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HOW TO CROSS FROM INDIA TO MYANMAR BY LAND VIA MOREH/TAMU… ON A SUNDAY.

16/1/2016

62 Comments

 
Picture
Strolling into Myanmar
​Update January 2018: Please read the last comments for detail. The border crossing for foreigners is now only accessible with a complete tour booked for Myanmar. 

If you have any updated information, please let us know as this page gets quite a lot of traffic, so we can let everyone know!

Update January 2017: 

1. Dimapur (Nagaland) to Imphal (Manipur) transport can be difficult to organise. Shared cars for 1500IDR may be your only option as government buses have had political trouble.

2. Myanmar government changed border requirement that you need to pay for a two-way crossing, even if you only cross once. This costs USD160
With India committed to developing tourism in the North-Eastern states (hello living tree-root bridges and hill-tribes) and Myanmar looking to uphold its cooly-undiscovered-but-totally-discovered image for at least another few years, it’s natural that the passage between the two is going to develop rapidly. 

Follow the official websites and guidebooks and you’d be left scratching your head wondering how to cross between the two by land. If it wasn’t for travel bloggers out there, we’d think it wasn’t possible. 

It is possible. And it’s easy with a bit of planning. 

Most articles we’ve read have shown how to cross from Myanmar into India, so we’re adding to the pool of knowledge out there with our experience doing it from India to Myanmar. And we did it on a Sunday - so there were a few extra steps.

Click 'Read More' below to find out how!
THE ESSENTIALS
  • Moreh is on the Indian side, Tamu is in Myanmar (Burma)
  • Moreh is more developed and has cheaper accommodation than Tamu, so we chose to overnight in Moreh
  • We crossed over on Sunday 27th December 2015
  • We had Indian (obviously) and Myanmar visas in our passports
  • We had our permit for the Myanmar side arranged in advance 
Picture
"My, what a large gun you have there sir"; The colourful streets of Imphal.
WHAT YOU NEED

​A Myanmar visa in your passport. 
We got our visa in Kathmandu, Nepal and it was easy - just a form, photos and payment in crispy, fresh U.S. dollars. We heard from some travellers that the Calcutta embassy was being difficult. Don’t even think of getting your visa ‘on arrival’ at the border.


A permit for that area of Myanmar. 
They take about 3 weeks to arrange, so plan this accordingly. We went with Exotic Myanmar Travel (soe@exoticmyanmartravel.com), who charged us USD90 per person, and took exactly 3 weeks to arrive. You need to tell them the exact date you’re crossing. The permit itself was emailed to us and only had one name on it - it’s more of a formality than an official document. We printed it in Imphal (highly recommended!)  


Photocopies.
 The Myanmar border guys asked for a copy of our passport and Myanmar visa. It makes them happy. 
Picture
One of the many army checkpoints along the way to Moreh. We were only stopped at two.
HOW TO GET FROM IMPHAL TO MOREH
Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur (you don’t need a permit to visit). As Christmas had just finished (a huge percentage of the population is Christian), the city was in holiday mode, with no shared taxis going to Moreh. We went to the shared taxi area anyway at around 9am (see map below for location), and ended up paying a driver for the whole journey. It wasn’t cheap - INR3000/GBP30/USD45. But it’s a windy 3-hour drive, so fair enough.
Update: Local shared taxi price should be INR500, local price each.

