Malaysia tourist visa requirements are fairly easy to understand. Most nationalities are exempt from a tourist visa. Rest can obtain an eVisa or Visa on Arrival.
Currently, there are 5 different visa options available to enter Malaysia as a tourist.
- Visa Exemption: 169 nationalities are visa-exempt for stays up to 90 days
- Visa on Arrival: 2 nationalities are eligible to obtain Visa on Arrival for stays up to 15 days
- eVisa: 33 nationalities can obtain eVisa for stays up to 30 days
- Transit Without Visa (TWOA): 9 nationalities are eligible to obtain TWOA for 120 hours (5 days)
- Visa from the embassy: 35 nationalities require a pre-approved visa from the Malaysian embassy prior to arrival
Table of Contents
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MALAYSIA TOURIST VISA REQUIREMENTS BY NATIONALITY
Minimum passport validity required to enter Malaysia as a tourist
The minimum passport validity required to enter Malaysia is 6 months.
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VISA REQUIRED nationalities
30-day, single-entry
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- China
- Colombia
- Congo Rep. of
- Congo Dem. Rep.
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- North Korea
- Israel
- Kosovo
- Liberia
- Mali
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Rwanda
- Serbia
- Sri Lanka
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TRANSIT VISA EXEMPT nationalities
A Malaysia transit visa is NOT REQUIRED if
- You are NOT leaving the airport and
- Continuing to the next destination with the same flight/airline
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TRANSIT WITHOUT VISA (TWOV) nationalities
120-hour (5-day), single-entry
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- China
- India
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- Vietnam
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Visa Requirement for CRUISE PASSENGERS
A Malaysia visa is REQUIRED to disembark the cruise at Malaysian ports.
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Visa Exemption (VISA-FREE)
Malaysia has a liberal visa policy offering visa exemption to 169 nationalities. Most nationalities can stay up to 30 days without requiring a tourist visa. About one-third of these nationalities can stay up to 90 days without a visa.
90-day entry
- Albania
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Maldives
- Malta
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Niue
- Norway
- Oman
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Sint Maarten
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Yemen
30-day entry
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- Chile
- China (* temporary)
- Comoros
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- India (* temporary)
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Laos
- Lesotho
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Palestine
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Russia
- Samoa
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
* Temporary
China and India are temporarily visa-exempt until 31 Dec 2024.
14-day entry
- Iran
- Lybia
Documents to carry
Apart from your passport, you must also carry the below documents in print or on your smartphone.
- Proof of return or onward travel (your return or onward flight/bus/train ticket)
- Proof of accommodation (a hotel reservation for the first few days)
- Proof of funds to sustain your trip (some cash or ATM/Credit cards)
If you are traveling on a one-way ticket, make sure to get proof of return ticket from an onward ticket agency such as Best Onward Ticket.
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Malaysia Visa on Arrival (VOA)
Malaysia Visa on Arrival (VOA) is available to China and India passport holders arriving from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia or Brunei with a valid visa from those countries.
There are some specific rules to follow and can only be obtained at certain ports.
Requirements
- You must arrive from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, or Brunei with a valid visa from the country.
- You must produce a valid onward ticket out of Malaysia within 15 days.
- You must prove that you have at least 500 USD (or the equivalent in Malaysian Ringgit). The money can be in cash or credit or debit card.
VOA fee
The visa on arrival costs 200 MYR and is payable only by card. This makes it the most expensive tourist visa option for Malaysia, so you should consider getting an eVisa as a cheaper alternative.
Allowed stay
You can stay in Malaysia for 15 days using the VOA. This is strictly not extendable.
For further reading, refer to the Malaysia Visa on Arrival article to learn about allowed ports of entry, documents required and the VOA procedure at Kuala Lumpur airport.
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Malaysia eVisa
Malaysia eVisa is available to those nationalities that are not visa-exempt. There are two types of eVisas, Single Entry Visa (SEV) and Multiple Entry Visa (MEV). Both are valid for 6 months and allow stays of 30 days. The approval process takes about 2 working days.
You must print the eVisa after you get it. Digital copies are not accepted.
Eligible countries
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- China*
- Colombia
- Congo Democratic Republic
- Congo Republic
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- India*
- Ivory Coast
- Kosovo
- Liberia
- Mali
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Nigeria
- Niger
- Pakistan
- Rwanda
- Serbia
- Sri Lanka
*India and China are visa-exempt until 31 Dec 2024.
Conditions
You can apply for the eVisa from anywhere in the world, except from these 3 countries:
- Israel
- Malaysia
- North Korea
If you are applying from a country other than your country of passport, you must provide proof of residency in that country. The eVisa portal tracks the IP address. It knows where you are applying from and asks you to upload proof of residency from that country.
If you reside in Israel or North Korea, you will not be allowed to apply. If you are already inside Malaysia, you won’t be allowed to apply either.
