MalaysiaVisits and short stays

Malaysia transit visa: rules for passengers changing flights

Transit visa

In short

Malaysia issues a transit visa only to nationals on its visa-required list who must pass immigration on the way to a third country. Passengers on a single booking who stay in the transit hall need nothing, and visa-exempt travellers who leave the airport are admitted on a social visit pass after filing the free MDAC.

checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Fee
MYR 20Transit visa fee for nationalities not named on the Immigration Department table; named countries pay between MYR 0.50 and 50 (MYR 50 for India).
Processing time
Set by the Malaysian mission where you apply; apply at least three working days before the flight.
Work
No.
Where to apply
Before travel, in person at a Malaysian embassy or consulate.

Who needs a transit visa

The Immigration Department reserves the transit visa for foreigners who need a visa to enter Malaysia and are travelling on to a third country. Its visa-required list includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Serbia, Sri Lanka and a group of African states that may enter by air only; Indian citizens are exempt until 31 December 2026. Nationals not on the list never need a Malaysian transit visa and are admitted on a social visit pass if they leave the airport.

When you can stay airside

Travellers who remain within the airport premises and continue on the same flight do not need a transit visa. The Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi makes this concrete: if all flights are on one PNR and you stay in the transit hall, no visa is required, and moving between terminals inside KLIA or inside KLIA2 does not involve immigration. Separate bookings that force you to collect bags or check in again, a change between KLIA and KLIA2, or leaving the airport all mean passing immigration, so a visa-required traveller must hold a visa before departure.

Fees

The Immigration Department's fee table sets the transit visa price by nationality: for example MYR 20 for Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan, MYR 15 for Sri Lanka and MYR 50 for India. Any country not on the table pays MYR 20. Missions abroad may collect the fee in local currency at their own exchange rate.

Applying at a Malaysian mission

A transit visa is applied for before travel at the Malaysian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for you; missions publish their own checklists and processing times, and some take applications only in person at the consular counter. Consular checklists ask for a passport valid more than six months with more than three blank pages, two recent 5 x 3.5 cm photos, form IM47 in two copies, a confirmed ticket, the itinerary, proof of accommodation and, for foreigners living in the mission's country, their residence permit. For many visa types missions point applicants to the MyVISA eVISA instead.

  1. Check whether your nationality is on the Immigration Department's visa-required list.
  2. Check your itinerary: one PNR and staying in the transit hall needs no visa, while separate bookings, a KLIA to KLIA2 change or leaving the airport means passing immigration.
  3. If you are visa-required and will pass immigration, apply at the Malaysian mission responsible for you with form IM47, at least three working days before the flight.
  4. File the MDAC within three days before arrival if you will enter Malaysia.
  5. At immigration, show your passport, visa, MDAC confirmation and onward ticket.

At the border

Anyone who passes immigration must file the free MDAC within the three days before arrival and show it with the passport. Carry the onward ticket and any visa needed for your next country. A visa does not guarantee entry: the immigration officer decides on admission and the length of stay. Cash or bearer instruments worth more than USD 10,000 must be declared to customs.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Two colour photos, 5 x 3.5 cm, taken within the last three months (consular application)

Travel

  • Passport valid for more than six months on arrival, with more than three blank pages
  • Confirmed onward ticket to a third country
  • Visa for the next country, if that country requires one

Other

  • MDAC confirmation if you will pass immigration
  • Form IM47, two double-sided copies (consular application)

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Identity

  • Residence permit of the country where you apply, original and copy, if you are not a national of it

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a transit visa at Kuala Lumpur?

Only if your nationality is on the visa-required list and you will pass immigration. Others who leave the airport receive a social visit pass and need an MDAC.

I have two separate tickets through KLIA. Do I need a visa?

If your nationality is visa-required and you must collect bags or check in again, yes: you pass immigration, so you need a visa before travelling.

Do I need an MDAC if I stay airside?

The MDAC is shown at the immigration counter. If you never enter Malaysia, you do not go through immigration.

Can I send a transit visa application by post?

Check with the mission where you apply; some Malaysian missions accept visa applications only in person at the consular counter.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Malaysia

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Set by the immigration officer at entry; the usual period depends on nationality.

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Social visit pass: as stamped at entry. MEV: 30 days per entry.
  • Entrepreneur and start-up visa Maximum stay: New: 1 year plus 1 renewal. Established: up to 5 years plus one 5-year renewal.
  • Investor visa Maximum stay: Six months, with a possible six-month extension.

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Pass duration follows the course, renewed as needed.

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Each pass up to 60 months, following the employment contract; total tenure up to 10 years (Categories I and II) or 5 years (Category III).
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Up to 12 months per issuance; training at a factory or hotel up to six months.
  • Skilled worker visa Validity: Approved for 10 years; the ePASS is first issued for five years or the passport validity, then renewed to complete 10 years.
  • Digital nomad visa Maximum stay: 3 to 12 months, renewable for 12 more months; 24 months in total.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Validity: Follows the principal's Employment Pass, or the dependant's passport if shorter; LT-SVP approvals are for up to 12 months at a time.
  • Spouse and partner visa Validity: LTSVP for at least six months and up to five years, subject to approval.

Residence

Online travel permits

Protection

Malaysia visa guide