Malaysia Visa

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country, which is famous for its coastal tourism. This island country is a nature’s retreat and is extremely popular for its mouth-watering food. Thanks to its rich culture, tradition and history, Malaysia has been attracting millions of tourist every year. About 25.8 million tourists arrived in Malaysia in 2018 and about 13.35 million visited the country until June 2019. Malaysia’s capital Kaula Lumpur is amongst the top-visited cities in Asia. If a trip to Malaysia is on your mind too, you will have to first obtain a valid Malaysia visa. Moreover, all foreigners are recommended to get travel insurance for their trip to Malaysia.  

What is Malaysia Visa?

Malaysia visa is an authorization that allows a foreign national to enter the country of Malaysia. It is a permit that grants a non-Malaysian citizen to travel to and stay within Malaysia for a specified period of time. It also allows foreigners to transit from the entry/ exit points of Malaysia to reach another country. The Malaysia visa is issued by the Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia or the Immigration Department of Malaysia.

According to Tourism Malaysia, around 354,486 Indian tourists visited Malaysia until June 2019. All Indian nationals are required to obtain a Malaysia visa before beginning their trip to Malaysia. However, Indian citizens can travel to Malaysia for 15 days or less without a visa. They just have to obtain an Malaysia eNTRI visa or eNTRI Note under the Visa Waiver programme of the Malaysian government.

People travelling to Malaysia should also get a valid travel insurance policy prior to their date of departure from India. The travel insurance will protect them from any adverse situation that may create an emergency and cause a financial burden.

Features of Malaysia Visa

• Visa on arrival for Indians travelling from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore
• No visa for tourists staying in Malaysia for up to 15 days
• Visa available for both single-entry and multiple entries

Malaysia Visa Types

It is important for all prospective applicants of Malaysia visa to know about the various types of visas available to enter the country. The Immigration Department of Malaysia provides two types of Malaysia visas to people with an Indian passport. You should choose a type of visa on the basis of your purpose and duration of the stay in Malaysia. Take a look at the various types of Malaysia visa:

• Tourist Visa

  A Malaysia Tourist visa is a type of visa that can be applied by foreigners travelling to Malaysia for vacations or to meet family and friends. This type of visa is valid for a period of 3 months with a maximum permitted stay of 30 days per visit. A Malaysia Tourist visa for Indians is available for both single entry and multiple entries. 

  • Single-Entry Visa (SEV): A Single-Entry visa or SEV is a type of Malaysia eVisa that allows its holder to enter Malaysia only once. In other words, this type of Malaysia Tourist visa is valid for a single trip only.
  • Multiple-Entry Visa (MEV): A Multiple-Entry visa or MEV is a type of Malaysia eVisa that grants permission to its holder to enter Malaysia more than one time. This type of visa is valid for multiple entries into Malaysia over a period of 3 months. As per the latest notification by the Immigration Department of Malaysia, the multiple-entry Malaysia eVisa for Indians has been extended up to December 31, 2020.

• Transit Visa

  Malaysia Transit visa is a type of visa that allows foreign nationals to transit to another country from the international transit areas of Malaysia. This type of visa can be applied by people who have a layover at the international airport of Malaysia and has to board a connecting flight to reach his/ her final destination.

• Student Visa

  Student visa is a type of visa that is meant for people who want to travel to Malaysia for studying. It is valid for single entry and allows its holder to stay for a maximum of 30 days in Malaysia. The student will have to apply for a long term pass in order to continue staying in Malaysia after the expiry of his/ her visa.  

• Medical Visa

  Medical visa is a type of visa that allows its holder to travel to Malaysia to receive medical treatment. It is granted to the people who will be receiving treatment at a listed hospital by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council or MHTC. The medical visa is a single entry visa with a validity of 3 months that allows its holder to stay in Malaysia for a maximum of 30 days. People who wish to stay for more than 30 days should apply for a long term Medical Pass after arriving in Malaysia.

• Business Visa

  Business visa is a type of Malaysia visa that can be applied by foreigners who want to visit Malaysia to attend business commitments. This type of visa allows its holders to attend business meetings, conferences, mergers, acquisitions in Malaysia.

