Indian nationals wishing to visit Malaysia for tourism, business, or family visits are now eligible for a 30-day visa exemption. The two countries are likely to increase collaboration as they work together to identify new opportunities for economic development and prosperity.

According to data released by Tourism Malaysia, the number of Indian tourists that entered the Malaysian borders between January and November 2024 was approximately one million, a staggering 47% increase from 2019. Additionally, this number is also a 71.7% increase compared to 2023. With all these figures, Malaysia emerges as the primary destination for Indian citizens. With the recent boom in overseas travel, the Malaysian government is looking to utilize these opportunities to strengthen the economy with tourism, local employment, and economic revenue.

Concerning new policies aimed at enhancing travel, the visa-free policy was first pioneered in 2023. These initiatives greatly improved economic and tourism growth in the last two years. The growth witnessed in 2024 was also accompanied by additional support from Indian carriers, with new routes being introduced.
An immigration department official remarked that this initiative allows Indians to freely experience the wonderful cultural diversity, stunning beaches, beautiful skylines, and remarkable modern landmarks of Malaysia without having to deal with the hassle of undergoing complex visa processing cycles.
The visa-free program has been mirrored for both Indian and Chinese nationals who wish to travel to Malaysia for tourism, leisure, business, or transit only. This initiative does not cover any long-term stay visas.

Key Benefits

The Malaysian government looks to reap the following key benefits with its visa-free program.
• Quicker immigration checkout – leading to faster processing and shorter waiting queues
• Enhanced security measures
• Easier and simpler entry requirements for foreign travelers

Entry criteria for foreign nationals

All the foreign travelers eligible for the visa-free program must meet the specified criteria of Passport validity, financial capability validation, defined purpose of visit, confirmed return and onward flight tickets, and Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC).

The Visit Malaysia Year 2026 looks to open up new tourism opportunities that will strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness and reaffirm its position in the tourism world. One of the Malaysian government officials stated that the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign is focused on adding tourism revenue and contributing more towards economic growth as they open borders to the neighboring nationals.

The visa exemption policy is a strategic move introduced by the Malaysian government to coincide with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2025 and the much-awaited Visit Malaysia Year 2026. The Malay government looks to build on tourism revenue to boost the local economy and position Malaysia as a preferred travel hub in Southeast Asia.