Malaysia

Neighboring countries: Malaysia is separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam

Area: 330,803 km²

Population: 33,537 million (September 2021)

Capital:  Kuala Lumpur    Time Zone: GMT+8 hours.  Daylight saving time (DST) is not implemented in Vietnam     . Religion: 61.3% Islam (official), 19.8% Buddhism, 9.2% Christianity, 6.3% Hinduism, 3.4% Chinese folk religion, 0.7% Unknown, 0.5% Others

Language: Malaysian         Currency: Ringgit Malaysia (MYR) ($1 = 4.15 MYR – October 2021)

Countries that require Visa 

Commonwealth Countries that require Visa: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Countries that require Visa For a Stay exceeding 3 Months

Countries That Require Visa For a Stay Exceeding 1 Month

Countries that require Visa For a stay exceeding 14 Days

• Iran (90 days) 

• Iraq (30 days) 

• Libya 

• Macao (Travel Permit / Portugal CI) 

• Palestine (30 days) 

• Sierra Leone 

• Somalia 

• South Yemen 

• Syria (30 days) 

1. No visa is required for U.S.A. citizens visiting Malaysia for social, business or academic purposes (except for employment). 

2. No visa is required for a stay of less than one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals Brunei and Singapore. 

3. For national of Israel, visas are required and permission must be granted from the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

4. For national of Republic of Serbia and Republic of Montenegro, visas are required without permission granted from the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

5. Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for a visit not exceeding one month.

Malaysia Online Visa

There are 10 nationalities who can apply for the Malaysia visa online. For nationalities who are not eligible, there are other types of visas for Malaysia which travelers can obtain from embassies or consulates.

Citizens with passports issued by the following countries can apply for the Malaysia eVisa:

• Bhutan

• Bangladesh

• China*

• India*

• Montenegro

• Myanmar

• Nepal

• Pakistan

• Serbia

• Sri Lanka

*Eligible for the eNTRI visa waiver for Malaysia.

Completing the Malaysia visa application form is quick and straightforward. Applicants just need to enter a range of information including their name, date of birth, address, passport details, and travel plans. There are also some security and health-related questions.

Applicants also need to upload some supporting documentation though this can be done after the initial application. All applicants must upload copies the following documents:

• Recent passport-size photo (which meets the photo guidelines)

• Passport front page (issued by an eligible country)

• Confirmed return flight booking (or proof of onward travel)

• Proof of accommodation (except for Citizens of Bhutan)

• Birth certificate (only for applicants who are under 18 years of age)

All email notifications and updates are sent to applicants by email. Applications are usually processed within 1 business day and, when they are, applicants are notified immediately.

Once an electronic visa for Malaysia has been issued, the visa holder can use it to enter Malaysia through any port of entry. Malaysia eVisas are valid for 3 months and allow travelers to enter the country for a period of up to 30 days.

The eVisa is a single-entry visa except for Indian nationals who may obtain a multiple-entry eVisa. Visitors cannot use the single-entry eVisa to leave and reenter Malaysia. For longer periods of stay, or if someone does need to enter multiple times, it may be possible to obtain a different type of visa from a Malaysian embassy or consulate.

Malaysian eNTRI

People’s Republic of China passport holders and citizens of India traveling to Malaysia for short stays are required to pre-register for a Malaysian eNTRI before departure.

eNTRi stands for Electronic Travel Registration & Information. This online registration system facilities the entry of Indian nationals and Chinese citizens to the country. Once approved, an eNTRI registration permits the holder to spend up to 15 days in Malaysia.

Once an eligible applicant completes the simple eNTRI online registration and receives approval, they are sent an eNTRI Note which must be printed.

The printed eNTRI note can then be used to enter Malaysia at any of the following select ports of entry:

Air

• Kota Kinabalu International Airport

• Kuching International Airport

• Kuala Lumpur International Airport

• Labuan Airport

• Langkawi International Airport

• Malacca International Airport

• Miri Airport

• Penang International Airport

• Senai International Airport

Land

• Sadao Border Checkpoint (Songkhla, Thailand) - Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint (Kedah, Malaysia)

• Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia) :  Located at the northern end of the Malaysia–Singapore Second Link.

• Sultan Iskandar Checkpoint (Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia) :  Located at the northern end of the Johor–Singapore Causeway.