The drive gets very scenic, and the road is surprisingly good for most of the journey. Every town had army checkpoints, but it wasn’t until we went past a few Assam Rifles army bases that we had to stop and register at two checkpoints. The guards seemed as surprised to see us tourists as we were of them. ​
Picture
The super devout streets of Moreh
Picture
Its not this gate! (go take a look though, its a sight in itself)
WHAT’S MOREH LIKE AS A TOWN?
It probably won’t be the highlight of your trip around India. We arrived in the early afternoon, getting dropped off on the main road at the dismal De Khunai Resort (INR500/5GBP/USD7.5 per room) at the suggestion of our taxi driver. There are hotels lined up next to each other, and each one looks as dilapidated as the next. If you’ve been travelling through India for a while, you probably have an idea what it’s like. 
Since Manipur is officially a ‘dry’ state, our guess is that locals head to the border to drink heavily and let loose - Moreh is far from prying eyes, after all. We were woken up at all hours of the night by drunken revellers...
CROSSING OVER ON A SUNDAY
Up bright and early, we cranked some music as we packed and walked the 1km or so through town to the Friendship Gate. Only we were waved away. Perhaps this isn’t the one for foreigners, or perhaps it was closed for foreigners on a Sunday. Either way, we took one of the dozens of rickshaws (INR30/GBP0.30/USD0.45) to a different crossing about 2km’s away.
Picture
This is a map of Moreh. The Friendship Crossing is on the NH102 main road, which isn't for foreigners. The red dot marks the actual border crossing (Sorry its not the best map but Google don't have any information around here!)
The friendly guard slung his machine gun over his arm, inspected our passports and confirmed what the huge sign said - the border was closed on Sunday. 
But with an assurance that the border was open from our Myanmar permit, it seemed that ‘closed’ is just a formality.
Step 1: Get an exit stamp
We left our bags at the checkpoint (good security, guys) and walked 1km back along the road and found the immigration office. It’s opposite the Police compound, where a traffic controller waves his stick angrily at drivers ignoring the ‘don’t drive along this road’ sign. We were pointed to a few different areas, before sitting at a shaded table where a tired and bored official finally turned up with his immigration briefcase, checked that we had permission to cross the border (he couldn’t read the Burmese letter), and stamped our passports. Woohoo!

​Step 2: Get customs clearance

Across the road was another little compound with shabby buildings. We waited for another tired and bored official to finish brushing his teeth, before he sat down to write down our details on a blank A4 page. We told him how many bags we had, and that was it. We didn’t get any confirmation of the process and no checking of our bags (which were back at the checkpoint anyway). We probably didn’t even need to do this. 

Step 3: Back to the border

We grabbed some snacks on the way back, the army guys checked our exit stamps and waved us through. Further down the road we passed the closed immigration office, so our guess is that normally we’d just be waved through to do the formalities there. ‘No Mans Land’ between the borders was an easy kilometre-long walk.

Step 4: To Myanmar and beyond!

We crossed the short bridge over the river, and promptly lost 1 hour on our clocks. There’s a barrier here, and the guys waved us through to a small hut up some precarious stairs to our left. 
Here’s where we presented our permit letter: the guy there called a representative from the permit agency, who arrived on his scooter 5 minutes later. We handed over photocopies of our passports and Myanmar visa, while they creepily took photos of our documents on their mobile phones as well. Given that everyone’s casually dressed and music is blaring from mobile phones, it’s all rather informal. 
With a quick ‘ok’ through betel-nut stained teeth, we went back down to the checkpoint, had our passports checked for the umpteenth time that day and hurrah - Welcome to Myanmar! 
Picture
We made it! Now to find a bus...
NOW WE’RE IN TAMU. WHAT NEXT?
It’s another 2km or so walk into Tamu itself, but it doesn’t really have a centre like Moreh, instead it’s spread along the amazingly well-paved ‘Friendship Highway’. The walk feels long and in retrospect we would have liked to have our ‘border permit helper’ arrange a taxi. There isn’t any transport waiting for you on the other side. Not that we had any Burmese Kyat anyway.

WHERE TO GET MONEY

There is no official exchange, and the banks are closed on the weekends. In fact, we were told the ATM’s are turned off on the weekends, so we were out of luck. Seriously - there’s nothing in Tamu to help your arrival. 
We only had a USD20 note and about IND3000. You’d do well to cross this border with more than this.
We walked down the road, hoping to reach a bus station. The people here are genuinely friendly and helpful - and kept pointing us further down the highway. Eventually a rickshaw driver drove us a minute further up the road for free. If he only knew how much that small gesture meant to us.

​AT THE BUS STATION

Further along the main highway, you’d be forgiven for missing the bus station (or whatever you want to call it). There is no English-language signage, and we still don’t know how it all works.
We presume there are two different long-distance bus companies operating from different sides of the road. We picked one, and with a lot of finger-pointing and broken English, we realised there was a 12-seater van heading to Mandalay at 1:30pm.
The lady at the desk pointed us to a hotel across the road - probably the only one in town - that would exchange our U.S. Dollars and Indian Rupees. Their rate for both currencies was actually really good - better than if we had withdrawn the same amount from an ATM (using xe.com rates) and incurred the regular bank fees to go with it. 
Picture
The dot near Tamu is where the buses are.
Picture
Found the bus, comes with much needed refreshment kit
ONWARDS TO MANDALAY
The Mandalay van cost MMK25,000 / GBP13 / USD19 per person, so we had just enough to get us to where we needed to go. Food at the stops was tasty and gigantic - more rice, vegetables and meat than we could eat, for MMK2,500 / GBP1.20 / USD1.90 per person.

