Quick summary
Five Western governments—the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—maintain their highest-level “Do Not Travel” advisories for Myanmar as of mid-2025, automatically voiding an estimated 85% of standard travel insurance policies. Medical evacuation from Yangon to Bangkok or Singapore costs $50,000–$100,000 USD out of pocket without valid coverage, and no Western embassy offers evacuation assistance.
The insurance exclusion applies even to relatively stable areas like Yangon and Bagan. Specialized high-risk policies exist but carry restrictions, and three edge cases—dual nationals, border crossings, and post-advisory purchases—create additional exposure.
Flying into Myanmar in 2025 means entering a country where your travel insurance almost certainly doesn’t work. Five Western governments—the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—currently issue their maximum-severity travel advisories for Myanmar, triggered by armed conflict, arbitrary detention, and civil unrest following the 2021 military coup. The financial consequence is immediate: standard travel insurance policies exclude destinations under Level 4 or equivalent advisories, stripping travelers of medical, evacuation, and trip cancellation coverage the moment they cross the border.
Air Traveler Club’s travel advisory monitoring system tracks government warnings across all five nations, confirming uniform “Do Not Travel” status for Myanmar throughout 2025–2026. A medical emergency requiring air ambulance extraction from Yangon to Bangkok or Singapore runs $50,000–$100,000 USD—entirely self-funded. For travelers from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the UK considering any Myanmar itinerary, understanding the insurance void is not optional. It is the single most expensive risk in Asia-Pacific travel today.
Why your insurance won’t pay a cent
The mechanism is buried in policy fine print but operates like a tripwire. Most travel insurance contracts contain an advisory exclusion clause that voids coverage when you travel to a destination under your government’s highest warning level. Roughly 85% of standard policies—including those bundled with Chase Sapphire, Amex Platinum, and Allianz annual plans—contain this language. The exclusion is automatic. No claim review, no appeal process.
This means no reimbursement for hospital stays, no covered evacuation flights, no trip interruption payouts, and no emergency dental or pharmaceutical costs. Myanmar’s healthcare infrastructure, already fragile before 2021, has deteriorated further under military rule. Facilities outside Yangon lack basic surgical capability, making evacuation the only option for serious injuries or illness.
The U.S. State Department’s Level 4 advisory for Burma explicitly warns of armed conflict, wrongful detention, and severely limited consular assistance—language that directly triggers exclusion clauses in American, Canadian, and Australian insurance policies alike.
Mandatory conscription adds a hidden risk
Myanmar’s military government enforces mandatory conscription for men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27. Dual nationals holding Myanmar citizenship face detention and forced military service. In 2023, 23 US citizens were stranded in Shan State during a sudden escalation—none had evacuation coverage.
The advisory map: every Western government agrees
| Country | Advisory Level | Last Updated | Consular Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Level 4: Do Not Travel | May 2025 | Very limited |
| Canada | Avoid All Travel | Ongoing 2026 | Extremely limited |
| Australia | Do Not Travel | Ongoing 2026 | Not specified |
| New Zealand | Level 4 (except Yangon) | Ongoing 2026 | Limited |
| United Kingdom | Red: Avoid All Travel | Current 2026 | Minimal |
The unanimity matters. When all five governments independently reach the same maximum-severity conclusion, insurers treat it as settled risk classification. New Zealand’s slight carve-out for Yangon does not override the blanket Level 4 designation that triggers policy exclusions. And critically, no Western embassy offers evacuation services from Myanmar. The US and Canada state this explicitly. You are on your own.
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Airlines still fly—but that doesn’t mean you’re covered
Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Myanmar National Airlines maintain reduced schedules into Yangon, operating at roughly 50% of pre-2021 capacity. The existence of commercial flights creates a dangerous false signal: travelers assume that if airlines fly there, the destination must be insurable. It isn’t. Airline operations and insurance coverage are governed by entirely separate risk frameworks.
For travelers exploring safer alternatives across the region, our analysis of Asia-Pacific flight pricing trends identifies neighboring destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos where full insurance coverage applies and fares have dropped significantly on competitive routes. The cultural and landscape experiences overlap substantially with Myanmar’s tourist circuit—without the financial exposure.
If you still go: three non-negotiable steps
Some travelers proceed despite advisories—journalists, aid workers, those with family ties. If you fall into this category, three actions reduce your exposure from catastrophic to merely severe.