Malaysia Visa on Arrival

Indian citizens are eligible for Malaysia visa on arrival if they are travelling from Indonesia, Singapore or Thailand. This visa is valid for a maximum period of 7 days. If you want to stay for more than 7 days, you need to apply for Malaysia eVisa. You will have to present the following documents in order to get a Malaysia visa on arrival for Indians:

• Valid visa of the country from where they are travelling (Thailand, Singapore or Indonesia)
• Booking confirmation of return ticket back to India
• Should possess a minimum of USD 1000 in cash

Malaysia eNTRI Visa

Malaysia eNTRI visa can be applied by Indian nationals who are planning a trip to Malaysia as tourists for a period of 15 days or less. This type of visa can be applied online at the eNTRI facility of the Malaysian Government. eNTRI or Electronic Travel Registration & Information is an online registration platform where Indian passport holders can register themselves to travel to Malaysia. The Malaysia eNTRI visa is available for Indian citizens until December 31, 2019, under the Visa Waiver Programme of the Malaysian Government.

Each Indian applicant of Malaysia eNTRI visa is issued an eNTRI Note as an evidence of registration by the facility. The eNTRI note exempts the applicant from obtaining a Malaysia visa under the Visa Waiver Programme. It is valid for a single entry but for a maximum of 15-day stay in Malaysia. The eNTRI Note has to be presented to the authorities at the time of arrival in Malaysia.

Who Should Apply for Malaysia visa

All Indian citizens with a valid passport need a Malaysia visa in order to enter the island country of Malaysia. The Malaysia visa for Indians has to be applied in advance and should be obtained before commencing your trip from India. People of India, who are travelling to Malaysia from Thailand, Indonesia or Singapore, are eligible for Malaysia visa on arrival.   

Indians who wish to travel to Malaysia for 15 days or less as tourists can register themselves for Malaysia eNTRI visa and obtain an eNTRI Note. The eNTRI Note should be obtained before arriving in Malaysia. As of now, the Malaysia eNTRI visa is available for Indians until December 31, 2019, under the Visa Waiver Programme of the Malaysian Government.

How to Apply for Malaysia visa?

The procedure to apply for a Malaysia visa is very simple. The Immigration Department of Malaysia allows foreign nationals to apply for a Malaysia visa online. Follow the steps given below to apply for a Malaysia visa online:

• Visit the official website of the Immigration Department of Malaysia
• Click on Apply/ Returning User Login
• Select the type of visa you want to apply
• Enter your personal details
• Upload the required documents
• Pay the visa fees
• Submit the application
• Take printout of Malaysia eVisa/ eNTRI visa

Documents Required to Apply for Malaysia visa

All applicants of Malaysia visa need to submit a few documents in support of their visa application. Indian citizens, who are applying for Malaysia eNTRI visa, also have to submit a few documents at the time of registration. Take a look at the table given below to find out the various documents that you need to upload at the time of applying for Malaysia visa:

Things to Keep in Mind for Smooth Malaysia Visa Application

• Passport should have a minimum of 3 blank pages
• Passport size photo should have been clicked in the last 6 months
• People travelling to Malaysia through eNTRI Note should either have a direct flight to Malaysia or via Singapore, Thailand or Brunei

Malaysia Visa Fee

All applicants of Malaysia visa have to pay an application fee at the time of applying. Refer to the table given below to know the fee that you need to pay for different types of Malaysia visa applications:

Travel Insurance for Malaysia

Malaysia is an island country with beautiful beaches and great oceanic views. Being a coastal paradise, the place is a hub for water sports activities. However, an unpleasant situation or emergency can arise anywhere at any point. What if you meet with an accident while scuba diving or someone steals your wallet? Your entire trip to Malaysia can go haywire if you don’t have a travel insurance policy to cover you.

Travel insurance is a shield that will protect you from any adversities that you may come across during your trip to Malaysia. It provides a helping hand in case you face an emergency abroad that requires medical or financial assistance. Some of the coverage provided by a travel insurance policy are medical cover, trip delay, personal liability, delay or loss of check-in baggage, personal accident, missed connection flight, loss of passport and many more.

Insurance providers offer a variety of international travel insurance policies that caters to the needs of different kinds of travellers. For instance, family travel insurance has been customized to meet the requirements of a family. Similarly, a student travel insurance policy has been tailor-made to provide adequate protection to a foreigner studying in Malaysia. You can choose between single-trip travel insurance and multi-trip travel insurance as per your trip requirements. You should select the most suitable travel insurance for your trip to Malaysia keeping in mind the purpose, duration, age and frequency of travel.

Travel insurance is not mandatory to enter or visit the country of Malaysia. However, all travellers are advised to get a travel insurance policy before they commence their trip to Malaysia. A travel insurance policy will take care of any eventuality on their behalf letting you enjoy every moment of your trip.

Malaysia Visa Status

In order to view the status of your Malaysia visa online, you can follow the steps given below:

• Visit the official website of the Immigration Department of Malaysia
• Log in to your account by entering your email and password
• Check the status of your visa application

FAQs