Malaysia visa requirements depend on your nationality. Citizens of the 30 countries on the Immigration Department's visa list must get a visa or eVISA before travelling, although Indian citizens are currently exempt until 31 December 2026. Most other nationalities can arrive visa-free for a short social visit.
Whatever your passport, every tourist must also meet the same entry conditions: a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry, a confirmed return or onward ticket, enough money for the stay and a completed Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC), unless exempt. Even then, the immigration officer at the border makes the final decision.
Everything below was checked on 30 October 2026 against the Immigration Department of Malaysia (imi.gov.my), its MyVISA portal and official Malaysian and Chinese government notices. Visa rules change often, so check the official list again shortly before you travel.
Quick answer: do tourists need a visa for Malaysia?
Only if your nationality is on the Immigration Department's visa list, which covers 30 countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. Indian citizens are visa-exempt until 31 December 2026 and Chinese ordinary passport holders visa-free for 30 days per entry. Everyone needs a passport valid six months from entry, an onward ticket, funds and the MDAC.
What every tourist needs to enter Malaysia
Beyond the Malaysia visa requirements for your nationality, the published entry rules apply to every visitor, visa-free or not. Missing any of them can stop you at airline check-in or at the immigration counter.
| Requirement | What the official rules say |
|---|---|
| Passport | A recognised passport or travel document valid for six months or more from the date of entry into Malaysia |
| Visa | Required only for listed nationalities and certain travel documents; obtain it before you travel |
| Return ticket and funds | Proof you can support yourself in Malaysia and a confirmed ticket home or to another country |
| Malaysia Digital Arrival Card | Submitted online within three days before arrival, unless you are in an exempt group |
| Not a prohibited immigrant | People barred under Section 8 of the Immigration Act 1959/63 are refused even with a valid passport, visa and ticket |
| Yellow fever certificate | Required on arrival if you travel from a country at risk of yellow fever, as listed by Malaysia's Ministry of Health |
The Immigration Department is clear that a visa is not an absolute guarantee of entry. The officer on duty at the checkpoint decides whether you are admitted and how long you may stay.
Malaysia visa requirements by nationality
The Immigration Department publishes one list of nationalities that must apply for a visa before entering Malaysia. As of 30 October 2026, it contains these 30 countries.
| Condition | Nationalities |
|---|---|
| Visa required, entry by air only | Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda |
| Visa required | Bangladesh, Bhutan, Colombia, Montenegro, Nepal, Pakistan, Serbia, Sri Lanka |
| Visa required, approval letter first | Afghanistan: social visitors must obtain a visa approval letter before applying |
| On the list but currently exempt | India: visa exemption until 31 December 2026 |
Some travel documents need a visa whatever the holder's nationality, including laissez-passer, certificates of identity, titres de voyage and US re-entry permits. The same page notes that ASEAN nationals, except Myanmar, do not need a visa for stays of under one month.
If your nationality is not on the list, you are generally not required to obtain a visa in advance for a short social visit. The number of days you receive is decided on arrival, and some nationalities face other restrictions, so confirm your exact case on the official visa requirement by country page or with your nearest Malaysian embassy.
Visa exemptions in 2026: India, China and Myanmar
Three nationality-specific arrangements matter most for 2026. Each has its own stay limit, and India's has a fixed end date.
| Nationality | Arrangement | Maximum stay | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Visa exemption for visits other than work or study | 30 days | 31 December 2026 |
| China (ordinary and public affairs passports) | Mutual visa exemption agreement, in force since 17 July 2025 | 30 days per entry, 90 days in any 180-day period | No end date announced |
| Myanmar | Visa exemption for short-term social visits, effective 1 October 2025 | 14 days | No end date announced |
Indian passport holders
The Home Ministry extended the exemption for Indian citizens to 31 December 2026, partly to support Visit Malaysia Year 2026, and the Immigration Department's visa page still shows that date. Nothing extending it into 2027 had been published when we checked. If you will enter Malaysia on or after 1 January 2027, recheck before booking.
