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Malaysia · Before you go
Malaysia Visa & Arrival: What You Actually Need
Most visitors reach Malaysia without a visa — a big list of nationalities get either 90 or 30 days on arrival — but nearly everyone now has to file one free online form first: the . Get that done, make sure your passport has six months on it, and know one thing that surprises people: Sabah and Sarawak run their own immigration, so flying to Borneo means another stamp.
Do you need a visa?
Malaysia lets citizens of many countries in visa-free for up to 90 days (most of Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, and others), and a longer list in visa-free for 30 days. A few nationalities need a visa or an eNTRI/eVISA arranged in advance. Your own government's travel page and the official Malaysian immigration site are the only sources worth trusting on your specific passport — the rules change.
| Visa-free | 90 days for many nationalities, 30 days for others — check your passport specifically |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid at least 6 months beyond arrival, with a blank page |
| Arrival card | MDAC — free, online, within 3 days before you arrive |
| Onward travel | Proof of onward/return travel and funds can be asked for |
The MDAC (the free form everyone must do)
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card is a short online form you submit in the three days before you arrive. It's free on the official government portal. The catch: search results are full of look-alike sites that fill it in "for you" for a fee — they are not official. Do it yourself on the immigration site and screenshot the confirmation.
Watch out
A handful of travellers are exempt from MDAC (for example Singapore citizens, and some transit cases), and the rules have shifted more than once since it launched — confirm the current requirement for your nationality before you fly.
Sabah & Sarawak: the border inside the country
This is the one that catches people. Sabah (Kota Kinabalu) and Sarawak (Kuching) control their own immigration, separate from Peninsular Malaysia. Fly from KL to Borneo and you clear immigration and get a fresh entry stamp on arrival — and your allowed stay is counted from that stamp, not your first entry to the country. Keep your passport handy on domestic flights east, and mind the day-count if you're near your limit.
Extending, and overstaying
Tourist stays can sometimes be extended at an immigration office, but it's not guaranteed and depends on your nationality and reason — don't bank on it. Overstaying is taken seriously: fines, and at worst detention or a ban. If your plans slip, sort it before your stay runs out, not after.
Note
Rules here move — visa-free lists, MDAC exemptions and durations have all changed recently. Everything on this page is checked against sources and dated above; your own government's advisory and Malaysia's official immigration site are the final word for your passport on the day you travel.