• Pos Kawalan Imigresen (Sungai Tujoh, Brunei) - Sungai Tujuh Checkpoint (Sarawak, Malaysia)

•  Land border Malaysia (Perlis)/Thailand (Songkhla): Padang Besar Checkpoint 

• Land border Brunei (Jalan Kuala Lurah)/Malaysia (Sarawak) : Tedungan Immigration Checkpoint

It should be noted that eNTRI holders are unable to submit a new application until at least 90 days have passed since the last visit to Malaysia, as a 3-month “cooling period” applies to applicants.

Malaysia entry requirements state that is necessary to have the following documents to complete an eNTRI registration:

• Indian or Chinese passport valid for at least 6 months

• A recent photograph of the traveler, passport-sized

• Confirmed return flight tickets

• Proof of accomodation in Malaysia, e.g hotel bookings

Those with an approved eNTRI registration are required to provide the following documents upon arrival at a Malaysia border entry point to gain access to the country:

• Printed copy of the approved eNTRI Note

• Boarding pass and proof of return flights

• Proof of sufficient funds to cover the stay

• Proof of accommodation in the country

• Complete travel itinerary for the stay in Malaysia 

From April to September is the best time to visit Malaysia; with less rain and an abundance of tropical foliage making April, May and June much drier and less busy months to visit.

July, August and September can get hot and humid with the threat of forest fires from neighboring Indonesia starving some city streets of sunlight and fresh air. The best advice is to head to the Cameron Highlands or escape to the west coast to avoid the summer haze.

The rainy season takes place around from October to March next year, with sea crossings and rainforest trails sometimes affected by heavy downpours for a couple of hours, usually in the mid to late afternoon.

BY AIR

Traveling by air is the best way to reach Malaysia. The Malaysian airlines offer a low-cost flight to Kuala Lumpur for the budget traveler. There are three significant airports in Malaysia namely, Senai International Airport (Johor Bahru), Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu) International Airport and the busiest one, Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Frequent Flights names: AirAsia and Malaysian Airlines. Biggest airport: Kuala Lumpur International Airport. 

BY LAND

You can also travel to Malaysia by bus or train from Singapore or Thailand (you must have a visa before going through immigration and customs, see details in the visa section)

• Singapore - Malaysia: You take a bus from Central Singapore to Johor Bahru (Malaysia). Then You continue to change bus to Melaka and Putrajaya. Finally, you take the KL Rapid sky train to Kuala Lumpur.

• Thailand - Malaysia: You can take a bus or train from Hat Yai (Thailand) to Kuala Lumpur. Or you can also take the train from Bangkok, the Capital of Thailand to Butterworth near Penang.

Duration of travel: It takes two days to reach Malaysia from Bangkok and 7 to 10 hours if you travel from Singapore. 

TRANSPORTATION IN MALAYSIA

• BUS

Malaysia’s national bus network is comprehensive and easy to use, with regular express coaches between all major cities and towns, and much slower local services within, usually, a 100-km radius.

• LONG-DISTANCE TAXIS

Most towns in Malaysia have a long-distance taxi rank, usually at or around the express bus station. Taxis run between cities and towns throughout the country and can be a lot quicker than buses. The snag is that they operate on a shared basis, so you have to wait for enough people to show up to fill the four-passenger seats in the vehicle. In most major towns this shouldn’t take too long, especially early in the day; afternoon journeys can involve a bit of thumb-twiddling. Fares usually work out at two to three times the corresponding fare in an express bus. Note that long-distance taxi fares, in particular, may jump when fuel prices are rising rapidly.

For visitors traveling in small groups, the real advantage of these taxis is that you can charter one for your journey, paying for the vehicle rather than per person. Not only does this mean you’ll set off immediately, but it also allows you to reach destinations that may not be served directly by buses, or even by normal shared taxis. There’s little danger of being ripped off: charter prices to a large number of destinations, both popular and obscure, are set by the authorities, and usually chalked up on a board in the taxi office or listed on a laminated tariff card (senarai tambang), which you can ask to see.

Some taxi operators assume any tourist who shows up will want to charter a taxi; if you want to use the taxi on a shared basis, say “nak kongsi dengan orang lain”.

