Malaysia Visa Guide.

Malaysia gives most Western and Northeast Asian visitors a generous 90 days visa-free, for tourism or business, on arrival with a passport valid for six months. There's no form to lodge at an embassy and no fee; you're simply stamped in. That 90-day window is one of the longest in the region, well ahead of the 30 days common elsewhere.

The limit is that visa-free time is fixed. You cannot extend it in the country. To stay longer you either leave and re-enter for a fresh stamp, or move onto one of the longer-stay passes below. The 90 days is a single continuous stay, and frequent back-to-back entries can draw questions from immigration.

The MDAC isn't a visa, it's a short online arrival form that almost every visitor must submit, and skipping it can hold you up at immigration. You enter your passport details, flight and accommodation, and it takes a few minutes.

File it within three days before you arrive on the official Immigration portal, not earlier. You'll get a confirmation to show if asked. It's free, so treat any site charging for it as a middleman.

For nationalities that don't get visa-free entry, Malaysia issues an eVisa online for tourism or business, typically up to 30 days. You apply on the government portal, upload your passport and photo, pay the fee, and receive the approval by email to print.

It's straightforward, but the fee and exact rules vary by nationality, and some passports still need a full sticker visa through an embassy. The Immigration site lists which applies to you.

Malaysia offers a 15-day visa on arrival for RM200 to a limited set of nationalities, but only if you enter directly from Singapore, Thailand or Indonesia. It exists mainly for regional hoppers who didn't arrange an eVisa.

For most people it's the worst-value option: shorter than visa-free entry, more expensive than the eVisa, and non-extendable. Sort your entry out in advance instead.

The DE Rantau Nomad Pass is Malaysia's digital-nomad visa, run by the tech agency MDEC. It suits remote workers and freelancers who bill foreign clients and want to base in Malaysia legally for up to a year, renewable once to a two-year maximum.

You apply online with proof of remote work and income; processing runs several weeks. A real draw is tax: foreign-source income received under the pass is exempt, so it pairs neatly with Malaysia's territorial system, as our living in Malaysia guide explains.

The Employment Pass is the standard route for foreigners taking a job with a Malaysian company. Your employer sponsors it, and the term and renewability depend on your salary category, with the top tier valid up to five years at a time.

The 2026 threshold increase raised the bar: the entry-level category now needs RM5,000 a month and the top category RM20,000. It's a work visa, not a residence one, and it lapses if you leave the sponsoring job.

MM2H is Malaysia's long-stay residence visa, the main way retirees and second-home owners settle. The 2024 overhaul made it more exclusive: four tiers set by the size of a bank fixed deposit, each paired with a minimum property purchase and requiring at least 90 days a year in the country.

In return you get a long, renewable visa (up to 20 years at the Platinum tier, which also permits work or business) and the right to bring dependents. It doesn't lead quickly to permanent residency and can be re-tiered between renewals, so treat it as long-term residence rather than a path to citizenship. Our guide to living in Malaysia covers the trade-offs.