Malaysia Visa-Free Entry: Who Qualifies, the India Waiver to 31 December 2026 and the China Cap

Malaysia's default is no visa. The Immigration Department publishes a short list of nationalities that must apply, and everybody else is admitted on a social visit pass whose length is set by nationality and stamped at the border.

Who is exempt: Every nationality not on the department's list of 31 visa-required countries, which as of 8 September 2026 is: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India (exempt until 31 December 2026), Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Serbia and Sri Lanka. ASEAN citizens need no visa for stays under one month, except Myanmar. Israeli passports are barred separately.

How long, by nationality: The department's page no longer prints the stay per country, so the figures below follow the airline Timatic groupings, and the pass stamped on arrival is what counts: - 90 days: the United Kingdom (confirmed by gov.uk), Canada (confirmed by the Government of Canada), the United States, Australia, New Zealand, all EU and EFTA states, Japan, South Korea, the Gulf states, Türkiye, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay - 30 days: ASEAN citizens (the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos), Taiwan, Mexico, Chile, Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and most of Latin America and the Pacific - 14 days: Iran - India: 30 days, until 31 December 2026, by unilateral waiver - China: 30 days per visit and no more than 90 days in any 180, by treaty

The Indian waiver: The High Commission in New Delhi states that the government extended the visa waiver for Indian nationals until 31 December 2026, for up to 30 days, for business, tourism, social or transit purposes, and that Indian passport holders must show at immigration a passport valid for at least six months, a confirmed return flight, a confirmed hotel booking and the MDAC submitted three days before arrival. Work and study still need a visa with reference. The waiver began in December 2023 and was first extended in December 2024; any renewal for 2027 would follow the same pattern.

The China treaty: The Embassy in Beijing publishes the terms of the Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption: each visit no longer than 30 days, cumulative stay no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism, visiting family and friends, business, cultural exchange, private matters, medical treatment and transit. The Home Minister told Parliament on 12 February 2026 that the 90-day cap would be enforced through passport-scanning analytics at all entry points to stop the facility being used for undeclared work.

What the exemption does not cover: Employment, study, and any stay beyond the pass. A visa with reference, obtained by the Malaysian sponsor from the Immigration Department before the traveller applies, is required for those. Extensions of a social visit pass for tourism are not routinely given.

Documents at the border: Six-month passport validity, MDAC confirmation, onward ticket, accommodation and funds, and a yellow fever certificate for arrivals from listed countries. Cash of USD 10,000 or more must be declared.