Despite the enthusiastic driver and the smooth Friendship Road for the first hour or two, ultimately the 16-hour drive on non-reclining seats was rough. We were pretty wiped out arriving in Mandalay around 7am. There were other destinations available from Tamu, but you’d want to be well researched before you arrive. It’s not really a town for on-the-spot planning. 

On his recommendation, our driver dropped us off at the Royal Guesthouse, which had hot water, wifi, towels, a soft bed and included breakfast. Pure luxury for us, considering we had precisely two hot showers in India. We paid GBP13 / USD20 for a windowless room with a private bathroom. And their service was spot on.
IMPHAL TO MANDALAY
We did read elsewhere that there may be a direct bus service from Imphal to Mandalay beginning sometime in 2016. We’re not sure how that would work given the 3 weeks required for permits, let alone all the military checkpoints and the sheer journey time through mountainous terrain. 
Breaking it all up makes for a more interesting journey anyway, and although it wasn’t a particularly scenic border crossing, it did give us a lot of fond memories. Having all those Myanmar people wave hello, smile and giggle at us as we crossed over with our backpacks was priceless. 
If you have any questions or anything to add, leave us a message in the comments.
62 Comments
Rachel & Dan link
24/3/2016 09:58:42 am

Hey guys, thank you for the very helpful and most comprehensive advice I have come across for crossing from India into Nepal. I hope you don't mind but I have a few questions:

1- How long did it take the Myanmar embassy in Kathmandu to issue the visa?

2- Did you stay in Imphal at all and visit anything in Manipur? We heard that it is a region with some political instability (the most unstable region of the north east Indian states). We want to explore a bit around Imphal before making our way to the border, maybe do some trekking, but it might be inappropriate...

3- Did you leave Myanmar by land also (it looks like crossing into Thailand would be a similar ordeal). If so, which border crossing did you use?

Thanks so much for your help!

R+D

PS: love the projects page you have!

Reply
Emma
31/3/2016 07:47:12 am

Hi Rachael & Dan,

Sorry for the slow response, we're travelling through outback Australia at the moment and there is virtually no reception!

It only took about 4 days to get our Myanmar visa in Kathmandu, we dedicated a post to it with all the details you need here: http://onewaytickettonepal.weebly.com/blog/how-to-get-a-myanmar-burma-visa-in-kathmandu

We were in Imphal for Christmas, and only passed through the area for the very reason you mentioned. It seemed pretty safe though, and one thing definitely worth checking out is the women's markets. They are some of the most colourful and photogenic markets we saw in the region. If you want to do some hiking, it might be better in Assam or Nagaland, or we really recommend heading down to the living root bridges in Meghalaya: http://onewaytickettonepal.weebly.com/blog/visiting-the-tree-root-bridges-of-meghalaya

We did cross the border from Myanmar into Thailand, at Mae Sot. It was much less hassle as lots of people do border runs here. You can get a visa on arrival, which will only be 2 weeks. We organised ours in Yangon before arriving though so we had a month. It was next day pickup and very straightforward at the embassy.

Hope that's all a help! Let us know if you have anymore question. Enjoy your travels,

Emma

Reply
Ali
5/1/2019 05:06:40 am

Hi emma i found ur post bery very helpful i wanted to kw i am a muslim and am planning to trvel from india to myanmaar wanted to kw during the recent crisis in myanmar is it safe for muslims to travel

Damian Pausma
26/4/2016 03:20:21 pm

Again, so thankful for your up to date blog. Look forward to making our way through this region armed with real information on the border crossing situation.

Reply
Pete
24/6/2016 03:00:53 am

Hi Damain - good luck with the crossing and let us know how you go! We can update this post and help others with newer information :)

Reply
Nikhil
21/6/2016 01:52:17 pm

Hi guys, such a wonderful blog so informative, I hope you would not mind if I ask some questions.

I am an Indian Passport holder, Next year in February 2017 I am planning for an Overland Journey from New Delhi to Bangkok via Yangon.

Now my concerns are as follows :

1. how many days it take to reach Bangkok and return from Moreh Border by hitchhiking.
2. How to get Thailand visa in Yangon and in how many days they issue visa?
3. What are the other legal formalities to cross Myanmar- Thailand border.


I would be grateful if you could help me in this matter.

Thanks & Regards
Nikhil Kanojia

Reply
Pete
24/6/2016 03:15:51 am

Hi Nikhil,

That sounds like quite an adventure - you're going to have an amazing time.

Most people we've met who hitchhike tend to have no real timeframe, as it's such a variable method of transport. Most do it for the adventure of just seeing where they end up. You might want to plan your trip around buses or trains, and hitch some of the routes - that way you have at least something to work around.

We used simple Google Maps to figure out the driving distances between cities - and then multiply it by 2 and you'll get a rough scale for a typical bus route. That should help you plan our your hitchhiking days. Just break the journey down from major city to major city.

We got our Thailand visa in Yangon (as land border crossings into Thailand only give you 14 days, whereas an actual visa gives you a month). The process was quick and easy - it only took a day or two. Two photos need to be supplied, and we printed off our accommodation in Bangkok, too, although I can't remember if they actually asked for it in the end. Just book something through expedia.com with a cancellation if you're not sure - and print off the email. The embassy is good - stern but friendly if you have all your paperwork and it's easy. If you're missing a thing or two, well, i'd be annoyed at you for making my job harder, too ;)

The Myanmar/Thailand border was otherwise a breeze (we crossed at Myawaddy). Just have your visa stamped, walk over the bridge and get overcharged for a tuk-tuk into town to find accommodation. Welcome to Thailand :)

Oh, and lastly - http://hitchwiki.org is a great resource for hitching.

Reply
Nikhil
21/6/2016 01:52:25 pm

Hi guys, such a wonderful blog so informative, I hope you would not mind if I ask some questions.

I am an Indian Passport holder, Next year in February 2017 I am planning for an Overland Journey from New Delhi to Bangkok via Yangon.

Now my concerns are as follows :

1. how many days it take to reach Bangkok and return from Moreh Border by hitchhiking.
2. How to get Thailand visa in Yangon and in how many days they issue visa?
3. What are the other legal formalities to cross Myanmar- Thailand border.


I would be grateful if you could help me in this matter.

Thanks & Regards
Nikhil Kanojia

Reply
Vinod Kumar Singh
18/8/2016 02:02:59 pm

Bangkok u can get visa on arrival on airport. I have got like this.

Reply
Debashis Sarkar
25/2/2017 07:27:22 am

Hi Nikhil

Have you traveled on that route. Then please share your experience. Would like to travel on that route in 2018 February

Reply
Kyle link
15/7/2016 09:07:10 pm

Hey guys! I plan to travel in Myanmmar from Manipur/Tamu in late October. I am a solo traveler and pretty confused. I understand I should apply to get a hard visa (not e-visa) in Kolkata and I need to book a tour or a tour guide?

Is the tour company necessary? Is it okay to go solo or not? What is transportation like once I am in the country? Is it possible that the embassy takes less than three weeks?

Reply
Ra Ba Ve
20/11/2016 10:36:00 am

Hey, If you ever visit our state Manipur I could show you beautiful mountain. I end up in this site trying to learn touring from our state to neighboring countries. If you like mountain and jungles you're gonna love our villages.

Reply
PRODIP CHANDRA ROY
4/12/2016 05:21:22 am

Have u a facebook id? I wanna connect with u in fb. My id is prodip.c.roy. I'm planning to visit Imphal next February.

Emma van Lint link
19/7/2016 11:17:09 am

Hey Kyle,

It seems that now you need a permit for Manipur also, so you'll probably need to apply for that through the Indian embassy. You don't need to book a tour, but we organised our permit through the company we listed in the post.

You'll find transportation on both sides of the border if you ask around. You may end up having to get a driver, but you'll always find something. Just keep talking to lots of people as you go along.

Good luck!

Emma.

Reply
Ibrar Alam
4/9/2016 11:25:13 pm

Hi guys, Thanks for your trip share, I would like to know that the bus is always available in Tamu for mandlay

Reply
Emma
4/9/2016 11:31:49 pm

Hi Ibrar,

We can't tell you exact times. The best way to find out is just turn up and find the bus station. Between the couple of private companies, there seemed to be several leaving throughout the day, so you should be able to find something within a couple of hours of arriving.

Emma

Reply
Ernest
14/9/2016 04:49:37 pm

I am already in moreh and I have no permit, now I need to apply which I understand. But can't I just get it from the Myanmar border gate? Also, I am going to Nigeria from Myanmar and I have a tourist visa. Can I fly from there if I can get this permit? Please reply back ASAP.

Reply
Emma
14/9/2016 10:17:31 pm

Hi Nigel,

As we said in the post it takes 3 weeks to organise a visa, or it did when we went through last year. Good luck with the flight to Nigeria.