• FERRIES AND BOAT

Ferries sail to Langkawi, Penang, the Perhentians, Tioman and Pangkor islands off Peninsular Malaysia. Vessels are either modern speed boats or, occasionally, converted penambang, compact motorized fishing craft. You generally buy your ticket in advance from booths at the jetty, though you can sometimes pay on the boat.

Within Sarawak, the only scheduled boat services you’re likely to use are those between Kuching and Sibu and on up the Rejang River to Belaga. To head up smaller tributaries, it’s often necessary to charter a longboat.

Sabah has no express-boat river services, though regular ferries connect Pulau Labuan with Kota Kinabalu, Sipitang and Menumbok, all on the west coast.

• AIR

Thanks to some low-cost carriers, flying around the region is fairly inexpensive. Malaysian domestic flights are operated by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and the budget carriers AirAsia and Firefly. If you’re flying within Malaysia, note that many connections between regional airports require a change of plane in KL, making flying less of a time-saver than it might seem.

Airfares throughout this section are for one-way tickets (return fares usually cost double) and include taxes and any fuel surcharges. Check all fares online with competing airline websites; huge discounts are sometimes available.

• CITY AND LOCAL TRANSPORT

Local bus networks in most Malaysian cities and towns serve both urban areas and hinterland; Fares are always low (typically under RM2), though schedules – particularly in KL – can be unfathomable to visitors (and to some locals). KL also has efficient commuter rail, light rail and monorail systems.

Taxis are metered in KL and some other large cities, though Malaysian drivers often prefer to turn off the meter illegally, and negotiate a fare. If you encounter this, simply get straight out of the cab and flag down another. At a few taxi ranks you can pay a sensible fixed fare at a booth before your trip.

Outside the largest cities, taxis neither use meters nor ply the streets looking for custom. In these places, whether you want to make a standard journey within town or charter a cab for a specific itinerary, you should head to a taxi rank and will probably have to bargain if you’re doing an unusual route. Your accommodation might be able to charter a vehicle for you, or at least provide an idea of likely prices; reckon on at least RM30 per hour.

Trishaws (bicycle rickshaws), seating two people, are seen less and less these days, but they’re still very much part of the tourist scene in places like Melaka and Penang . You’re paying for an experience here, not transport as such.

• KERETA SAPU

Especially in Sabah and Sarawak – though also in Peninsular Malaysia – private cars, vans and (on rough roads) four-wheel-drives known as kereta sapu (sometimes informally called “taxis”) operate like buses or taxis along certain routes, usually from the main bus stations. They’ve pretty well replaced buses into Thailand from Penang, for example, and are also useful crossing from Miri in Sarawak to Brunei’s Bandar Seri Begawan.

Elsewhere, if a bus doesn’t seem to exist for your route, check with accommodation or the local tourist office if they know of a kereta sapu service.

Do’s

• Smile when meeting people. Malaysians are renowned for their sunny personalities. Reciprocating their warmth will be appreciated.

• Wear modest clothing. It is best to cover your shoulders, and wear shorts and skirts that pass the knee.

• Give a Malaysian of the opposite gender a considerable amount of respect and distance – particularly Malays. There is a general cultural and religious separation of genders in Malaysia, and some people may not be comfortable with direct interactions with the opposite sex.

• Discern the social hierarchy among your company and respect it. This means deferring to the eldest or most superior person for their opinion and addressing them with more honorifics than you would to those younger than you. Be especially tactful when asking someone of a higher status than you to perform a favour or complete a task.

• Compliment people’s hospitality. To Malays particularly, hospitality is an essential component of interaction and is seen to reflect one’s character.

Don’ts

• Avoid directly criticising someone, pointing out their mistakes or giving insincere compliments, as these are all actions that cause a Malaysian to lose face. Furthermore, do not condescend to them.

• Do not publicly humiliate anyone. This action directly conflicts with cultural principles of respect and is likely to make a Malaysian think less of you.

• Avoid publicly displaying signs of anger, raising your voice or shouting in front of those older or superior to you. Any confrontational or aggressive behaviour can be interpreted as ‘kasar’ (crass/rough) and draws strong disapproval.

• Do not criticize Malaysia or the Malay royal family. 

• Avoid mentioning the divisive topic of ethnic relations in Malaysia. 