Chinese passport holders
Under the China-Malaysia mutual visa exemption agreement, ordinary and public affairs passport holders can stay up to 30 days per entry, with no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Malaysia's MDAC portal adds that the passport must have at least six months' validity. Work, study, residence and stays over 30 days still need the correct visa.
Myanmar passport holders
The Embassy of Malaysia in Yangon announced a visa exemption of up to 14 days for Myanmar passport holders on short-term social visits from 1 October 2025, subject to the immigration officer's approval.
How to apply for a Malaysia eVISA
If your nationality needs a visa, apply online through MyVISA, the Immigration Department's only official eVISA portal.
Use malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my, which also has a MyVISA mobile app launched in May 2026 and a 24-hour live chat for application problems. Since August 2025, eVISA applications have been open to all foreign nationals who require a visa and whose country has diplomatic relations with Malaysia.
Tourists normally apply for a Visa Without Reference (VTR). A Visa With Reference (VDR) needs prior approval and is used for study, work and similar purposes. Older guides mention eNTRI, but the Immigration Department's current visa pages direct visa-required travellers to the eVISA portal.
Use only the official portal: the Immigration Department has named keymalaysia.com as not an official eVISA website and says it is not responsible for misconduct by third parties in the eVISA process. Third-party sites may also charge extra for an application you can make yourself.
Have a passport scan, a recent photo, your confirmed return or onward ticket and your hotel bookings ready. Make sure names, dates and passport numbers match exactly across your visa application, flight booking and MDAC.
Visa types, and the 2026 Multiple Entry Visa change
- Single Entry Visa: issued mainly for social visits, normally valid for one entry within three months of issue. Visa validity is not the same as your permitted stay, which is set on arrival.
- Transit Visa: for visa-required travellers who must enter Malaysia in transit. You do not need one if you stay within the airport and continue on the same flight.
- Visa With Reference: for study, employment and other purposes approved in advance.
- Multiple Entry Visa (MEV): from 1 September 2026, the MEV is no longer available to all nationalities. It is limited to 30 eligible nationalities for fly-and-cruise, business, medical treatment and wedding tourism trips.
The Immigration Department's older "types of visas" page still describes the previous MEV terms. Treat the September 2026 announcement as current and check MyVISA for your nationality.
Business visitors and conference delegates should read the permitted activities below. For group events, our MICE and business tourism team in Malaysia can coordinate delegate arrivals, transfers and venues.
What can you do on a tourist visit?
Visitors are given a Short Term Social Visit Pass on arrival. The Immigration Department lists the purposes it covers.
Allowed
Tourism, social visits and visiting relatives, meetings and conferences, business discussions, signing agreements, factory inspections, auditing company accounts, investment surveys, seminars, sports competitions, journalism and other activities approved by the Director General of Immigration.
Not allowed
Employment and formal study. These need a separate pass or a Visa With Reference arranged before you travel.
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card: required as well as any visa
The MDAC is a free online arrival registration that all foreign visitors must complete within three days before arrival, unless exempt. Singapore citizens, diplomatic and official passport holders, Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders are among the exempt groups.
It is not a visa. Visa-required travellers need both. Submit it only on the official Malaysia Digital Arrival Card portal, and give every traveller in your group, children included, their own form.
Passport validity, onward ticket and proof of funds
Passport
Your passport must be valid for six months or more from the date you enter Malaysia, not from the date you leave home. If you are close to the limit, renew first, as airlines may refuse boarding.
Return or onward ticket
The entry rules call for a confirmed ticket back to your home country or on to another country. Make sure the departure date falls within the stay you expect to receive.
Proof of funds
Visitors must be able to show they can support themselves during the stay. The official entry rules we checked do not set a fixed amount, so carry a bank card, recent statement or prepaid hotel and tour vouchers that make your plan look realistic.
How long can you stay, and can you extend?
