Malaysia waives visa requirements for Indian citizens
In a significant policy change, Malaysia under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced the removal of entry visa requirements for Chinese and Indian citizens. This change will reportedly be effective from December 1.
This means that Indian citizens traveling to Malaysia will no longer require an entry visa and can stay for up to 30 days without it. Despite visa-free entry, security checks will still continue for Indian nationals traveling to Malaysia.
The decision to implement this change follows Prime Minister Ibrahim’s previous plan to enhance visa facilities with a focus on encouraging tourism and investment from China and India. Both countries are important markets for Malaysia, ranking as the fourth and fifth largest sources of tourist arrivals respectively.
Statistics show that currently, a total of 9.16 million tourists visit Malaysia between January and June. Of which, India contributed significantly with 2,83,885 arrivals during the same period. By simplifying the entry process, the Malaysian government aims to attract more tourists and boost spending within the country, which ultimately contributes to its economic growth.
The move makes Malaysia the fourth country to offer visa-free entry to tourists after Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand. Thailand recently removed visa requirements for Indians from November 10, allowing a stay of up to 30 days. This policy will continue till May 10 next year. Sri Lanka also introduced visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries in October. These countries include India and China as part of the pilot project to welcome tourists by March 31, 2024.