- Purchase specialized high-risk travel insurance. Providers like Battleface, Global Rescue, and IMG Global offer policies explicitly covering Level 4 destinations. Expect premiums 3–5x standard rates. Myanmar’s visa requirements mandate minimum $30,000 medical coverage—verify your policy meets this threshold before applying. Some providers exclude policies purchased after the advisory was issued for your travel dates.
- Register with your government’s travel alert system. US citizens should enroll in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program). Canadians use Registration of Canadians Abroad. Australians register via Smartraveller. These systems push real-time alerts when border crossings close or conflict zones shift—your only early warning for exit planning.
- Carry sufficient cash for emergency extraction. Budget $2,000–5,000 USD in cash for emergency commercial flights to Bangkok or Singapore. ATM networks in Myanmar are unreliable. Credit card processing fails frequently outside Yangon hotels. Cash is your evacuation insurance of last resort.
Three scenarios that amplify the risk
Beyond the baseline advisory danger, specific traveler profiles face compounded exposure that standard high-risk policies may not fully address.
- Dual nationals with Myanmar citizenship face mandatory military conscription for men 18–35 and women 18–27. Detention is arbitrary and consular access is routinely denied. No insurance policy covers conscription-related detention.
- Border region travelers entering Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, or Tanintharyi states encounter active combat zones with landmine contamination. Evacuation costs from these areas exceed $100,000 due to access restrictions, and some high-risk insurers exclude border provinces even within their Myanmar coverage.
- Long-stay visitors in rural areas face elevated Japanese Encephalitis and malaria risk. Standard high-risk policies cap coverage duration at 30–45 days, and tropical disease treatment in Myanmar’s deteriorated healthcare system often requires evacuation regardless of severity.
The bottom line on Myanmar travel risk
Myanmar’s state of emergency has been extended through August 2025, with active armed conflict in 10+ regions simultaneously. The advisory consensus across five Western governments has held since 2021 with no indication of downgrade before 2027. For the vast majority of travelers, the calculation is straightforward: the destination is uninsurable through standard channels, evacuation is self-funded, and embassy support is functionally nonexistent.
Travelers drawn to Southeast Asia’s cultural heritage have insurable alternatives that deliver comparable experiences. For those monitoring regional flight opportunities, our guide to Europe-Asia routing covers efficient connections to Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia—destinations where your insurance works and your embassy answers the phone.
Questions? Answers.
Does New Zealand’s Yangon exception mean insurance applies there?
No. New Zealand classifies Yangon slightly differently, but the blanket Level 4 advisory still triggers exclusion clauses in most standard policies. Insurers assess country-level risk, not city-level carve-outs. You need specialized high-risk coverage regardless of which Myanmar city you visit.
Can I buy high-risk insurance after the advisory is already issued?
Some providers accept post-advisory purchases, but others exclude coverage if the advisory predates your policy start date. Since Myanmar’s advisories have been active since 2021, most new policies fall into this category. Confirm explicitly with the provider that your travel dates and destination are covered before paying.
What airlines still operate flights to Yangon?
Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Myanmar National Airlines maintain reduced schedules at roughly 50% of pre-2021 capacity. No international airline has imposed a blanket ban, but disruptions, schedule changes, and cancellations are common. Flight availability does not indicate destination safety or insurability.
Is the UK FCDO “Red” advisory equivalent to the US Level 4?
Yes. The UK’s “Red: Avoid All Travel” designation carries the same insurance implications as the US Level 4. British insurers reference FCDO advisories in their exclusion clauses. Minimal consular support is available, and the same conflict risks apply across all Western advisory frameworks.
How much does specialized high-risk insurance cost for Myanmar?
Expect premiums 3–5 times higher than standard travel insurance—typically $200–500 for a two-week trip depending on age, coverage limits, and activities. Providers like Battleface, Global Rescue, and IMG Global offer Level 4 coverage. Myanmar’s visa process requires proof of at least $30,000 medical coverage, so verify your policy meets this minimum.
What happens if I need medical evacuation from a border region?
Evacuation from conflict zones like Rakhine, Kachin, or Shan states costs $100,000 or more due to landmine contamination, restricted road access, and limited helicopter availability. Some high-risk insurers exclude border provinces entirely. The only reliable evacuation corridor runs through Yangon to Bangkok, adding hours or days of ground transport before air extraction begins.
