Press Release
Malaysian immigration has good news for international travelers as it extends visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese nationals until 31st December 2025. The Malay authorities expect this to significantly boost their tourism and cultural relations with India in the long run. All travelers must also complete their Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online before arrival.
The beautiful Southeast Asian country has continuously wooed its tourist audience with its renowned multicultural diversity in its population, which meets the travel requirements and preferences for all travelers across all age groups, irrespective of budget. The Malay authorities feel that relaxing the visa policies for Malaysia visas, especially the Malaysia tourist visa, can attract more visitors and fuel the country’s economic growth.
Digital initiatives like the Malaysia visa online can help them prepare for better economic progress and drive the key initiative, Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Datuk Awang Alik, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that this initiative reflects and focuses on Malaysia’s ambition to become among the top travel hubs in the region known for its warm hospitality and benefits the local businesses tied to the tourism industry. This announcement also aligns with Malaysia’s preparations for its 2025 ASEAN championship.
With this announcement, Indian and Chinese citizens can stay in Malaysia for a visa-free stay for up to 30 days as part of Malay’s visa liberalization plan launched on 1st December 2023. It makes perfect sense, as the Malaysian population is largely contributed by Chinese and Indian citizens.
Effective 8th January 2025, all non-European citizens will need an ETA to enter Malaysian border controls. Effective 2nd April 2025, European citizens will follow this mechanism to enter the border controls.
Visa exemption in Malaysia entitles citizens of certain countries to enter and stay here without a visa in advance. Indian nationals, with this new announcement, can stay in Malaysia for 30 days for the purpose of tourism and leisure without applying for a visa. However, all travelers, including the visa-exempt ones, must complete their Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online before arrival. All international tourists and visitors are expected to present their respective passports along with the completed MDAC form at the border controls. Supporting documents should be validated with the appropriate pass before exiting the immigration officer.
This move will significantly replace traditional immigration paper forms with digital drives that will help streamline the entire visa process. The announcement coincides with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2025 and the much-awaited Visit Malaysia Year 2026. The government intends to attract more tourists to boost the local economy and position Malaysia as one of the key travel hubs in the Southeast Asian region.
