Burma has approved the introduction of foreign credit cards, a move that will greatly simplify life for visitors to the former outcast nation.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Friday that the finance ministry has given approval for Visa, MasterCard, China UnionPay and Japan Credit Bureau to enter the long-closed country. The paper did not say when the introduction would take place.

Because of decades of U.S. and western sanctions, major credit cards are not widely accepted in Burma, forcing tourists and businesspeople to carry large amounts of cash.

Washington has eased restrictions on Burma after reforms including the release of some political prisoners and the election of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament.