How To Apply For Malaysia Visa

Traveling to Malaysia is something you ought to consider doing. Amazing food, gorgeous national parks, picturesque beaches, internationally recognized marine life, a rich history, and a dynamic culture are just a few of Malaysia’s many attractions. This nation ought to be your top destination on your upcoming world tour.

Foreign nationals from countries that require visas and who want to enter Malaysia are issued a Malaysia visa.

Only Malaysia is accessible with a Malaysian visa, and border procedures must be completed upon entry. As a result, obtaining a visa does not ensure that you will be able to stay in Malaysia for any reason. Whether or not you are allowed to enter Malaysia is a decision made by the immigration officer at the entry point.

Every foreign visitor will receive a Pass from the immigration official at the entry point. A Malaysia Pass is an endorsement in your passport that specifies how long you are permitted to stay in the nation.

Even if you are not required to obtain a Malaysian visa before travel, you will still receive a Pass on your passport and be subject to an immigration check at the entry point.

As such, a Malaysia Visa is simply a pre-entry requirement – you will need the permission of the Immigration Officer to enter.

Should I Obtain a Visa Before Traveling to Malaysia?

You must apply for a visa to travel to Malaysia if you are from a nation that is not excluded from this need.

However, citizens of several nations are exempt from obtaining a visa to enter Malaysia for limited periods. However, you will need to apply for a visa if your trip will be longer than the permitted amount of time without a visa.

For instance, if you only intend to stay in Malaysia for up to 90 days and are a citizen of the United States or one of the European Union member states, you do not need to obtain a visa. But if you intend to stay for longer than 90 days, you do need to apply for a Malaysia visa, or the appropriate Pass related to your travel (work, study, family reunification, etc).

The following countries have to have a visa when traveling to Malaysia for any length of time:

Afghanistan	Angola	Bangladesh	Bhutan
Burkina Faso	Burundi	Cameroon	Central African Republic
China	Colombia	Comoros	Congo Democratic Republic
Congo Republic	Côte D’Ivoire	Djibouti	Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea	Ethiopia	Ghana	Guinea-Bissau
Hong Kong	India	Liberia	Mali
Mozambique	Myanmar	Nepal	Niger
Niger	Pakistan	Rwanda	Serbia
Montenegro	Sri Lanka	United Nations (Laissez Passer)	Western Sahara

Malaysia Visa-Exempt Countries

There are some nations whose nationals do not require a Malaysian visa if they are only visiting for brief periods.

For stays of up to 90 days

If your stay in Malaysia is less than 90 days, you can enter visa-free if you are from one of the following nations or territories:

Afghanistan	Congo Republic	Mozambique
Angola	Cote D’Ivoire	Myanmar
Bangladesh	Djibouti	Nepal
Bhutan	Equatorial Guinea	New Zealand
Burkina Faso	Eritrea	Niger
Burundi	Ethiopia	Pakistan
Canada	Ghana	Rwanda
Cameroon	Guinea-Bissau	Serbia
Central African Republic	Hong Kong	Sri Lanka
China	India	United Nations (Laissez Passer)
Colombia	Liberia	Western Sahara
Comoros	Mali
Congo Democratic Republic	Montenegro

For stays of up to 30 days

If you are from one of the following nations or territories, you may enter Malaysia without a visa as long as your stay is 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 SAR	Iraq	Kazakhstan
Latvia	Lithuania	Macao SAR	Macedonia	Madagascar
Mauritania	Mexico	Moldova	Monaco	Mongolia
Nicaragua	North Korea	North Yemen	Palestine	Panama
Paraguay	Portugal	Russia	Sao Tome & Principe	Senegal
Slovenia	Somalia	Sudan	Surinam	Tajikistan
Togo	Ukraine	Upper Volta	Uzbekistan	Vatican City
Venezuela	Zaire	Zimbabwe

For stays of up to 14 days

If you are from the following countries/territories, you can travel to Malaysia without a visa if your stay is up to 14 days:

Libya
Macao (Holders of Special Administrative Region Travel Permits)
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Yemen

Business trips of up to 60 days

An APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC), which permits the holder to travel to other member nations without a visa, is available to citizens of certain nations.

If you have an ABTC with an “MYS” code on the back, you are permitted to visit Malaysia for up to 60 days on business. The following nations are party to the agreement:

Australia
Brunei
Chile
China
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Japan
South Korea
Mexico
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Russia
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam

Who Requires a Transit Visa for Malaysia?

If a visa-required national changes terminals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to board a different aircraft for further travel, they must have a current visa with them.

Unless you need to change terminals and your wait is under 24 hours, you do not need a visa to transit through Malaysia.

However, citizens of the following visa-required countries can get a Malaysia Transit Pass of up to 120 hours:

Bhutan
China
Myanmar
Nepal

They must meet the following conditions:

They have to transit at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
They must have a flight ticket that is scheduled within 120 hours.
Their onward flight must be operated by Air Asia or Malaysia Airlines.

