Malaysia, located in the tropics, is a multicultural and multiethnic country. A large number of travelers from China visit Malaysia every year, so Malaysia has long offered China-friendly entry options, including visa-free transit and a special policy that is called visa-free entry but is actually an electronic travel authorization.

If you are transiting at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on your way to a third country, staying no more than 120 hours, and not leaving the Kuala Lumpur area, you may qualify for a free transit pass on arrival. Be sure you meet all requirements. Some adventurous travelers have even tested itineraries like China-Singapore-Malaysia-China using visa-free transit in both countries, but the risk is still high, and I do not recommend it.

Author: naim fadil, license: cc-by-sa-2.0

Choosing the Right Electronic Entry Option

For Chinese citizens planning to visit Malaysia, there are two options: the eVISA and ENTRi. Traditional sticker visas are also still available. The ENTRi policy is time-limited, with a stated validity through December 31, 2019, though it had already been extended multiple times before, so another extension seemed quite possible at the time.

Compared with the eVISA, the main restrictions of ENTRi are that you must reside in China (excluding Taiwan) and fly directly into designated Malaysian airports from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, or Brunei; there is no restriction on departure routing. In addition, the maximum stay in Malaysia under ENTRi is 15 days, while the eVISA allows up to 30 days. Because the ENTRi application fee is cheaper and approval is issued immediately after applying, unlike the eVISA, which requires review by a Malaysian consular post, we recommend using the ENTRi electronic travel authorization if you qualify. Applications can be submitted on the Malaysia Immigration Department website. Both the eVISA and ENTRi are single-entry only and cannot be used for multiple entries into Malaysia.

Applying for the eVISA

Because I do not live in China and therefore did not meet the ENTRi requirements, I could only apply for the eVISA. First, go to the Malaysia Immigration Department website and register an account. The website includes a Chinese-language interface, which is very convenient.

After registering, click to apply for the eVISA, fill in your personal information, and upload the required documents:

  • passport-style photo;
  • passport information page;
  • proof of legal stay in your current country of residence (such as a work visa or green card);
  • flight itinerary;
  • financial proof (bank statements from the most recent three months); and
  • hotel reservation

For the Malaysia address, you can use your hotel address. Another important point is that the photo must meet the stated requirements.

After completing the form, the next step is to pay the application fee by credit card. Depending on the applicant's current country of residence, the site will show either Alipay (China) or credit card (other countries) as a payment option. I paid a $25 fee by credit card. After that, all you can do is wait for the consulate to process the application.

My application was assigned to the Embassy of Malaysia in the United States based on where I lived. In practice, processing was very fast, perhaps because the volume of applications was low. I submitted my application on Sunday, and it was approved as soon as business hours began on Monday. You will receive an email with the subject line eVISA Malaysia: Your eVISA application has been approved. Then just return to the website and print your visa.

Special Note: Separate Immigration Controls for Sabah and Sarawak

Within the Malaysian federation, East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) has a special status, and these two states each maintain separate immigration inspection authority. Each time you enter Sabah or Sarawak, you will receive a new entry stamp, and in theory you can also be denied entry, so you should still have your documents ready, especially your itinerary and hotel reservations. However, these two states do not have separate visas. As long as your trip does not leave Malaysia, there is no need to apply for a multiple-entry Malaysia visa. There is no immigration inspection when returning from East Malaysia to Peninsular Malaysia.

Enjoy your trip to Malaysia!