Entry/Exit Requirements

To enter Malaysia, your passport must be valid for at least six months. You do not need a visa to enter Malaysia if you are coming for business or tourism for stays of 90 days or less. You also do not need a visa if traveling on an official or diplomatic passport. When you arrive, immigration officials will place an entry stamp in your passport to specify the number of days you can stay. Though immigration officials generally give 90 days, it’s not a guarantee, so you should check the entry stamp in your passport after you enter. Generally, these entry stamps are known as social visit passes (visas) and can be extended for two months. Travelers to Malaysia are electronically fingerprinted on arrival when arriving by air, and again on departure. While in Malaysia, you should carry your passport with you at all times. More information on the time you will be allowed to stay in Malaysia can be found on the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website.

The eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak (on the island of Borneo) have their own immigration authorities and special entry requirements apply. You must have your passport to enter or exit Sabah or Sarawak and will need to pass through state immigration at your port of entry. If you plan to travel to these states you should contact the Embassy of Malaysia or nearest consulate before your trip for guidance regarding the current entry and exit requirements for Sabah and Sarawak.

Israeli entry or exit stamps in your U.S. passport should not cause difficulties with Malaysian Immigration. However, immigration officials have denied entry to U.S.-Israeli dual nationals who have presented their Israeli passports to show exit stamps from their last destination. Therefore, it is important that U.S.-Israeli dual nationals use their U.S. passports to depart the last country on their itinerary prior to arriving in Malaysia.

For more information on the latest entry procedures and requirements, contact the Embassy of Malaysia, 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone: (202) 572-9700. You can also contact the Embassy via email. Alternatively, you may contact the Malaysian Consulate in New York, telephone: (212) 490-2722; or the consulate in Los Angeles, telephone: (213) 892-1238. Visit the Embassy of Malaysia’s website for the most current visa information.

Visa Overstays: Malaysian immigration authorities routinely detain foreigners who overstay their social visit passes (visas). If the overstay is detected upon departure, a fine or detention and legal proceedings may be imposed. You should carry your passport (containing the Malaysian entry stamp and associated sticker) with you at all times as several U.S. citizens have been arrested in connection with immigration sweeps conducted by Malaysian police, immigration authorities and RELA (a nation-wide paramilitary civilian organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs). Depending upon the nature of the violation, detentions may last from a few hours to several weeks, pending a formal hearing. You should check your visa status periodically while in Malaysia and strictly follow immigration laws and regulations.

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Malaysia.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.