Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence and, in practice, an International Driving Permit
A stay permit and FRC establishing that you live here
A realistic view of whether you actually want to drive in Yangon
For most people: a reliable driver or a ride-hailing app

Step-by-step

1
Start with ride-hailing, not a car
Ride-hailing apps operate in Yangon and are how most foreign residents move around. Fares are low, drivers know the city, and you avoid the parking, fuel and maintenance problems entirely. Establish this before you consider buying a vehicle.
Mobile appWho: YouImmediatelyLow per-trip fares
2
Understand that motorcycles are banned in central Yangon
Unlike every other city in the region, motorbikes are prohibited across most of Yangon's central townships. The scooter-based mobility that defines Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Bangkok simply is not available here, which is why cars, buses and ride-hailing carry the load.
In personWho: YouGood to know before arrivalFree
3
Learn the YBS bus network if you are staying
The Yangon Bus Service replaced the old private bus system in 2017 and is cheap and extensive, if crowded and hard to navigate without Burmese. It is the only mass transit the city has beyond the Circular Railway.
In personWho: YouA few weeks to get comfortableA few hundred kyat per trip
4
If you will drive, confirm licence requirements in person
Licence conversion for foreign residents is handled by the Road Transport Administration Department. Documented English-language guidance on the current requirements is thin, and an employer's admin team or a corporate services firm is a far more reliable source than anything you will find online. Assume you need your licence, an IDP, your passport, stay permit and FRC as a starting point.
In personWho: You (with employer support)Confirm locallyConfirm locally — published figures are unreliable
5
Adjust to right-hand traffic in right-hand-drive cars
Myanmar switched to right-hand traffic in 1970 but most imported vehicles are right-hand drive, putting the driver on the kerb side. Overtaking visibility is poor and bus passengers step out into moving traffic. Whether you drive or not, cross roads with this in mind.
In personWho: YouOngoingFree
6
Check what your insurance says about road accidents here
Road-traffic injury is the most likely serious medical event for a foreign resident, and policies that exclude travel against a government advisory may not pay. Establish your position before you get in a car, not afterwards.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrivalFree to check

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence
International Driving Permit
Passport with business visa and stay permit
Foreigner Registration Certificate
Whatever the Road Transport Administration Department is currently asking for — confirm locally

Things most newcomers don’t know

Motorcycles are banned across most of central Yangon, which makes the city unlike its neighbours.

Everywhere else in mainland Southeast Asia, a scooter is the default answer to urban mobility for a foreign resident. In Yangon it is prohibited across most central townships, so the city runs on cars, buses and ride-hailing instead. It changes your transport budget, your commute and where it is sensible to live — being far out is a much bigger commitment here than in Phnom Penh.

Source: Yangon municipal traffic restrictions; community-reported

Right-hand traffic in right-hand-drive cars is a genuine safety problem.

Myanmar switched sides in 1970 but the vehicle fleet is dominated by right-hand-drive imports, so drivers sit on the kerb side with poor visibility for overtaking, and bus passengers disembark directly into the traffic lane. It is a well-known contributor to the country's road-safety record. Cross behind stopped buses, never in front, and be cautious about overtaking if you drive.

Source: Myanmar's 1970 traffic-side change; road-safety commentary

The Circular Railway is transport and sightseeing, but check it on the day.

The three-hour loop from Yangon Central is one of the city's great experiences and costs almost nothing, but services have been reduced and disrupted in recent years and published timetables are not reliable. Ask at the station rather than planning around a schedule you found online — which is broadly the right approach to Myanmar infrastructure generally.

Source: community-reported; Yangon Circular Railway service reports

Documented English-language guidance on driving licences here is thin, and that is the finding.

Unlike Cambodia or Thailand, Myanmar does not publish an accessible English procedure for foreign licence conversion, and the third-party accounts that exist disagree and are often years out of date. Rather than repeat figures that cannot be verified, this guide points you at the Road Transport Administration Department and at employers who do it routinely. Treat any confident online figure with suspicion.

Source: editorial assessment of available sources

Common mistakes to avoid

Planning to buy a scooter, as you would elsewhere in the region — they are banned in most of central Yangon
Assuming published online figures for licence conversion are current or correct
Living far out without accounting for how much harder commuting is without motorbikes
Crossing in front of a stopped bus, where the driver's kerb-side seat leaves a blind spot
Driving without establishing whether your insurance covers you here at all

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.