Yes, you are going to need crisp, wrinkle-free US dollar bills in perfect condition prior to visiting Myanmar.
It is quite apparent that bringing cash when travelling is highly essential. You can of course, bring your Visa or Mastercard with you as backup, but paying in cash is very common and highly preferred in Myanmar. While most money changers in foreign countries are not very particular with the condition of your US dollar bills (as long as they are not fake), majority of money changers in Myanmar require US dollar bills in crisp, perfect condition.
Facing problems in terms of exchanging US dollars that are in fair to poor conditions is a very common problem to many travellers in Myanmar. If your US dollar bill is folded, stained, creased or torn, it’s most likely to be rejected by the majority of money changers in the country. If not rejected, there’s a huge possibility that you will get a very low exchange rate for your marred dollar bill. Even the slightest fold or stain can make your US dollar bill impossible to be changed. To keep your US dollar bills fresh and pristine, keep them in a flat folder or envelope – never in your wallet.
This is one major reason why we require our clients to bring US dollar bills in pristine and perfect condition prior to visiting the country. We would like to make sure that our clients do not face the same problem in order for them to shop, dine and explore Myanmar with utmost convenience.
Another important thing to note when it comes to exchanging fresh US dollar bills to Myanmar kyat is to bring US dollar bills in bigger denominations. Take $50 and $100 bills with you and make sure that they are crisp and in perfect condition. Bigger denominations usually get much better exchange rates in Burmese money changers.