Additionally, citizens of the following countries are also eligible for a Malaysian Transit Pass if they meet certain conditions:

Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka

In addition to the conditions set above, the following conditions also apply:

They must have a visa or a residence permit issued by Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, or the USA.
They must be traveling to or from one of those countries.
They must arrive and depart from the main terminal or KLIA2 unless they have a residence permit from one of those countries.

Eligibility for Malaysian Visa on Arrival

Citizens of India and China can apply for a Malaysia Visa on Arrival (valid for up to 7 days), provided they meet the following conditions:

They are arriving directly from Indonesia, Singapore, or Thailand.
They have a valid visa from one of those countries.
They will land at one of the following checkpoints, where they will apply for the Visa on Arrival:
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA/KLIA2);
- Penang International Airport;
- Sultan Ismail Airport, Senai, Johor Bahru;
- Kota Kinabalu Airport, Sabah;
- Kuching International Airport, Sarawak;
- Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar, Tanjung Kupang, Johor
- Tuas Checkpoint (if traveling by car)
They have a return flight ticket within 7 days.
They have at least $1,000 per person.

When to Apply for a Malaysian Visa?

You can apply for a Malaysian visa up to 1 month before the date you intend to travel.

How to Apply for a Malaysia visa?

There are two methods through which foreign nationals can apply for a Malaysia visa:

manually, or
online.

However, only a small number of nations are eligible to apply for Malaysian visas online (see below). Most nationals who are required to obtain visas must do so at a Malaysian Representative Office Abroad or by way of a recognized visa application service.

Malaysian Online Visa Application

Certain foreign nationals have the option of applying for a visa online through the Malaysia eVisa, according to Malaysian authorities. If your Malaysia eVisa application is accepted, you will be notified online and will need to print the document because it won’t be attached to your passport as a sticker.

You can only apply for a Malaysia visa online if you are a national of the following countries:

Bangladesh
Bhutan
China
India
Montenegro
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Serbia
Sri Lanka

Additionally, Indian and Chinese nationals are eligible for the eNTRI (Electronic Travel Registration and Information).

Malaysia Visa Application Steps

To apply for a Malaysia visa, you need to go through these simple steps:

Find a Malaysian Representative Office.
Download the application form.
Complete the documents file.
Apply along with the documents.
Wait for processing.

Find a Malaysian Representative Office

You will have to check to see whether there is a Malaysian Representative Office or a visa application center in your country or find the one nearest to you.

Download the application form

Before submitting a Malaysia visa application, you must electronically fill out the Malaysia Visa Application Form which can be downloaded from the Immigration Department of Malaysia’s website. You’ll need Adobe Reader and access to a computer. You must print two copies of the application and sign them after finishing it.

Complete the documents file

When you submit a Malaysia visa application, you must have several supporting documents, such as:

Two copies of the Malaysia visa application form
Your original passport.
Two photocopies of your passport
Two passport-size pictures.
A copy of your flight itinerary, including a confirmed return ticket.
Proof of accommodation in Malaysia, such as a hotel booking.
If you are staying with friends/family, including an invitation letter.
Bank statements from the past three months.
If you are applying for a Malaysia Visa with Reference: Original approval letter from the Immigration Department of Malaysia or another authority.

Apply along with the documents

At the Malaysian Representative Office/Visa Application Office, you must provide the original of your passport, copies of the Malaysia visa application form, and the necessary supporting documentation. You might be able to send the application or submit it in person, depending on your nation.

A photo of you must be attached to the application form and adhere to Malaysia visa photo specifications.

Wait for processing

You might be able to follow the progress of your application online, depending on your nation and the location where you are submitting it.

If your application for a visa to Malaysia is granted, you must pick up your passport and the attached visa. After that, you are free to visit Malaysia.

Please Note that even if you have a visa for Malaysia, the immigration officer at the point of entry will decide whether or not to let you in once you arrive there. They will provide you with the appropriate Pass, which specifies the number of days you are permitted to stay in Malaysia, depending on your intended purpose of the trip. For instance, you will be given a “Short Term Social Visit Pass” if you intend to visit Malaysia for leisure (see a list of Malaysia Passes below).

It is not guaranteed that your Pass will be issued for the same number of days as your visa, which may only be valid for 30 days.

Malaysia Visa Application Processing Time

The length of time it takes to get a Malaysian visa depends on your country, the method you use to apply, the season, and whether you have all the necessary documents.

If you are applying online (eVisa), the process should take no longer than 100 hours, ie. four days.
If you apply through eNTRI, your visa should be processed within 48 to 72 hours.
If you are applying manually, the processing time depends on the office which is handling your application. Still, in most cases, the Malaysia visa is processed within 7-8 working days.

Is there any difference between a visa to Malaysia and a pass? Click here to find out.

Can I Get a Visa on Arrival in Malaysia?

If you are a citizen of India or China, you are eligible for the Malaysia Visa On Arrival (valid for a maximum of 7 days) if you meet the following requirements:

You are traveling directly from Indonesia, Singapore, or Thailand, and
You have a valid visa from one of those countries, and
You have at least USD 1000 per person and a return flight ticket.

I believe this page has fed you richly on how to go about applying for a Malaysia visa. You can start right away with planning your first or next trip to Malaysia today!

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