Before you travel

Getting in
Visas
No visa is required for a stay of three months if not working for citizens from Commonwealth countries (except India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan),Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Germany, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Slovakia, Swede Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USA and North Yemen.

Citizens of France, Greece, Poland and South Africa, as well most African and Latin American countries, are permitted to stay for one month without a visa.

On arrival visitors normally receive a one or two month visitor's permit, (Commonwealth citizens get two months). Usually those arriving by air get two months; overland, one month. If you intend to stay longer, permits can be painlessly extended to three months at immigration departments in Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Johor Bahru.

Citizens of ASEAN countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar/Burma, Philippines Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam),do not need visas for visits not exceeding a month they are issued on arrival. Nationals of most other countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria and South Yemen may stop over in Malaysia for up to 14 days without advance visas but it is preferable to have proof of outward bookings. Citizens of Bulgaria Rumania and Russia may stay for seven days without a visa. Applications for visas should be made well in advance to the nearest Malaysian diplomatic mission, or, in countries where there are no Malaysian representatives, to the British Consular Representative Visitor arriving by air and who are staying less than 72 hours in the country are a-free entry.

Visit passes issued for entry into Peninsular Malaysia are not automatically valid for entry in to east Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak. On entry into East Malaysia from peninsular Malaysia visitors have to go through immigration even though the fligh is an internal one. You get a new stamp in your passport and it may actually reduce ,r stay in Malaysia. A month's stamp is usual-if you want more, then you must ask the official. (The reason for this odd state of affairs is that Sabah and Sarawak maintain control over immigration and even Malaysian visitors from the mainland' are required to obtain a travel permit to come here.) Apply to the immigration offices in kota kinabalu and Kuching for an extension. There are certain areas where permits are necessary in east Malaysia, eg for upriver trips in Sarawak permits are obtained from the residents office see appropriate sections). All national parks in Peninsular and East Malaysia require permits from the national or state parks offices.

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