Malaysia entry requirements: visa-free stays, MDAC, Sabah and Sarawak

Who can visit without a visa, and for how long

The Immigration Department of Malaysia (IMI) publishes the list of countries whose citizens need a visa. The UK, Ireland, the EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil are not on it, so their ordinary passport holders can make a tourist or social visit without one. A short social visit covers tourism, visiting family and friends, and meetings or business talks, not work.

For all these countries the usual maximum is 90 days. The UK says British visitors are normally given 90 days on arrival; the US, Canada, Austria, Denmark, Czechia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden say up to 90 days; Germany says up to three months; Ireland and France say less than 90 days. The Malaysian Embassy in The Hague lists 90 days as the maximum for the others, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Switzerland among them.

The officer at the border decides whether to admit you and for how long; even a visa does not guarantee entry. Poland's embassy adds that the 90 days count within 180 days and that a quick trip out and back does not reset them. Extensions are only for special cases, such as illness or an accident, with evidence and a confirmed way home.

Passport, onward ticket and money

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter Malaysia. IMI also asks for a return or onward ticket and proof that you can pay for the stay. It sets no fixed amount of money per day and does not require a paid hotel booking.

IMI does not state a number of blank pages; the US State Department asks US citizens to have one free page for the entry stamp.

The MDAC arrival card and the eGates

Every foreign visitor fills in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online within 3 days before arrival, by air, land or sea. It is free: use the Immigration Department's own portal (imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac) or the MyNIISe app, not a paid "arrival card" website. A confirmation comes by email; then go to immigration as normal.

Singapore citizens do not need an MDAC, and nor do a few other groups such as Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders. Foreign residents of Singapore who are not Singapore citizens still fill it in.

Visitors from 63 countries with an e-passport and a submitted MDAC can use the eGates at arrival. All the countries named above are on IMI's list except Brazil, so Brazilians queue at the counter. Canada advises first-time visitors to expect a manual check at the counter with passport and MDAC. Whichever lane you use, make sure your entry is recorded before you leave the immigration hall.

Sabah and Sarawak: a second immigration check

The two Borneo states, Sabah and Sarawak, keep their own immigration control. Flying there from Kuala Lumpur or Penang is a domestic flight, but you still show your passport and get an entry stamp on arrival, and an exit stamp when you leave. Pack your passport in your hand luggage, not your checked bag.

Each state grants its own stay, valid only in that state, and it may not match what you were given on the Peninsula. Austria's foreign ministry says the Sabah or Sarawak stamp is normally for 90 days; Czechia's says a Sarawak stamp can be for up to 30 days. Read the stamp and plan your Borneo days around it.

Medicines

Malaysia's Ministry of Health lets visitors bring medicines, vitamins and supplements for their own use, or for a close family member travelling with them, in the quantity needed for one month, judged by the dosage on the label. Keep them in the original packaging with the pharmacy label.

Prescription medicines classed as dangerous drugs must be declared on arrival, with a prescription or doctor's letter in English, or translated, showing the medicine, the dose and the amount. If you stay longer than a month and need more, the ministry tells you to see a registered doctor in Malaysia for a new prescription.

Customs: alcohol, cigarettes and cash

The duty-free allowance for travellers is small. Malaysian Customs lists one litre in total of wine, spirits, beer or malt liquor, if you meet the conditions. Cigarettes and tobacco have no duty-free allowance at all, and neither do e-cigarettes, vaping devices or vape liquids, even nicotine-free ones; you pay duty on them. Vaping is also banned in places declared non-smoking.

If you carry cash and bearer instruments (such as traveller's cheques) worth around US$10,000 or more in total, in any mix of currencies, declare them on Customs Form No. 7 when you arrive or leave. Taking ringgit above that amount in or out also needs prior permission from Bank Negara Malaysia.

Departure levy

Malaysia charges a departure levy on international flights, collected in the ticket price rather than at the airport:

• Flights to other ASEAN countries: RM8 in economy, RM50 in other classes.
• Flights outside ASEAN: RM20 in economy, RM150 in other classes.
• No levy for children under 2, for passengers connecting within 12 hours, or for anyone leaving by land or sea.

Arriving overland from Singapore or Thailand

From Singapore you cross at Johor Bahru, over the Causeway (Woodlands) or the Second Link (Tuas), and clear immigration on both sides. Singapore's QR code clearance is only for leaving Singapore; Malaysia still checks you and needs your MDAC. The Shuttle Tebrau train is simpler: Malaysian and Singapore immigration sit together at Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The new RTS Link train is expected to open in February 2027, subject to safety certification and final approvals. Both sides warn of very heavy traffic in school holidays.

From Thailand, land crossings lead into Kelantan, Perlis, Kedah and Perak. Coming the other way, see Singapore entry requirements and Thailand entry requirements.