Malaysia visa-free entry and the Digital Arrival Card for Indian passport holders

The exemption introduced on 1 December 2023 and extended to 31 December 2026 applies to Indian ordinary passport holders arriving for tourism, social visits and business meetings. The passport must be valid for six months with blank pages; officers can ask for a confirmed return or onward ticket within 30 days, a hotel booking or host's address, the MDAC confirmation and proof of funds, and they do refuse entry at KLIA when travellers cannot show them. Those with a previous overstay, a blacklisting or a deportation from Malaysia are not admitted under the exemption.

The MDAC is compulsory for every foreign traveller except Singapore citizens, diplomats and holders of Malaysian long-term passes, and must be submitted within three days before arrival on the Immigration Department's portal; it asks for passport details, flight number, address in Malaysia and contact details. The confirmation is e-mailed within minutes. Travellers crossing from Singapore by bus or car also need it, and Indian passport holders may use the autogates at KLIA and Johor Bahru after one manual entry.

A visa-free visitor cannot change to a work or study pass inside Malaysia except where the sponsor's approval was already granted and the Immigration Department issues the pass on an existing social visit entry, which is standard for Employment Pass holders and students arriving with their approval letter. Stays over 30 days need the eVISA or a long-term pass; the 30 days are counted per visit and officers scrutinise repeated back-to-back entries.

Malaysia has no arrival tax for Indian visitors and no visa-on-arrival fee under the exemption. Vistolane completes the MDAC for every traveller, checks that the return ticket and bookings match the 30-day limit and, if the exemption ends, files the eVISA at the official fee.

1. 1

   Check your dates

   Stay of 30 days or less, tourism or meetings only; longer or working trips need a pass.

2. 2

   Book and keep proof

   Return or onward ticket within 30 days, hotel booking or host's address and phone number.

3. 3

   Submit the MDAC

   Within 3 days before departure on the Immigration Department portal; one card per traveller, children included.

4. 4

   Arrive

   Show the passport, MDAC confirmation, ticket and booking; funds of about MYR 500 a day may be checked; the officer stamps 30 days.

5. 5

   Leave on time

   No extension is possible under the exemption; overstays are compounded and banned.

The exemption window matters for trips planned around the new year: a visit starting in December 2026 and ending in January 2027 is covered by the stamp granted on entry, but a January 2027 departure from India needs the eVISA unless the exemption is extended again.

Entry refusals of Indian travellers at KLIA fell after the MDAC became compulsory but still happen when funds, a return ticket or a credible itinerary are missing, when the traveller cannot explain the purpose of the visit, or when a previous overstay shows on the system. Refused travellers are returned on the next flight and should apply for an eVISA with full documents before the next trip.

Visitors may not work, including remote work beyond incidental e-mail, and may not enrol on courses longer than the stay; the DE Rantau Nomad Pass covers remote work and the Student Pass covers study. Business visitors attending meetings, trade fairs or training at a parent company are within the exemption, but anyone installing equipment or providing services for a fee needs a Professional Visit Pass arranged by the Malaysian company.

• Immigration Department: visa requirement by country ↗
• Immigration Department: Malaysia Digital Arrival Card ↗
• High Commission of Malaysia, New Delhi: consular services ↗
• Immigration Department: eVISA ↗