LOCAL CURRENCY: 

Malaysia’s currency is the ringgit (pronounced ring-git and abbreviated to “MYR”). Notes come in 1 MYR, 5 MYR, 10 MYR, 20 MYR, 50 MYR and 100 MYR denominations. Coins are currently minted in 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen and 50 sen denominations, with 1 sen coins still in circulation. You sometimes hear the word “dollar” used informally to refer to the ringgit.

($1 = 4.15 MYR – October 2021)

BANKS AND ATM

Major banks in Malaysia include Maybank, HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered, RHB Bank and CIMB Bank. Banking hours are generally Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 4 pm and Saturday 9.30 to 11.30 am (closed on every first and third Sat of the month), though in the largely Muslim states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, Friday is a holiday and Sunday a working day. Banks in all towns and most tourist areas have ATMs.

Licensed money changers' kiosks, found in bigger towns all over the country, tend to open later, until around 6pm; some open at weekends and until 9pm, too. Some hotels will exchange money at all hours. Exchange rates tend to be more generous at moneychangers, though they don’t generally exchange travellers’ cheques.

You’re only likely to be really stuck accessing money in remote rural areas; if, for example, you’re travelling upriver through the interior of Sabah or Sarawak, it’s a wise idea to carry a fair amount of cash, in smallish denominations.

CREDIT CARDS

Credit and debit cards have limited uses in the region, except to pay for goods and services in upmarket locations – you won’t, for example, be able to use your Visa card at a local kedai kopi, though a café chain in Kuala Lumpur will likely accept it, as indeed might a guesthouse in either place. Watch out too for an ongoing spate of credit card fraud in Malaysia, involving data swiped in genuine transactions being extracted and used to create a duplicate of your card.

TIPS

Tipping is seldom necessary in Malaysia. When eating out at a proper restaurant, it’s customary to tip if a service charge isn’t included, though note that you are never required to tip in kedai kopis or kopitiams. It’s not necessary to tip taxi drivers either unless they have gone out of their way to be helpful. Otherwise, you might want to offer a modest tip to a hotel porter or hairdresser, or a tour guide who has been exceptional.

BARGAINING

Note that bargaining is routine throughout Malaysia when buying stuff in markets or small shops, though you don’t haggle for meals or accommodation.

Goods that are exempted from customs duties payable per person;

• Wine / spirit / malt / liquor not more than 1 litre;

​• Wearing apparel that does not exceed 3 pieces, and footwear that does not exceed 1 pair.

• Portable electrical or battery-operated appliances not exceeding 1 unit each for personal care and hygiene.

• Food preparations with a total value not exceeding RM150.00.

• All items other than those listed above, excluding tires and tubes, with a total value not exceeding RM 500.00.

PROHIBITION/RESTRICTION OF IMPORTS

The following goods are absolutely prohibited from importation:

• Reproduction of any currency note, banknote, or coin which are currently been issued in any country.

• Indecent printings, paintings, photographs, books, cards, lithographic, engravings, films, video tapes, laser discs, color slides, computer discs and any other media.

• Any device which intended to be prejudicial to the interest of Malaysia or unsuited with peace.

• All genuses of Piranha fish.

• Turtle eggs.

• Cocoa pods, rambutans, pulasan, longan, and nam nam fruits from Philipines and   Indonesia.

• Intoxicating liquors containing more than 3.46 milligrams per liter in any lead or in any compound of copper.

• Daggers and flick knives.

• Broadcast receivers capable of receiving radio communication within the ranges (68 - 87) MHz and (108 - 174) MHz

• Sodium arsenate.

• Cloth bearing the imprint or duplicate of any verses of the Quran.

• Pen, pencil, and other articles resembling syringes.

• Poisonous chemical

• Lightning arresters containing radioactive material.

The importations of goods specified below are prohibited except under an import license or permit from relevant authorities:

• Egg in the shells.

• Any meat, bones, hide, skin, hoofs, horns, offal or any part of the animals and Poultry.

• Live animals-primates include ape, monkey, lemur, galago, potto, and others.

• Explosives and Fireworks

• Imitation arms, toy guns/pistols.

• Imitation hand grenades.

• Arms and ammunition other than personal arms ammunition imported by bona fide travelers.

• Bulletproof vests, steel helmets and other articles of clothing as protection against attack.

• Soil and pests include live insects, rats, snails, and cultures of plant disease-causing organisms.

