Foreign nationals who travel to Malaysia will receive a Pass on the Malaysian entry point upon arrival. A Pass is a stamp on the travellers passport which allows them to remain in Malaysia for a specific amount of time.
The type of Pass you receive depends on how long you want to stay in Malaysia and your purpose of travel.
Therefore, the Short Term Social Visit Pass for Malaysia is the type of Pass you will receive if are travelling for tourism, business, or social visit purposes, among others.
Who Needs a Short Term Social Visit Pass for Malaysia?
You need a Short Term Social Visit Pass if you are travelling to Malaysia for one of the following reasons:
- For a social visit.
- As a tourist.
- As a journalist or reporter.
- To attend a business meeting or discussion.
- To attend a seminar or conference.
- To sign an agreement.
- To carry out a survey regarding investment opportunities or setting up a factory.
- To undergo an exam at a university.
- If you are a student on a goodwill mission.
- To take part in a sporting competition.
- To do any other activity which is approved by the Director General of Immigration.
However, keep in mind that you cannot take up any work while you are in Malaysia with a Short Term Social Visit Pass.
Can you get a Short Term Social Visit Pass for Malaysia Without a visa?
Yes, if you are from a country whose nationals are exempt from Malaysian visas, you can travel to Malaysia visa-free and request a Short Term Social Visit Pass at the point of entry.
You have to request a Short Term Social Visit Pass from the Malaysian immigration officers regardless of which of the categories below you fall into:
- You are a visa-required national and you have already received a Malaysian visa before you travelled.
- You are a visa-exempt national and you travelled to Malaysia visa-free.
Who needs a visa?
If you are from one of the following countries, you have to apply for a visa before you can travel to Malaysia and request a Short Term Social Visit Pass:
| Afghanistan | Angola | Bangladesh | Bhutan |
| Burkina Faso | Burundi | Cameroon | Central African Republic |
| China | Colombia | Comoros | Congo Democratic Republic |
| Congo Republic | Côte D’Ivoire | Djibouti | Equatorial Guinea |
| Eritrea | Ethiopia | Ghana | Guinea-Bissau |
| Hong Kong | India | Liberia | Mali |
| Mozambique | Myanmar | Nepal | Niger |
| Niger | Pakistan | Rwanda | Serbia |
| Montenegro | Sri Lanka | United Nations (Laissez Passer) | Western Sahara |
Required Documents for a Malaysia Short Term Social Visit Pass
When you arrive in Malaysia, you must convince the Immigration Offices you are fit to enter. You must have the following documents with you:
- Your passport, which must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the time you intend to enter.
- Your visa (if applicable).
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay in Malaysia.
- Proof of accommodation in Malaysia, such as a hotel booking.
- A return flight ticket.
- A completed Arrival/Departure Card, which you receive at the point of entry.
- Any supporting documents which are relevant to your purpose of travel.
- Any relevant documents you submitted with your visa application.
How can you get a Malaysia Short Term Social Visit Pass?
You will receive a Short Term Social Visit Pass only at the Malaysian point of entry.
The Immigration Officers will give you a Pass if they decide that you are eligible to enter Malaysia.
Some nationals have to apply for a visa before they can get a Malaysia Short Term Social Visit Pass.
What type of visa do you need?
If your purpose of travel is any of the reasons listed above, the type of visa you must apply for is a Malaysian Tourist Visa, which is:
- A Single Entry Visa, meaning you can only use it to enter Malaysia once.
- A Visa Without Reference, meaning you don’t need to receive permission from the Immigration Department of Malaysia to receive it. It is the Malasyian Representative Office Abroad (Embassy/Consulate) where you apply that issues it.
How to apply for a Malaysian visa?
There are two ways you can apply for a Malaysia visa:
In person
The Malaysia visa application process at a Malaysian Representative Office Abroad (Embassy/Consulate) is as follows:
- Find the nearest Malaysian Embassy or Consulate. Visit their website to learn more about the required documents and opening hours.
- Download the Malaysia Visa Application Form. You can find it at the website of the Embassy or Consulate you are applying in or the website of the immigration Department of Malaysia.
- Gather the required documents and submit them along with your passport and the application form.
- If your visa is approved, collect your passport with the affixed visa from the Embassy/Consulate.
- Use the visa to travel to Malaysia and request a Short Term Social Visit Pass.
Online
If you are from a country who can apply for a Malaysia visa online, you can do so through this website: windowmalaysia.my
You will have to upload the required documents electronically, but the visa will be processed faster and you can apply from your home.
Once your visa is approved, you have to print it and use it to travel to Malaysia and request a Short Term Social Visit Pass.
Malaysia Short Term Social Visit Pass Validity
The validity of your Malaysia Short Term Social Visit Pass is up to the Immigration Officers to decide, but depends on your nationality and type of visa as well. As such, it can be:
- Up to 90 days, if you are a visa-exempt national.
- Up to 30 days, if:
- You are a visa-exempt national who is allowed a visa-free stay in Malaysia of up to 30 days; or
- You have received a Malaysia tourist visa.
- Up to 15 days if you are an Indian or Chinese national who received an eNTRI visa.
- Up to 14 days, if you are a visa-exempt national who allowed visa-free travel to Malaysia of up to 14 days.
- Up to 7 days if you are an Indian or Chinese national who received a Malaysian Visa On Arrival.
Keep in mind that just because you are allowed to stay in Malaysia “up to X number of days” it doesn’t mean that’s how long your Malaysia Short Term Social Visit Pass will be issued for. For example, you can be allowed to stay for up to 90 days, but only receive a Short Term Social Visit Pass for 30 days.
Short Term Social Visit Pass Malaysia Extension
In most cases, an extension of a Short Term Social Visit Pass for Malaysia is not possible. Extensions are only issued in extreme circumstances, such as if you fell ill, had an accident, or an event which could endanger your life happened in your country (such as political conflict/war) while you were in Malaysia.
If you want to apply for a Short Term Social Visit Pass extension, you have to download Form IMM.55 (application For Extension Of Visit Pass) and fill it in.
Then, collect any documents that serve as evidence of your request and apply for an extension at an Immigration Office in Malaysia.
Do not overstay your Pass for any reason. Staying in Malaysia illegally is a punishable offense and you could be fined and/or jailed.