Visas, Red Tape, Customs and Insurance

British citizens and those of the Republic of Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the Netherlands do not require a visa to enter Malaysia. Citizens of the United States, most European countries and Japan need visas only for visits over three months; while French nationals require a visa for stays longer than one month. All other nationals should contact their local Malaysian embassy for details of visa requirements. Passports must be valid for at least three months (six months if you’re going to Sabah and Sarawak also) beyond your date of departure.

On entry, you usually get stamped in for two months. Should you need to extend your stay, it’s supposed to be a straight-forward matter taken care of at the immigration office (located at Pusat Damansara, see listings) and in theory, visitors can extend their stay for up to six months in total, although this is subject to the discretion of the official you encounter. In practice, there’s rarely a problem with extending your stay an extra month but it may be simpler just to visit Singapore or another neighbouring country for a couple of days before returning for a new stamp.

Tourists travelling from the Peninsula to East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) must carry a valid passport and pass through immigration facilities at the airport; visitors to Sabah can remain as long as their original two-month stamp is valid whilst visitors to Sarawak will receive a new one-month stamp which is rarely extendable.