Required documents
During the application process, you will need to upload the following:
- Copy of passport biodata page (passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your entry into Malaysia)
- Digital passport photo
- Confirmed return ticket
- Proof of paid accommodation
- Birth certificate for minor applicants (if applicable)
- Other supporting documents (if any)
The requirements for the facial photo are very strict. The application will not let you proceed until you have uploaded a satisfactory image. There is also an editor which will prompt you to crop and adjust the image.
eVisa Fee
The eVisa will cost around 126 MYR in total:
- A visa fee of 20 MYR for most nationalities (50 MYR for India and 30 MYR for China)
- A processing charge of 105 MYR
- A service service charge of 0.8% for card payment or 1.7% for eWallet payment
For further reading, refer to the Malaysia eVisa article. This article has detailed information on the eVisa eligibility, requirements, documentation, processing time and application procedure. It will also direct you to a step-by-step article to help you apply for your Malaysia eVisa.
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MALAYSIA TOURIST VISA FROM THE EMBASSY
Validity of Malaysia tourist visa
The validity of a Malaysia tourist visa is 3 months for a single entry and 6 months for a multiple entry visa.
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How long can you stay in Malaysia on a tourist visa
You can stay up to 30 days in Malaysia on a tourist visa. Passport holders from the African continent can only stay up to 14 days.
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Passport validity required for tourist visa
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your expected date of arrival in Malaysia.
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Blank pages needed in the passport for tourist visa
You must have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for the tourist visa. One page for the visa sticker and one page for entry and exit stamps.
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Documents required
You will need the following documents.
- Completed Malaysia visa application form (download here)
- Original passport
- 2 photocopies of the passport bio page
- 2 passport-size photos (3.5cm X 5cm)
- Round trip flight tickets (return ticket must be within 30 days of arrival)
- Bank statement
- Invitation letter (if any)
- Payment of visa fee
- Yellow fever vaccination if applicable (these countries require a yellow fever vaccination)
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Photo requirements
The photo must meet the following requirements.
- Must be of size 3.5cm X 5cm
- Must be in color with white background
- Must be the latest, taken in the last 6 months
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Visa fee
The visa fee is anywhere from 6 MYR (about $1.5 USD) to 50 MYR (about $12 USD) depending on the country of your passport.
Please refer to the Malaysia Immigration Portal for the current visa fee for your nationality.
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Processing time
The tourist visa processing time is about 3-5 working days.
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TWOV (TRANSIT WITHOUT VISA) TRANSIT PASS
Transit Without Visa (TWOV) is for those passengers that are transiting via Malaysia but would like to leave the airport and enter Malaysia for a limited amount of time.
TWOV is available at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA1 and KLIA 2) only. TWOV is NOT available at any other airport, land border or seaport in Malaysia.
Issuing of TWOV transit pass is at the discretion of the immigration officer at the airport.
TWOV is available to the following nationalities only.
- GROUP 1: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- GROUP 2: Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam
TWOV requirements for GROUP 1: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- Must hold a single/multiple-entry visa or residence permit from Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan or the USA
- Must enter and exit KLIA1 or KLIA2 with Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia and Malindo Air only
- Must hold a confirmed (with e-ticket number) flight ticket to your country of passport or to a third country within 120 hours
TWOV requirements for GROUP 2: Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam
- Can enter KLIA1/KLIA2 with any airline but must exit KLIA1/KLIA2 with Malaysian Airlines or Air Asia only
- Must hold a confirmed (with e-ticket number) flight ticket to your country of passport or to a third country within 120 hours
NOTE
If you are transiting via Malaysia and not leaving the airport, then you do not need a TWOV transit pass. TWOV transit pass is necessary only if you plan to leave the airport.
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Validity of TWOV transit pass
The validity of Malaysia TWOV transit pass is 120 hours (5 days) from the date and time of issue at the port of entry in Malaysia.
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How long can you stay in Malaysia on a TWOV transit pass
You can stay up to 120 hours (5 days) in Malaysia on a TWOV transit pass. Extensions are not allowed.
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Passport validity required for TWOV transit pass
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival in Malaysia
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Documents required
You will need the following documents.
- A valid single/multiple-entry visa or a residence permit from Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan or the USA (*this requirement is applicable to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka nationals only)
- A confirmed (with e-ticket number) flight ticket to your country of passport or to a third country within 120 hours
- Proof of financial ability of 500 MYR in the form of cash or credit/debit cards
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Visa fee
TWOV transit pass is issued FREE of cost to all eligible passport holders.
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ENTRY AND EXIT PROCEDURE AT THE AIRPORT
Entering Malaysia by air
If you are obtaining Visa on Arrival or Transit Without Visa (TWOV), head to Visa on Arrival (VOA) section. You must produce all the required documentation and fee in order to obtain your VOA or TWOV.
If you are visa-exempt or hold an eVisa or a visa from the embassy, head straight to the immigration and customs. Present your eVisa print along with your original passport.
You may be asked what you plan to do in Malaysia, how many days you plan to stay, etc. You may be asked to show your return/onward flight ticket and hotel booking. If you are traveling on a one-way ticket, make sure to get proof of return ticket from an onward ticket agency such as onwardticket.com.
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Leaving Malaysia by air
You will go through passport control on exit. Exit formalities are fairly quick but make sure to account for a bit of extra time for this. No questions will be asked unless you have overstayed your visa.
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CONCLUSION
Malaysia tourist visa requirements are easy to understand. Though there are many types of visas, the requirements for each of them are very clear. Most nationalities are exempt from visas. Rest can obtain eVisa or Visa on Arrival.