Emma

Reply
sheetal
19/9/2016 11:03:29 am

Thanks ..Such a gr8 detail info in blog.
I just wonder how you get visa without flight ticket.
As i heard you have to show up your flight ticket. And if u need on arrival visa u ll get at yangun airport. I am Indian passport holder. I can see only 2 option that to with flight ticket imp.

Sheetal
19/9/2016 10:59:27 am

Thanks ..Such a gr8 detail info in blog.
I just wonder how you get visa without flight ticket.
As i heard you have to show up your flight ticket. And if u need on arrival visa u ll get at yangun airport. I am Indian passport holder. I can see only 2 option that to with flight ticket imp.

Reply
Emma
19/9/2016 11:03:17 am

Hi Sheetal,

We crossed by land, so no flight ticket needed! Maybe you're looking at details for arriving at the airport?

The situation may have changed as it was nearly a year ago that we crossed, and from other friends we've heard you now need to get a visa for the Indian side also.

Good luck!

Emma

Reply
Marius
30/9/2016 05:22:31 pm

Hi there! Thanks for you blog, makes it look nice and easy :)
I'm planning to cross into myanmar by motorbike this december, do you (or anyone else) know if this is possible with the same mtt form or that there might be any complications?
Thanks in advance and keep up the travel and blogging!
Marius (NL)

Reply
Marius NL
30/9/2016 05:24:22 pm

Sorry about the quadriple post

Reply
Anonymous
1/10/2016 04:25:06 am

Hi Marius,

Sounds fun! We're not sure about bringing a motorbike through, but we did meet one family who were applying for their permit in Nepal to drive a van through. For them it was working out to be exceptionally expensive because they had to pay an additional fee for the vehicle, which was somewhere along the lines of a few thousand dollars. Might be worthwhile doing some research into that. They had a blog also that I can't remember the name of right now but I'll try and track it down for you. Good luck, and let us know what you find out!

Emma

Reply
dima link
11/10/2016 07:25:05 pm

good day,
prompt please:
1) in what countries, and cities in these countries (and by what address in each city) can i take permit to cross myanmar border zone near india?
2) how much does permit cost? how much day should i wait it? and how long does is it valid?

Reply
Emma
11/10/2016 09:35:38 pm

Hi,
We organised our permit to cross the border at Moreh via email, from the company listed in the blog post. You don't need a permit to cross at all borders though.

If you are flying in, you can get your visa on arrival in Myanmar.

It took around 3-4 weeks to organise the permit, which was sent through to us via email as well.

Emma

Reply
V
15/10/2016 03:36:43 am

I don't get it. Why didn't you spend more time in India???!!! I've lived in Thailand and now live in Vietnam,(also been to Myanmar),but I will tell you, no country in southeast Asia is as amazing and cultural as the Indian subcontinent. I think you missed out.

Reply
Emma link
15/10/2016 04:56:09 am

Hi V,

I know....I've previously spent 4 months travelling all over India ;) That trip was actually the inspiration for this blog's name, as I originally started an old blog when I left Australia with a 'one way ticket to Nepal'. I had the most incredible time there, and India will always have a special place in my heart...and we will definitely be going back for more in the future. So much to explore in that country!

If you're interested in those (very old!) stories, the original blog is here: https://onewaytickettonepal.wordpress.com/category/india/

We wanted to travel through a different part of India this time, and found the North East states totally different...almost felt like a country on their own, and were completely amazed with the we experiences we had and the people we met there.

Emma.

Reply
Ra ba ve
20/11/2016 10:41:54 am

Am from northeast India and I would welcome you anytime to explore our beautiful land . We have lots of small villages which I haven't visit myself so, let's do it together starting from my villages .

mit
3/11/2016 06:51:18 pm

Hiii all.
Hello
I m MIT.

I want to go haka( Myanmar )
From moreh.
Pls help me how to cross border .

I have indain passport.

Actually my gf is from haka
And I want to go to meet her

So u knw very well .
Plz give me all the details

Like visa
How to cross border
Transportation
Stay
And all

Plz plz plz help me

And it is safe for me

Actually I m going alone .

So plz tell me

Reply
Emma
14/11/2016 06:27:10 am

Hi Mit,

Maybe if your girlfriend is from Myanmar she can help you out with the info? She's probably your best bet!

