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Arrival cardSince 1 January 2024, every traveller visiting Malaysia must complete an unavoidable digital formality: the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC). This electronic arrival card is mandatory regardless of your mode of transport — air, land or sea — and must be obtained before you arrive on Malaysian soil. The good news: the MDAC is free, with no consular fees, and the entire process is paperless. Here is everything you need to know to complete this formality with complete peace of mind.
01 · The essentials
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) has been mandatory for all travellers entering Malaysia since 1 January 2024.
The entire process is paperless: no embassy or consulate visit required — everything is done on the internet.
Regardless of your mode of entry, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your planned arrival date in Malaysia.
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) is an administrative formality distinct from a visa. It does not replace a visa, and vice versa. It is an electronic arrival card that the Malaysian authorities have made mandatory for all travellers entering the country, regardless of their nationality or visa status.
The MDAC must be requested for each entry into Malaysia — it is not valid over a long period as an NZeTA (New Zealand) or an ESTA (United States) might be. Each trip therefore requires a new application.
Issuance is almost immediate after submission. However, the application can only be submitted within the 3 days (72 hours) before arrival in Malaysia: any submission made earlier than this window is automatically rejected by the system.
The MDAC arrival card does not replace a visa. If your nationality requires a visa to enter Malaysia, you must obtain that visa in addition to the MDAC.
The majority of European nationals benefit from a visa exemption for stays of up to 90 days. For stays longer than 90 days, a long-stay visa must be applied for at the Malaysian embassy in your country of residence, before departure.
| Regime | Length of stay | Nationalities concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Visa exemption | 90 days | European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Gulf states, South Africa, Brazil… |
| Visa exemption | 30 days | ASEAN nationals (except Myanmar), China, India, Russia, Mexico and around thirty other nationalities |
| Visa exemption | 14 days | Myanmar (since 1 October 2025) and holders of a Macau travel permit |
| eVisa required before departure | 30 days (single entry) | Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Montenegro, Colombia and most sub-Saharan African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Angola, Mali, Niger, Rwanda…) |
| Visa With Reference (eVDR) | Depending on purpose | Afghanistan, and any stay for work, study or long-term settlement, whatever the nationality |
Entry regimes for Malaysia by nationality — the MDAC is required in every case.
If your nationality is subject to a visa, the MDAC is not enough: you must obtain your visa before departure, online on the official portal, or from the Malaysian embassy in your country of residence.
The official, up-to-date list of visa-required countries is published by the Malaysian Immigration Department (imi.gov.my), under “Visa Requirement by Country”. Check it before booking: the Chinese and Indian regimes in particular are temporary measures renewed year by year.
02 · Eligibility
All nationalities are eligible for the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card. Whether you are travelling from Europe, the Americas, Asia or elsewhere, the MDAC form is a mandatory step before entering Malaysia. There is no list of countries whose nationals are exempt from the MDAC, except for a few very specific profiles.
Here are the rare categories of travellers exempt from the MDAC:
You can also complete this process yourself directly on the official portal, without going through an agency.
French, Belgian, Swiss and, more broadly, European Union citizens must complete the MDAC before each entry into Malaysia. The 90-day visa exemption applies in parallel.
If you are transiting through Kuala Lumpur without passing through immigration controls (pure transit within the airport zone), the MDAC is not required. However, as soon as you clear customs or collect your baggage, the arrival card is mandatory.
Each traveller, including children and infants, must have an individual MDAC application. No traveller can be linked to another family member's card.
If you hold more than one nationality, the MDAC must be completed using the passport you will use to enter Malaysia. Make sure the data matches your actual travel document.
Travellers transiting through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) may remain in the transit zone for up to 24 hours, without a visa. However, if you have a connecting flight requiring a terminal change or baggage collection, you must have obtained your MDAC before arrival.
Special case: Sarawak. Sarawak applies an entry regime distinct from the rest of Malaysia (Peninsula and Sabah). Even if your nationality benefits from a 90-day visa exemption in Peninsular Malaysia, a separate 30-day permit will be issued on arrival in Sarawak, at the designated entry points — Kuching, Miri and Sibu airports, and the Tebedu land border post. The MDAC is still required under the same conditions.