• Safety helmets (except as worn by motorcyclists or motorcycle pillion riders).

• Video machines excluding game watches and video games for use with television receivers.

• Motor vehicles.

• Batik sarong.

• Rice and padi including rice products.

• Equipment to be connected to a public telecommunication network.

• Radio communication being used for telecommunication in the frequency lower than 3000 GHz.

• Saccharin and its salt.

• Parabola antenna for outdoor use.

• Pests and organisms which are capable of being injurious to plants.

• Live fish.

• Animal oils and fats.

• Plants include parts and plant products.

• Household and agricultural pesticides.

• Electric domestic equipments that use 50 volt or 120 volts Dc or more

• Toxic and/or hazardous wastes.

• Corals, alive or dead.

• Apparatus/equipment for the brewing of beer in the home.

• Pharmaceutical products

ILLICIT DRUGS

THE PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING IS DEATH BY HANGING.

Import and export of illicit drugs (eg: morphine, heroine, candu, marijuana, etc.) are strictly prohibited.

Prescribed drugs can only be imported into or exported from the country by virtue of a license issued by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

Currency Import/Export regulations:

Travelers/passengers entering or leaving Malaysia with CBNI exceeding the amount equivalent to USD 10,000.00 are required to make the declaration in Customs Form No. 7

Vaccinations

No inoculations are required for visiting Malaysia, although the immigration authorities may require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you have transited an endemic area, normally Africa or South America, within the preceding six days.

Health advice

• It’s a wise precaution to visit your doctor no less than two months before you leave to check that you are up to date with your polio, typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis inoculations. 

• Tap water is drinkable throughout Malaysia, although in rural areas it’s best to buy bottled water, which is widely available.

• Travelers unused to tropical climates may suffer from sunburn and dehydration. The easiest way to avoid this is to restrict your exposure to the midday sun, use high-factor sunscreens, wear sunglasses and a hat. 

• Drink plenty of fluids during the day (2 liters).

• Avoid eating raw vegetables and shellfish, always wash unpeeled fruit, and stick to freshly cooked foods. 

• Wearing protective clothing when swimming, snorkeling or diving can help avoid sunburn and protect against any sea stings such as Jellyfish, Coral, Sea urchins and Stonefish …...

Police / Ambulance : 999 / 112 from a mobile telephone

Fire department: 994 / 112 from a mobile telephone

Tourist Police Hotline: 03 2149 6590

Pre-Departure Tasks

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months before the expiry date and a Vietnam multiple entry visa (if available). If you do not have a re-entry Vietnam visa, you need to prepare 2 color photos, white background of 4x6 cm to make a re-entry Visa.Have a look at the visa requirements for more information. Consider medical, baggage and trip cancellation insurances.

It’s a wise precaution to visit your doctor no less than two months before you leave to check that you are up to date with your polio, typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis inoculations. Tap water is drinkable throughout Malaysia, although in rural areas it’s best to buy bottled water, which is widely available. 

Clothing

• T-shirts (merino wool is best, but anything you can wear for a few days works)

• Tank top or undershirt (for muggy days)

• Long-sleeve “dress” or button-up shirt (great for cold flights with too much AC)

• Travel pants (zippered pockets and a little stretch are key)

• Shorts (make sure it has good pockets and a little stretch)

• Gym shorts

• Swimsuit

• Socks 

• Slip-on shoes

• Sandals

Other Gear

• Zinc sunscreen

• Mosquito repellent

• Lightweight rain jacket or travel umbrella

• A good hat

• 1 pashmina or travel scarf (double as a wrap or blanket for cold flights, temple coverup, towel & beach blanket)

• Collapsible water bottle

• Dual USB Universal travel adaptor (Get a travel adaptor with built-in USB ports for easier charging)

• Small purse or clutch

• 1 pair of culottes (Lightweight breathable pants keep the mosquitos away while also looking great. Good news, you can buy these in Malaysia for a fraction of the price)

• 1 sundress/beach cover-up

• 1 swimsuit (ladies, get a swimsuit top without cups or padding so it dries more quickly)

• 1 sports bra

• 1 travel bra  

Vaccinations

No inoculations are required for visiting Malaysia, although the immigration authorities may require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you have transited an endemic area, normally Africa or South America, within the preceding six days.