*NOTE: The information supplied here is meant as a guide only and is subject to change without warning. Therefore all travellers should check the visa and immigration details with their local Malaysia Embassy or Consulate BEFORE departure for Malaysia.


Visas Application for visas for the purpose of entry into Malaysia should be made at the nearest Malaysian mission abroad. In countries where Malaysian missions have not been established, applications should be made to the nearest British High Commission or Embassy.

No visa is required for nationals of Commonwealth countries except for Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Nationals from Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands, San Marino and Liechtenstein, do not require visas.

No visa is required for a stay not exceeding three months for nationals of Algeria, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Morocco, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovak, Korea Republic, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, U.A.E., *U.S.A. And Yemen.

* No visa is required for U.S.A. Citizens visiting Malaysia for social, business or academic purposes (except for local employment)

No visa is required for a stay of not more than one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries and Hong Kong. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore.top of page

No visa is required for a stay not exceeding one month for nationals of Argentina, Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Corsica, Costa Rica, Croatia, Djibouti, Dominica Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Laos, Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa and Zaire.

No visa is required for a stay not exceeding 14 days for nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya dan Syria.

No visa is required for a stay not exceeding seven days for nationals of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Byelorussia, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirghisztan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldovia, Romania, Russian Federation, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine dan Uzbekistan.

Nationals of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Republic of China, Cuba, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vietnam dan Certificate of Identity (CI) holders must obtain a visa before entering Malaysia.

Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for a visit not exceeding one month.

Regulations are subject to change.

Klia ExteriorVisit Passes A Social or Tourist Visit Pass does not permit the holder to take up employment, business or professional work in Malaysia.


The Business Visit Pass allows foreign visitors to enter Malaysia for business negotiations or inspection of business houses. However, these passes cannot be used for employment purposes, or for supervising the installation of new machinery or the construction of a factory.

No fee is charged for a Business Visit Pass issued for a period of up to three months. A nominal fee is imposed for each month beyond this.

Foreign visitors, except from the Republic of Singapore, who have entered Malaysia on Social Visit Passes may contact the Immigration Department to convert their passes to Business Visit Passes.top of page


Malaysia CrestConversion of Passes Foreign visitors, except those from the Republic of Singapore, who have entered Malaysia on social or tourist visit passes may apply to the Immigration Department to convert their social or tourist visit passes into business visit passes. This ruling is designed to assist foreign visitors who wish to undertake business activities.

All applications for converting social or tourist visit passes into business passes must be submitted to the Immigration Department with a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Immigration The Malaysian Government maintains a strict immigration policy and only permits entry to well-qualified individuals for employment. Employment visas must be sponsored by the employer but permission to start work can take time.

Taxes are relatively low in Malaysia, accommodation is moderate and the cost of living is lower than many cities. Most employers require good communication skills in English. The best advice for qualified overseas job seekers is to visit Malaysia since employers always require face to face appraisal of applicants.

In Malaysia, employment of foreign workers is allowed in the construction, plantation, service (domestic servants, hotel industry trainers and instructors) and manufacturing sectors. Only nationals of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand are allowed to be employed.

The Foreign Workers Division of the Immigration Department is the approving authority for the employment of foreign workers belonging to the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled categories (i.e. does not include expatriates under the management, professional and technical/supervisory categories).

Approval is based on the merits of each case and subject to conditions that will be determined from time to time. An employer's application to employ foreign workers will only be considered after efforts to find qualified local citizens and permanent residents have failed.

To ensure that foreign labour is employed only when necessary, an annual levy on foreign workers is imposed. The rates of levy on foreign workers involved in the manufacturing, services and construction sectors are RM125 per month and workers in the agricultural sector are RM30 per month.top of page

If you are thinking of coming to live in Malaysia or wish to find out more then contact the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Block 1, Level 2-7, Damansara Town Centre, 50550, Kuala Lumpur. Telephone: 603 - 255 5077 Fax: 603 - 256 2340

Dual Nationality Malaysia does not recognize dual nationality. Adult citizens holding foreign passports who are also Malaysian citizens could experience close scrutiny by Malaysian immigration officials when entering or departing Malaysia on Malaysian passports.


Custom BuildingCustoms Visitors entering Malaysia for a period of not less than 72 hours enjoy customs exemption on the following items:

* Wines, spirits/malt liquor not exceeding 1 litre
* Tobacco not exceeding 225gms (or 200 cigarettes)
* Matches not exceeding 100 sticks
* Apparel not exceeding 3 pieces
* Not more than 1 pair of foot-ware
* 1 unit each of portable electrically and/or battery operated appliance for personal care and hygiene
* Food preparation(s) to a total value not exceeding RM75
* Cosmetics, soap and dental cleaning products in open containers to a total value not exceeding RM200
* Souvenirs and gifts to a total value not exceeding RM200 (except when the goods are imported from Labuan where the total value allowed under this exemption shall not exceed RM500)
* Except for the last item, the above duty face items must be for personal use only. A 50% tax will be levied on items that exceed the above limits.



Selangor KliaDuty Free Goods Visitors to Malaysia can purchase a wide variety of duty free items that are available throughout the country. These are categorized as liquor, liqueurs, cigarettes, tobacco, cigars, perfumes, cosmetics confectionery, handicraft, Malaysian batik, peter-ware, clocks and matches, audio and video equipment, pens, fashion leather, products and duty free sports-ware.

Health Regulations

* Cholera No. Cholera or smallpox vaccination is required for travellers entering Malaysia.
* Yellow Fever Vaccination is required for arrivals from infected areas and from yellow fever endemics zones except for children under one.

Reminder: The trafficking of illegal drugs is a serious offence in Malaysia and the penalty for such an offence is death top of page

*NOTE: The information supplied here is meant as a guide only and is subject to change without warning. Therefore all travellers should check the visa and immigration details with their local Malaysia Embassy or Consulate BEFORE departure for Malaysia.