Remember To Get Your Visa If You’re A Malaysian Visiting These Countries

Klook Team

Last updated 14 Mar 2020

No visa, no entry!

The Malaysian passport is one of the most powerful passports in the world, granting the holder visa-free entry to 179 of 219 countries. Hence, it’s easy to forget that there are still popular countries which require certain travel permits!

Make sure you don’t forget to apply for your visa before travelling to these top travel destinations! Keep reading to find out which travel permits you need and how you can go about applying for one.

1. Australia

Want to skydive into the great wide skies in Gold Coast, hug a Koala in Sydney or feast on some over-the-top desserts in Melbourne?

Malaysians will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), an instant travel visa before heading over. This multiple-entry visa allows Malaysian passport holders multiple short term visits (maximum 3 months each time) to Australia over the course of 12 months.

How to apply:

Head over to the ETA website to apply
This will cost you RM20
You are advised to apply at least 3 working days before your date of travel and this enables you to enter Australia as many times as you like for 12 months.

Trip ideas for Australia:

As of 17 April, the Australian Border Force (ABF) has updated their laws on what prohibited items. Find out the updated list of items you can and can’t bring into Australia.

2. USA

Home to the original Disneyland in Los Angeles, the first ever Universal Studios theme park in Orlando and the iconic Hollywood sign, everyone wants a taste of the American Dream! To visit the USA, you’ll need to apply for a visa via the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia.

How to apply:

Head on over to the U.S. Visa Information Service for Malaysia website
Pay your visa fee and complete the DS-160 form
Schedule your visa appointment at the U.S. embassy
This application will cost you approximately RM672

Recently put into effect, applicants will now have to disclose their social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Weibo, Twitter, YouTube) in the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application (DS-160) form. It’s a new measure by the US Department of State to improve their screening processes.

3. India

Want to see the opulent Taj Mahal for yourself? You will first need to apply for an e-Visa before heading over. You will need to apply for the e-Visa in advance as it takes a minimum of 3 to 5 working days for the visa to be processed. You can opt for an e-Visa or get a physical visa stamp on your passport.

How to apply:

Head over to the Indian Visa website to apply
For regular paper visa – complete the form online, submit your application with required documents at Indian Mission/Visa collection centre, collect your passport & visa once it’s done
For e-Visa, go to the ‘e-Visa’ tab, complete the online form and pay the fee, receive your e-Visa email, print it out to carry at the time of travel
This will cost you approximately RM300 – RM500

Get ready to explore India with some travel inspiration:

Follow these #Klooktips to capturing the best Taj Mahal photos!
Travelling Solo in India? Learn a trick or two from us.

4. Bhutan

Helmed as the happiest place in Asia, if you’re planning a visit to find the happiness of your own, you will need a visa before heading over. Getting a travel visa is slightly tricky since all visas are issued from the capital of Thimphu.

Visas are only issued to tourists booked with a local licensed tour operator and the application for the tourist visas must be submitted by the tour operator. These packages are usually all-inclusive and can take up to 10 days to process. You will need to obtain visa approval BEFORE booking your flight tickets.

If you’re planning on heading to Bhutan, pre-book your Bhutan tours on Klook and leave the visa applications to us! The Klook tours include visa application and processing so you won’t have to worry about any of the paperwork.

5. Canada

Craving for a lil taste of easily the best maple syrup in the world? Ditch the heat and explore the snowy mountains in Canada or sightsee around the major cities! Going through the visa process can be quite a pain but it’s well worth it!

How to apply:

If you are visiting the U.S. and Canada on the same trip, it’s better to apply for your U.S. visa first. The chances of approval will be higher if you have a U.S. visa.
Complete the necessary forms and schedule an appointment to get your biometrics done
Prepare all your relevant documents
Pay for your travel visa online approximately RM300+
Submit your application form at VFS Global and collect your passport once it’s done

6. Russia

If you’re heading to the land of vodka, long and cold winters, the stunning Saint Basil’s Cathedral and insanely beautiful journeys across the Trans-Siberian railway, here’s how you can obtain a visa.

How to apply:

You will need to first obtain a Tourist Invitation Voucher. The fee is RM300 – RM350.
Once obtained, complete the visa application form
Prepare all the stated supported documents and schedule for an appointment
Submit all the documents to the visa office in Kuala Lumpur, so that your visa can be processed through the Russian Consulate

When travelling to Russia, it’s a must to visit Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

7. China

Dreamed of walking the whole length of the Great Wall of China? Perhaps go on an adventurous sightseeing trip in Zhangjiajie or devour the delectable local cuisine of Xi’an. Here’s how you can obtain your Chinese Travel Visa:

How to apply:

Complete the online visa application form
Head to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in KL or Penang
Bring along all the stated documents with you
Submit your documents and pay the visa fee during passport collection

8. Selected EU countries (Starting 2021)

Starting in 2021, all Malaysian travellers are expected to have a valid ETIAS visa when travelling to selected EU countries. So you still have time right now to travel freely to EU visa-free!

To find out what the new ETIAS visa process is like and which countries are affected, check out the Klook guide on the EU visa.

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