Malaysia Entry Requirements for Visitors
To enter Malaysia as a visitor you need a passport valid for more than six months, a visa if your nationality requires one, a return or onward ticket, enough money for your stay and, for most foreign citizens, an MDAC. The immigration officer at the border decides on entry.
Verified: October 27, 2026
Sort out the MDAC early
The checklist
- A passport valid for more than six months from the day you enter Malaysia
- A visa, if your nationality is on the Immigration Department's visa list
- A return ticket, or a ticket to a third country
- Enough money for your stay
- An MDAC, unless you are exempt. See who needs the MDAC
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate, if you travel from a country at risk of yellow fever
Passport validity
Malaysian embassy and consulate pages ask for a passport that is valid for more than six months from the date you enter Malaysia. The Consulate General in Hong Kong and the Embassy in Paris both say this.
Missions word the rule in slightly different ways. Check the page of the Malaysian embassy or consulate for your country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists them on its overseas missions page.
Do you need a visa?
The Immigration Department publishes the official list: Visa Requirement by Country. It names the nationalities that must apply for a visa before they travel. Some of them may enter by air only; the list marks them.
The page also lists travel documents that need a visa whatever the holder's nationality. If your nationality is not on the list, check the page of the Malaysian embassy or consulate for your country. It states whether you need a visa and how long you may stay.
The Immigration page points to the official eVISA portal, malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my, for more information on eVISA.
Return ticket and money
The Embassy of Malaysia in Paris lists a valid return ticket, or a ticket to a third country, and sufficient funds for your stay as requirements for all foreign travelers. The Embassy in Berne adds that most airlines will not carry passengers on a one-way ticket without proof of return.
Keep your return or onward booking where you can show it at the airport and at immigration.
The MDAC
Most foreign citizens must submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card before they arrive: no earlier than two days before the arrival day, or on the arrival day itself. It is free on the official MDAC website. The MDAC is not a visa and does not guarantee entry. See who needs the MDAC and the form, field by field.
At the border
Immigration's official MDAC guide says to show your MDAC registration and verify your passport at the immigration counter. Visitors receive a Short Term Social Visit Pass on arrival. The Immigration Department lists its purposes, including tourism, visiting relatives, business discussions, and meetings or conferences.
Eligible travelers may use the autogates. See arrival and autogates.
Yellow fever certificate
The Immigration Department says travelers from countries at risk of yellow fever must show a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate on arrival. The list of countries is on the website of the Ministry of Health Malaysia, linked from the Visa Requirement by Country page.
Leave before your pass expires
- Overstaying
An offence under Section 15(4) of the Immigration Act 1959/63
- Penalty
A fine of up to RM10,000, prison of up to 5 years, or both. A compound of RM3,000 is also listed.
- Extensions
Only on special consideration, for example illness or an accident. You must give evidence and show a confirmed ticket home or to a third country.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must my passport be valid to enter Malaysia?
Malaysian embassy and consulate pages ask for more than six months from the date you enter Malaysia. Check the page of the Malaysian mission for your country.
Do I need a visa for Malaysia?
It depends on your nationality and travel document. The Immigration Department's Visa Requirement by Country page lists the nationalities and documents that need a visa. Your Malaysian embassy page confirms the rule for your passport.
Is the MDAC a visa?
No. The MDAC is an arrival card. It is not a visa and does not guarantee entry. If your nationality needs a visa, you need the visa as well.
Do I need a return ticket?
Malaysian embassy pages list a return ticket, or a ticket to a third country, and enough money for your stay as entry requirements.
How long can I stay without a visa?
It depends on your nationality. The page of the Malaysian embassy or consulate for your country states the visa-free period.
Sources checked
- Immigration Department of Malaysia: Visa Requirement by Country · October 27, 2026
- Consulate General of Malaysia, Hong Kong: requirements for foreigners · October 27, 2026
- Embassy of Malaysia, Paris: entry requirements into Malaysia · October 27, 2026
- Embassy of Malaysia, Berne: visa requirement and MDAC · October 27, 2026
- Immigration Department of Malaysia: Short Term Social Visit Pass · October 27, 2026
- Immigration Department of Malaysia: Frequently Committed Offences · October 27, 2026
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia: overseas missions · October 27, 2026
- Immigration Department of Malaysia: How to register MDAC (infographic) · October 27, 2026
Sort out the MDAC early
EntryCardMalaysia is an independent paid service. Order before the window opens and we file each traveler's MDAC inside it. We do not decide visa questions; check those with the official sources above.