Emma

Reply
Kevin Ellerton link
2/1/2017 03:11:20 am

Hey guys, I love your website! who made that awesome travel-map at the top? I want to make something like that for my travel blog too :-)

Reply
Emma
2/1/2017 04:38:16 am

Hey Kevin, thanks, glad you like it! Pete made the map :)

Reply
Kevin Ellerton link
2/1/2017 06:43:59 pm

Wow that's seriously impressive. Do you mind if I ask what software he used? I want to make something similar for my travels with my GF. Have fun, wherever you are in the world :-) Namaste.

Jan link
2/1/2017 02:10:27 pm

Hi guys, your info helped me arrange my trip, so here's my bit, current info as for today, perhaps it'll help someone too (I just arrived to Moreh and am crossing to Myanmar tomorrow).

1. No permit for state of Manipur needed, at least not for foreigners. I've heard Indians need one , although i can't confirm that.
- still though, for past 60 days or so been bit of political problems going on in Manipur, so be cautious. I had bit of problem manage some reasonable transport from Dimapur (Nagaland) to Imphal (Manipur). Apparently if government would send bus to Imphal, it gets burnt to ashes... so I ended up paying pretty expensive shared car (1500rp). which is way too much yet i didn't have much choice and after two days on the road, I wasn't in a mood to hassle the price...

2. MYM government changed the conditions recently, now you gotta pay two-way crossing (even though you about to cross just once), which cost me $160. I used the same agency you mentioned here. Pretty expensive.

3. Shared taxi from Imphal to Moreh cost me 500rp. It should be the local price, my friends from Imphal arranged it for me. It was three of paying passengers in van total, so I think your price 3000rp for whole car was bit of rip off performed on you :'-) (unless it was some sort of 'holiday' tax, at the end that's nothing unusual in India, if you foreigner).

otherwise, all the other info seems valid to the current situation (as i said, i still haven't crossed, wish me luck for tomorrow:))

good luck everyone, wherever you roam :)

Jan

Reply
Emma
6/1/2017 12:46:03 pm

Hey Jan,

Thanks so much for the detailed info! Good to hear you make it through relatively easily :)

If you don't mind, we will add it as an update to the actual post, so people can find it easily.

Emma

Reply
Gaskan
23/1/2017 05:17:12 pm

Hi!
Can you update info about if you succesfully crossed the border?
It is possible to enter and exit Myanmar from different borders?(for example: enter from India and exit to Thailand)

Enjoy your trip!

Reply
Emma link
24/1/2017 02:37:14 am

Hi Gaskan,

Haven't heard from Jan since he crossed, so guessing he made it! We entered from India and exited to Thailand, so I'm guessing this is still possible.

If you contact the agency we mentioned in the post they should be able to give you the most up to date info.

Emma.

chethan link
6/1/2017 12:41:20 pm

Hi guys,

great trip, best wishes.. enjoy yourtrip!!

Chethan

Reply
Chawath
15/3/2017 01:38:49 pm

I am travel loving writer (Mumbai)..travelled many Indian and Asian Cities... in search of a good company who is interested exploring places, people, culture... who is widely traveled or eager to travel India, Nepal, Burma Bhutan ..any gender any age any background but for surely of above interest in the blood..!
You can give your reply or mail id ..so that we can workout ..

Regards
Chawth

Reply
Naren link
31/3/2017 11:03:58 am

Hi, Emma & Pete.
Thanks for most informative blog on border crossing.
Im from Bangalore(India) riding my motorbike to Malaysia, your information on border crossing and procuring MTT was indeed very useful,

But i have a question,
For how many days MTT is valid, I need to travel back on the same route, will the same MTT will be valid ?

Reply
BALLI link
17/4/2017 04:37:16 am

plz content me

Reply
Sam van Oerle
24/4/2017 11:58:39 am

Hi Emma,

First of all. It was a pleasure reading your article and good to know that other travelers are trying this crossing as well and sharing their experiences. Now I got a pretty good picture of the crossing itself but what about the states before you arrived in Manipur.

1. Did you needed any kind of permit, guide or form of group to travel through those areas on the way to Manipur at the time?

My journey will take me through the Nepalese/Indian border crossing close to Ilam. Then I will pass through Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland. Information online is contradicting about the situation right now.

2. Which permit do you mean for Myanmar? You got it from an agency in Myanmar before even arriving in the country. Can you get it in Nepal somehow as well?

I will visit both Indian and Burmese embassies in Kathmandu the next few days and hopefully they can clarify the situation a bit.