Your permitted stay is whatever the immigration officer grants on arrival, within the limit for your nationality or visa. Do not assume a friend with a different passport gets the same.
The MDAC portal's Check Visit Pass tool shows your recent entry and exit records. Make a note of the date your pass expires and leave before it.
Extensions of a social visit pass are only considered in special circumstances, such as illness, an accident or war in your home country. You must apply in person with form IMM.55, supporting evidence and a confirmed ticket out of Malaysia.
Overstaying is an offence: under Section 15(4) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, the penalty is a fine of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to five years or both, or a compound of RM3,000. A cancelled flight does not extend your pass, so contact Immigration before it expires.
Visiting Sabah or Sarawak
Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo keep their own immigration controls. Even on a domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur, foreign visitors should carry their passport and expect it to be checked, together with their valid pass, when entering and leaving these states.
Keep your passport in your hand luggage rather than your checked bag. Our Borneo excursions in Sabah cover orangutans, Mount Kinabalu and river rafting.
Customs and health rules to know
- Cash: declare cash or bearer negotiable instruments above USD 10,000 equivalent to Customs when you arrive or leave.
- Yellow fever: bring your vaccination certificate if you are travelling from a country at risk, as listed by the Ministry of Health.
- Combining with Singapore: Singapore has its own entry rules. Embassy Alliance handles Singapore visas for travellers from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Pre-departure checklist
Run through this list a week before you fly to confirm you meet the Malaysia visa requirements and entry rules for every person in your group.
- Check your nationality and travel document on the official visa list.
- Confirm your passport is valid for six months from your arrival date.
- Apply for an eVISA on malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my if you need one.
- Book a confirmed return or onward ticket.
- Save hotel confirmations, especially the first night's full address.
- Submit an MDAC for every traveller within three days of arrival.
- Pack proof of funds and, if relevant, a yellow fever certificate.
- Keep paper or offline copies of everything in your hand luggage.
Related Malaysia Travel Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand are not on the Immigration Department's list of nationalities that must apply for a visa, so their citizens can usually visit for a short social visit without one. They still need a passport valid six months from entry, an onward ticket and an MDAC.
The Immigration Department's current visa pages describe single entry, multiple entry and transit visas obtained in advance, mainly through the MyVISA eVISA portal, and do not offer a general visa on arrival for tourists. If your nationality needs a visa, get it approved before you fly, because airlines may refuse boarding without one.
As of 30 October 2026, the official end date is still 31 December 2026 and no extension had been published. Indian travellers arriving on or after 1 January 2027 should check the Immigration Department's visa page or the High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi before booking, and be ready to apply for an eVISA if the exemption lapses.
Government visa fees depend on nationality. The Immigration Department's visa fees table lists, for example, RM20 for Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan and RM15 for Sri Lanka, with RM20 for nationalities not listed. Check the total shown in MyVISA before paying, and never pay a third-party site for an application you can make yourself.
Leaving the airport means entering Malaysia. If your nationality is on the visa list, you need a valid visa first, and every non-exempt foreign visitor passing immigration needs an MDAC. If you stay airside and continue on the same flight, you do not need a transit visa.
Yes. Each child is assessed on their own passport and nationality, so a child travelling on a passport from a visa-required country needs their own visa even if a parent holds a different passport. Every foreign child also needs a separate MDAC, which a parent can complete on their behalf.
Yes, within limits. The Short Term Social Visit Pass covers meetings, conferences, business discussions, signing agreements and seminars. It does not allow you to take up employment in Malaysia; that requires the correct pass, applied for with a Malaysian sponsor before you travel.
Visa sorted? Plan the trip itself
The safest way to handle Malaysia visa requirements is to check the official list with your exact passport, then line up the six-month passport validity, onward ticket, funds and MDAC before you fly.
With the paperwork done, start with our Malaysia travel guide for first-time visitors, check the best time to visit Malaysia, or follow our 7-day Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi itinerary. Embassy Alliance can then arrange airport transfers in Kuala Lumpur, hotels, guides and full private tours.
