breakdown, bottling plant verification documents

Fees

Standard FDA testing and trademark registration fees apply per submission (not confirmed)

Renewal

Annual (aligned with annual excise license and import card validity periods)

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Commercial import of distilled spirits is permitted solely via Yangon Port (sea) or Yangon International Airport (air); border/overland import is prohibited. Minimum import price is fixed at CIF US$ 8.00 per liter for distilled spirits. Beer remains banned for commercial import. Shipments must be held in bonded customs warehouses where physical 'Tax Paid' excise stamps must be affixed under Internal Revenue Department (IRD) supervision within 21 days prior to domestic release. Certificate of Origin and Certificate of Analysis are mandatory.

40% customs duty on CIF value plus landing charges (0.5%) under Myanmar Customs Tariff (HS 2208); 0% under ATIGA for qualifying ASEAN origin.

Specific Goods Tax (SGT) under Union Taxation Law 2026: tiered specific tax starting at MMK 287 per liter for value tier MMK 700–2,500/liter, up to 60% ad valorem for spirits valued at MMK 37,401 per liter and above. In addition, Commercial Tax (CT) is levied at 5% on landed value (CIF + Customs Duty + SGT) upon import, or on domestic sales proceeds.

Alcohol retail sales are restricted to holders of GAD sales excise licences (e.g., FL-9 retail bottle shops, FL-10/FL-12 on-premise hotel and restaurant bars). Sales to persons under 18, Buddhist monks/sangha, or visibly intoxicated persons are prohibited. Operating hours and curfew restrictions are set and enforced by regional/state governments and the Nay Pyi Taw Council.

Restricted; under the 2026 Excise Law, licensed distributors are permitted to sell online exclusively to other licensed excise businesses (B2B distribution); online alcohol sales and home delivery directly to end-consumers (B2C) are strictly prohibited.

Labels must clearly display the product brand name, category of spirit, net liquid volume, alcohol by volume (ABV %), country of origin, and full manufacturer/bottler details. Consumer protection regulations require Burmese language text or stickers with mandatory health warnings; each container must bear the physical IRD 'Tax Paid' banderole/strip stamp affixed over the cap.

Alcohol advertising, commercial promotion, marketing sponsorships, and promotional vending displays are strictly prohibited across all broadcast, print, outdoor billboard, and digital channels under national excise laws and consumer protection directives.

The Excise Law defines alcoholic liquor as any potable liquid containing more than 0.5% ethyl alcohol by volume. Wine must not exceed 18% ABV (or up to 20% ABV for imported wine under MOC guidelines). Specific identity definitions for whisky, rum, gin, brandy, and vodka are grouped under country spirits, foreign liquor, or international-standard domestically produced liquor; codified minimum ABV standards generally reflect 37.5% to 40% ABV international standards (not confirmed in standalone national identity codification).

Alcohol retail and on-premise consumption are prohibited within designated security zones, religious precincts surrounding Buddhist pagodas, monasteries, and near schools and hospitals; temporary total dry bans are routinely enforced during Buddhist religious holidays (e.g., Waso Full Moon and Thadingyut).

• Enactment of the new Excise Law (NDSC Law No. 13/2026) on March 7, 2026, repealing the 1917 Excise Act, restructuring licensing categories, formalizing B2B online sales while banning B2C online alcohol deliveries, and capping foreign equity in licensed excise entities at 49%.
• Promulgation of the Union Taxation Law 2026 (Law No. 18/2026, effective April 1, 2026), raising Specific Goods Tax (SGT) price thresholds and rates for spirits, topping out at 60% ad valorem for spirits priced MMK 37,401/liter and above.
• Central Bank of Myanmar Notification No. 2/2026 adjusting foreign exchange retention and conversion rules, continuing strict foreign currency and import licensing scrutiny for non-essential consumer goods including alcoholic spirits.

Premium and super-premium international distilled spirits (such as single malt Scotch, Cognac, and craft spirits) meeting the CIF US$ 8.00 per liter threshold have legitimate market access through licensed Myanmar wholesale distributors. However, foreign brand owners must navigate strict quota approvals, import licensing delays on Tradenet 2.0, high cumulative tax stacks, and ongoing foreign exchange controls.

• Department of Trade, Ministry of Commerce
• General Administration Department (GAD), Ministry of Home Affairs
• Internal Revenue Department (IRD), Ministry of Planning and Finance
• Myanmar Customs Department
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Ministry of Health

1. Myanmar National Trade Portal - Ministry of Commerce Import Licensing Procedures for Alcoholic Beverages
2. Internal Revenue Department (IRD) - Union Taxation Law 2026 (Law No. 18/2026)
3. Global New Light of Myanmar - National Defence and Security Council Excise Law (Law 13/2026)
4. Tilleke & Gibbins - Overview of Myanmar's New Excise Law 2026
5. DFDL Insights - Myanmar Enacts Union Taxation Law 2026 and Alcohol Import Notifications