Regards,

Sam

Reply
Suraj Adhikari
13/6/2017 06:05:26 am

i want to go to myanmar through moreh border along with my bike that is registerd in Nepal.I dont have Carnet de passage but i have my government letter with me describing that i will be touring in my own bike.Now i want to know,if i could enter the border?

Reply
Athiu
7/9/2017 11:27:57 am

Hi, Emma and Pete or anyone reading this. I'm from manipur and I was just reading all the conversations here and I would like to make you aware that there are more to manipur than just imphal. There are other unexplored hill districts such as tamenglong and ukhrul worth visiting especially for adventure lovers and nature lovers and those who wants to experience the rustic village life.it is worth stopping for a week or so in manipur and explore before crossing over to Myanmar. If anyone is interested in visiting the hill districts of manipulation please contact me and I would love to be your guide.

Reply
nikhil
23/9/2017 10:28:02 am

The reason I couldn't travel to Thailand via Myanmar was, I have read somewhere that if we enter Myanmar through land border from India, we can't exit from Thailand to India by air.
please update me if it is true.

Reply
U Ken
1/11/2017 11:43:36 am

Hi Rachel and Dan,

This is so useful, thanks for sharing all the details and insights. I hope to do this in another 6 to 8 months's time and things may have changed by then, but hopefully not drastically.

Thanks again for sharing,
UKen

Reply
Emma link
2/11/2017 07:16:55 am

Hi UKen,

Thanks for the comment, good luck if you do travel this way. Let us know if anything has changed so we can update the post!

Emma

Reply
Patrick Boone
19/1/2018 04:21:39 am

Hello everyone,

My GF and I are currently figuring out if this option is still a possibilty. We are now in Kathmandu. At the embassy we where indeed told to get an invitation letter by an officially registered travel agency from Myanmar, including full itinerary. We are in contact now with someone that can arrange this for us. But she says the situation has changed. The ministry told her that foreign individual travellers can no longer cross this border. Quote from her mail: "Only option that can be possible to pass that border is as part of an organized convoy of vehicles and you have to pay to be escorted by the licensed tour guide and official from Myanmar Tourism Ministry for your entire duration in Myanmar."

Also, the company mentioned in this blog (exoticmyanmar) has responded. The say they can only give a permit if you have/order a complete tour package to travel the country.

We are still not sure what to do, because often the situation on the ground is different than what officials claim. But still, it's quit the risk to go there and then have to go back. She also said that it's not allowed to get out of the country at another border when you enter trough Moreh/Tamu. But it seems that Jan did do it like that about 12 months ago. Maybe it has something to do with the refugee crisis of the Rohinga population.

I will post it if we still go trough with the land bordercrossing and I will report back about the current situation (probably in 1,5 months or so) . It could also be that we take a plane from Bangladesh eventually, even though we want to avoid flying. It seems a bit to difficult.

For now: If anyone has any new information, please post it here to help us and others.

Good luck!

Reply
Patrick Boone
19/1/2018 05:23:37 am

Check out this link. Both our contact in Myanmar and the Exotic Tours agency send it to us, claiming that they cannot arrange any kind of permission anymore. The can only help with this:

http://tourism.gov.mm/en_US/information/type-of-tours-required-to-apply-for-permission/

Reply
Emma link
19/1/2018 05:56:11 am

Hey Patrick,

Thanks for the detailed update, I'm sure everyone will appreciate the new information!

It isn't sounding good for being able to cross, It wouldn't surprise me if it is a result of the Rohinga crisis. Based on our experience, I wouldn't recommend going to the border crossing unless you know for sure that you can get through. Its a very very small town, with absolutely no support for tourists. Unless you have all your paperwork and permits organised in advance, it will be pretty unlikely that you will be able to get through. Not a lot of people speak English either.

Situations do change though, so fingers crossed for you, hopefully you can work something out!

Emma.

Reply
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leptonseoftware link
30/5/2018 09:58:16 am

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Reply
Matthew Gibbons
18/6/2018 03:13:16 am

Ok, this is possibly the most comprehensive border-crossing post I've ever read! Useful stuff here. I live in Myanmar but am thinking of taking a trip to this part of India soon.

Reply
Greg
12/8/2018 07:11:55 am

Land border crossing points between India/Myanmar (re)opened 9th Aug 2018. Moreh (India, Manipur state) and Tamu (Myanmar, Sagaing Division) and Zokhawthar (Inda, Mizoram state) and Rikhawdar (Myanmar, Chin State)

If it is still required to get 'border crossing permits' is not known at this time, but the previous (2017/2018) restrictions have changed according to news reports and Go-Myanmar website information.

