A visa application is recommended if you plan to visit Malaysia. When entering Malaysia, visa holders are exempt from immigration checks at the airport. The Immigration Officer has the last say on whether or not you are permitted entry into Malaysia; thus, having a visa is no guarantee that you will be allowed in.
However, you will not need a visa at all to visit Malaysia. If you are one of the many who have wondered, “Do I need a visa for Malaysia?” but have not yet booked your trip to Kuala Lumpur or one of Malaysia’s other popular tourist destinations, this article should answer your question.
Who Requires a Malaysian Visa?
Visitors from the following nations require a valid visa to enter and remain within Malaysia:
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Congo Democratic Republic, Comoros, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Liberia, Myanmar, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda, Serbia, Montenegro, Sri Lanka, United Nations (Laissez Passer) and Western Sahara
For Stays of up to 90 days
If your stay in Malaysia will be less than 90 days, and you are a citizen of one of the following nations or territories, you will not require a visa stamp to enter the country.
| Afghanistan | Congo Republic Mozambique | Angola |
| Co’te D’Ivoire | Myanmar | Bangladesh |
| Djibouti | Nepal | Bhutan |
| Equatorial Guinea | Bhutan | New Zealand |
| Burkina Faso | Eritrea | Niger |
| Burundi | Ethiopia | Pakistan |
| Canada | Ghana | Rwanda |
| Cameroon | Guinea-Bissau | Serbia |
| Central African Republic | Hong Kong | The Island of Sri Lanka |
| China | India | United Nations (Laissez Passer) |
| Colombia | Liberia | Western Sahara |
| Comoros | Mali | Congo Democratic Republic Montenegro |
A maximum of 30-day stays
If you are a citizen of any of the following countries or territories, you can enter Malaysia visa-free for stays of up to 30 days:
| Armenia | Azerbaijan | Barbados |
| Belarus | Benin | Bolivia |
| Bulgaria | Cambodia | Cape Verde |
| Chad | Chile | Costa Rica |
| Ecuador | El Salvador | Estonia |
| Gabon | Georgia | Greece |
| Guatemala | Guinea Republic | Haiti |
| Honduras | Hong Kong | Iraq |
| Kazakhstan | Latvia | Lithuania |
| Special Administrative Region of Macao | Macedonia | Madagascar |
| Mauritania | Mexico | Moldova |
| Monaco | Mongolia | Nicaragua |
| Pyongyang, DPRK | North Yemen Palestine Panama | Paraguay |
| Portugal | Russia | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Senegal | Slovenia | Somalia |
| Sudan | Surinam | Tajikistan |
| Togo | Ukraine | Upper Volta |
| Uzbekistan | The Holy See, Vatican | Venezuela |
| Zaire |
For a 14-day stay:
For stays of up to 14 days, citizens of the following countries and territories do not need a visa to enter Malaysia: Libya, Permit-Holding Residents of Macao’s Special Administrative Region, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and South Yemen
Travel for work that lasts up to 60 days
An APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is available to citizens of certain countries, allowing them to visit any other signatory nation without first obtaining a visa.
If you have an ABTC provision with an “MYS” code on the back, you can visit Malaysia for a business trip of up to 60 days. Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam are among the signatories.
If your country is not featured on any of the lists above, kindly contact the nearest Malaysian Embassy or Consulate to check whether you need a visa.
Who Requires a Transit Visa for Malaysia and Why?
If you are from a nation that requires a visa and you are changing terminals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, you must have a valid visa in order to board your next flight.
Those who will be transiting through Malaysia and who will not be changing terminals during their stay of fewer than 24 hours are exempt from obtaining a visa.
However, those from the following countries who need a visa to enter Malaysia can obtain a 120-hour Transit Pass:
- Bhutan
- China
- Myanmar
- Nepal
The following requirements must be met:
Their connecting flight must be operated by Air Asia or Malaysia Airlines, and they must transit through Kuala Lumpur International Airport within 120 hours.
Furthermore, subject to specific requirements, citizens of the following countries may also apply for a Malaysian Transit Pass: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The following terms and conditions apply in addition to those already stated:
Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, or the United States visas or resident permits are required.
Travel to or from one of those nations is required.
Unless they have a valid resident visa for one of these countries, they are required to use the main terminal or KLIA2 for both arrivals and departures.
Who Qualifies for a Visa Upon Arrival in Malaysia?
Visas on Arrival to Malaysia (good for up to 7 days) are available to citizens of India and China who meet the following requirements.
- They are flying in straight from faraway countries like Indonesia, Singapore, or Thailand.
- This person is a citizen of one of those nations and possesses a current visa.
- If they fly into Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or Penang International Airport if they fly into Kota Kinabalu Airport in Sabah or Kuching International Airport in Sarawak, or if they fly into Sultan Ismail Airport in Senai, Johor Bahru, or if they fly into Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, they can apply for a Visa on Arrival at those airports.
Conclusion:
To sum up, a visa is required to enter Malaysia depending on your nationality and the reason for your stay. To obtain a visa, one must go through the appropriate channels and pay the appropriate fees to the relevant immigration authorities. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with these needs, you can +rest assured that your time in Malaysia will go without a hitch.