Special case: Chinese nationals. Since 17 February 2026, Chinese citizens benefit from a visa exemption of 30 days per entry, subject to a cumulative cap of 90 days per rolling 180-day period. Exceeding this cap may result in a 5-year re-entry ban. The MDAC is still mandatory for each entry, regardless of this cap.
Special case: Indian nationals. The 30-day visa exemption granted to Indian citizens is a temporary measure, extended until 31 December 2026.
03 · Required documents
The MDAC application does not require complex documents. The essential requirement is to have a passport valid for at least 6 months from the planned date of arrival in Malaysia. This is the prerequisite for the application to be processed.
Here is all the information you need to fill in on the application form:
| Category | Required information |
|---|---|
| Personal data | Surname, given name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport expiry date, residential address, phone number |
| Travel details | Arrival date, departure date, mode of transport, last border point before entering Malaysia |
| Accommodation | Name and address of accommodation in Malaysia |
Information required to complete the MDAC form
Beyond your passport, it is recommended that you have your return flight ticket and your yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are arriving from a country where the disease is present. These documents may be requested by Malaysian authorities upon arrival, even though they are not required for the MDAC form itself.
04 · The process
The MDAC application process is simple and entirely paperless. There is no need to visit an embassy or consulate. Everything happens online, and the result is sent directly to you by email.
The official rule requires the application to be submitted within the 3 days (72 hours) before arrival in Malaysia, and not before: an application submitted too early is automatically rejected. With an assistance service, you send us your application as soon as your travel dates are confirmed and we submit it for you at the right time, within the regulatory window — so you don't have to track it yourself.
Gather your passport (valid for at least 6 months), the contact details of your accommodation in Malaysia, and your trip details (dates, transport, last border point before Malaysia).
Complete the online form with your personal information and travel details. You can entrust your application to us as soon as your travel dates are known: we submit it within the regulatory window of the 3 days (72 hours) before arrival, as an application filed too early is rejected.
Your information is recorded in the Malaysian authorities' system. Issuance is technically almost immediate, but the card will only be sent to you within the 3 days preceding your trip.
You receive your electronic arrival card directly by email. Keep it carefully: you will need to present it to Malaysian authorities upon arrival.
Present your MDAC to the authorities at your entry point. All entry points are eligible: airports, land border crossings and seaports.
If you land at the main Kuala Lumpur terminals (KLIA 1 and KLIA 2), you can use the automatic e-Gate lanes to speed up your passage through immigration. Since June 2024, this programme has been extended to 63 nationalities.
The programme was originally launched for citizens of Australia, Brunei, Germany, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Access remains subject to conditions: your MDAC must have been submitted before you approach the gate, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months, you must be an adult, at least 120 cm tall, and have no record of immigration offences in Malaysia. Depending on nationality, a first crossing at a manned counter may be required to register your biometrics; subsequent entries then use the gate.
The MDAC application can only be submitted within the 3 days (72 hours) before arrival in Malaysia: an application filed earlier is automatically rejected by the official system. Conversely, do not leave it to the very last moment, so you keep a margin in case of a technical issue or a request for additional information.
The complexity of this process is rated "easy", but this 72-hour window can be a source of additional stress, particularly for travellers with tight connections or complex itineraries. With our service, you entrust your application to us as soon as your travel dates are known and we file it for you at the right time.
05 · Malaysia
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country with varied geography, divided between the Malay Peninsula (home to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Malacca) and Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak). The country enjoys an equatorial climate, characterised by warm temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. Rainfall varies by region and monsoon season.
The best times to visit Malaysia vary depending on the region you are targeting. It is essential to plan your itinerary according to the seasons to make the most of the landscapes and activities available.
January and February are the most pleasant months to visit this region. Kuala Lumpur blends modernity and tradition, with landmarks such as Masjid Negara and Masjid Jamek mosques. Malacca, a historic port city listed by UNESCO, is nicknamed "the Venice of Asia".
The dry season, from March to October, is ideal for beach destinations and allows you to avoid the northeast monsoon. The most popular islands are Tioman, Langkawi, Pangkor and the Perhentian Islands.