Go-Myanmar says this:-
"There are two open borders connecting India and Myanmar: Moreh (India, Manipur state) and Tamu (Myanmar, Sagaing Division) and Zokhawthar (Inda, Mizoram state) and Rikhawdar (Myanmar, Chin State). Foreigners can cross these borders with simply passport and valid visa. Travel in these border regions is also unrestricted.

It is not permitted for foreigners to cross at any other India-Myanmar border points.

We offer a range of overland tours to Myanmar, but please note that we are not able to issue border crossing permits as a stand-alone item - if you book through us you must take a guided tour with set itinerary; this is mandated for tour companies by the Myanmar government and we must always ensure the safety of our clients."

Reply
Allan
9/10/2018 07:22:32 am

Hi Guys,

This is indeed a very very interesting blog. I have always been trying to get the right kind of info about how to go about once we are on the other side of Moreh. Thanks to Emma and Pete, that question was almost answered. All this while Tamu and beyond was always "the other side". Thanks again to you both.

Have read all the questions and replies above and was wondering if anyone did actually make it through - Nikhil / Subashish / Sheetal ??? I just found something on the official government website of Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

Quote -

Entry
You must specify a "Port of Entry" in your application, which is one of the designated International Airports or Land Border Checkpoints. During your actual visit, you may enter Myanmar at any designated international “Port of Entry”, however we strongly recommend you use the one specified in your application to avoid longer processing time at arrival.

Exit
You may exit at any of the International Airports and Land Border Checkpoints. Additionally, you may exit at the Htikee Land Border Checkpoint, but not enter from there at this time.

Announcement - Upcoming Land Border Checkpoints Opening! 24 Aug 2018
We are pleased to announce that eVisa can be used to enter Myanmar from the following land border checkpoints, between Myanmar and India:
1.Tamu Land Border Checkpoint
2.Rih Khaw Dar Land Border Checkpoint

Currently passengers with eVisa are only permitted to enter via following ports :
Yangon International Airport
Mandalay International Airport
Nay Pyi Taw International Airport
Tachileik Land Border Checkpoint
Myawaddy Land Border Checkpoint
Kawthaung Land Border Checkpoint
Tamu Land Border Checkpoint
Rih Khaw Dar Land Border Checkpoint
We will announce other port of entry in due course.

- Unquote

The cost of tourist eVisa is USD 50 and valid for 28 days.

I am really interested to try this route either exiting into Thailand via MaeSot or return back the same route. Is anyone reading this interested to try this exciting trip. We could hitchhike or use public transport.

Would love to hear out asap. Am an Indian passport holder.

Thanks....
Allan

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Shilpi
16/11/2018 03:28:41 pm

I plan to take land route from tamu to India in Dec second week.

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mr. singh link
25/10/2018 05:29:13 pm

it is useful news

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Eileen
29/10/2018 10:23:12 am

Thanks for the post guys. I have read that you can now enter here with an evisa and no permit is needed. How long did the border crossing take? I am heading towards Kalaymyo in Chin State and wondered if I could leave from Imphal early morning and get on a bus to Kalaymyo the same day without stopping for the night in Moreh? What would you guys suggest is practical? Thanks!!

Reply
Mayur
1/1/2019 08:05:53 am

Hi Eileen, few days ago I took a mini-bus journey from Kalaymyo to Tamu, which took about four hours and 4000 Kiyat (2.5$). It seemed multiple number of such buses leave for Tamu everyday in the first half, although I am not sure about the journey from Tamu side. From Imphal to Tamu it takes at least four hours, considering some more time for immigration, I am not sure whether you can still catch a bus for Kale. Big buses from Tamu leave for Mandalay at about 11 AM. Tamu has only two hotels that can take foreigners which is a little risky situation, although luckily we got a room even without any prior booking...

Reply
Amit
5/1/2019 03:19:51 am

Hi..I found this blog to be the most relevant and informative on the topic...i am also planning for hitchhiking from India to veitnam via myanmar, Thailand and combodia in comming Feb..please update if more information is available regarding route, visa, permit if any etc..

Reply
Emma van Lint link
10/1/2019 10:28:28 pm

Hi Amit,

Probably just best to keep checking back here for any new comments and tips from people who have crossed recently.

If you do go across the border, please leave any updated info here for others who may want to do the same.

Thanks,

Emma.

Reply



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