Myanmar sanctions: guidance
Statutory guidance for the Myanmar sanctions regime, plus a summary of its purposes, scope and prohibitions.
Documents
Details
The Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021, and certain other regulations, are in force to meet the UK’s policy objectives.
This summary gives a quick overview of the sanctions in place under the regime. It is not comprehensive and is not a replacement for the statutory guidance or the regulations themselves.
Summary
Regime is limited in scope to:
- sanctions targeting designated persons
- sanctions in respect of:
- military goods and technology
- dual-use goods and technology
- internal repression goods and technology
- restricted goods and technology
- interception and monitoring goods and technology
- interception and monitoring services
- provision of certain goods and services to the Tatmadaw
Designated persons
The UK Sanctions List tells you who is designated under the regime and which sanctions have been applied to them. A designated person can be an individual, a business or an organisation.
The statutory guidance lists in detail the sanctions that can apply in respect of designated persons, including:
- an asset freeze on their funds and other assets
- making available funds or economic resources to them or for their benefit
- director disqualification
- immigration sanction (travel ban)
Sanctioned goods and services
You must not export or otherwise supply or transfer to or for use in Myanmar, or to a person connected with Myanmar certain goods in these categories (this is not an exhaustive list):
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military, security and para-military goods, software and technology and arms, ammunition and related material
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dual-use goods and technology for military use or to, or for use by, the Myanmar security forces – see Dual-use items, software and technology
- goods and technology which might be used for internal repression in Myanmar
- goods and technology which might be used for the monitoring and interception of telecommunications
Related financial services, brokering services and technical assistance may also be subject to sanctions.
You must not directly or indirectly provide interception and monitoring services, to or for the benefit of the Government of Myanmar.
You must not provide technical assistance, armed personnel, financial services or funds or associated brokering services to or for the benefit of the Tatmadaw (or persons acting on its behalf or under its direction) where such provision relates to the military activities of the recipient, or otherwise enables or facilitates the conduct of armed hostilities, in Myanmar.
Updates to this page
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Added summary of the regime's purposes, scope and prohibitions.
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Page has been updated for better clarity and usability. No material changes to text.
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Page navigation has been updated for better usability. No material changes to text.
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These changes reflect the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No.2) Regulations 2024 and taken together make a range of technical changes with the purpose of improving OFSI’s ability to gather intelligence on industry’s compliance with financial sanctions, strengthen OFSI’s enforcement powers, enable OFSI to conduct its licensing responsibilities more efficiently, and clarify financial sanctions legislation where there is existing uncertainty.
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Added the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) as a supporting organisation, who took over civil enforcement for sanctions in October 2024. As part of these new powers, OTSI has introduced a new service to apply for sanctions licences for the provision of services, which replaces the previous process of applying via SPIRE. Applications for goods-related exports sanctions licences remain via SPIRE.
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First published.