The dry season, from March to September, offers the best weather conditions for exploring the Bornean jungle. Gunung Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is only accessible by air.
Ecotourism is very popular in Malaysia. The Cameron Highlands offer landscapes of tea plantations and highland rainforests, with cooler temperatures than on the plains.
Malaysia offers a unique cultural mosaic, born of the blending of Malay, Chinese and Indian communities. This diversity is reflected in the cuisine — renowned throughout Asia —, architecture, festivals and traditions. From the colonial quarters of Georgetown in Penang to the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur and the ancient forests of Borneo, each region of the country offers a radically different experience.
If your itinerary includes Malaysian Borneo, one security point is worth knowing. The islands and maritime areas off the east coast of Sabah State (districts of Kudat, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak and Tawau, as far as Sipadan) are classified as a red "strongly advised against" zone by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs owing to a risk of kidnapping and piracy by armed groups operating from the southern Philippines. The US State Department, which otherwise rates Malaysia at Level 1, urges increased caution there. A nighttime maritime curfew (ESSCOM/ESSZONE) is in force.
The rest of Sabah (Kota Kinabalu, Mount Kinabalu) and the whole of the Peninsula and Sarawak are not affected by this warning. Check up-to-date official advisories before booking a diving excursion to the east-coast islands (Sipadan, Mabul, Ligitan).
Malaysia applies a zero-tolerance policy on narcotics, cannabis included. Trafficking carries heavy prison sentences and even the death penalty. Airport screening has been stepped up on international and domestic flights alike, including on departure.
On 18 August 2026 the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs reported several recent arrests of European nationals attempting to leave Malaysia by air with narcotics. Criminal networks recruit travellers on social media with unusually cheap “all-inclusive” trips.
Never carry a third party's luggage or parcel without checking its contents, and be wary of any trip paid for by someone you do not know.
06 · Before you go
Beyond the MDAC, a trip to Malaysia requires preparation on several fronts: administrative formalities, health, local customs and on-the-ground logistics. Here is an overview of the key points to check before packing your bags.
If you enter Malaysia by road, by rail or by boat — from Singapore, Thailand, Brunei or Indonesia — make sure immigration officers actually stamp your passport on entry. Checks are sometimes perfunctory at certain border posts, and an unrecorded crossing leaves you registered as having entered the country illegally.
The consequences are tangible: when leaving Malaysia, a missing entry stamp can lead to administrative detention lasting from a few hours to 14 days while your status is regularised. Check your passport before leaving the border post and, if the stamp is missing, have it corrected on the spot.
The period written on your entry stamp is what counts — it may be shorter than the theoretical maximum of your visa exemption. Any overstay must be regularised with the Malaysian immigration authorities and results in a fine.
Depending on the case, the authorities may grant 7 to 15 days to leave the country. Failing that, the traveller faces imprisonment, heavy fines, expulsion and placement on the country's exclusion list for a minimum of one year. Check the date on your stamp as soon as you arrive.
Malaysia is one of the most accessible Southeast Asian destinations for French and European travellers: no visa required for stays of up to 90 days, a free digital arrival card (the MDAC) to apply for online within the 3 days (72 h) before arrival — and not earlier, or it is automatically rejected —, and a well-developed tourist infrastructure. The MDAC process is straightforward: entrust your application to us as soon as your travel dates are confirmed and we submit it for you at the right time, so you can travel with complete peace of mind.
Safety
The vigilance level recommended by five foreign ministries, on a shared scale.
Average level
Kidnapping risk in the islands and waters off eastern Sabah, from Kudat to Tawau; no specific threat elsewhere.
US Department of StateAdvice dated February 22, 2026
Normal precautions · Malaysia - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Global Affairs CanadaAdvice dated September 8, 2026
Normal precautions · Malaysia — Exercise normal security precautions (with regional advisories)
German Federal Foreign OfficeAdvice dated September 2, 2026
Normal precautions · Malaysia: Travel and Security Advisories
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Advice dated March 19, 2026
Increased caution · Malaysia travel advice
France DiplomatieAdvice dated June 30, 2026
Increased caution · Malaysia: Travel advice
Levels published by the ministries cited, reproduced unchanged. Visamundi is a private agency with no ties to these administrations.
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