The only countries that allow Malaysia Visas on arrival are the people of India and China, but they have to follow specific guidelines. The usual way of obtaining any visa is a cumbersome affair and requires lots of work, both document-wise and time-specific. As a significant and developed country, Malaysia has tried to mitigate the implications and smoothen the process by implementing online processes that streamline the process flow and ultimately help the user.
So, just for the nationals of India and China, the visa on arrival has been granted, but there are also a few regulations to be met to smooth and quickly disburse the visa.
Criteria for the VoA:
Just for clarity, we are mentioning the conditions applicable for VoA,
Indian or Chinese national
It would be best if you traveled from Indonesia, Thailand, or Singapore directly to Malaysia. If your flight originates from India or China, then as per the regulations, you are not entitled to VoA; in this scenario, the applicant must undergo the normal process of obtaining a tourist visa.
The other option is that if you have a valid visa from Thailand, Indonesia, or Singapore, you can apply for Malaysian VoA.
The applicant must have an onward flight ticket or a return flight ticket within the next seven days; this will make you eligible for VoA in Malaysia.
The amount of currency should be at least USD 1000 while onboarding the flight
If the applicant has travel insurance which covers the duration of the travel inside the Malaysian territory, though this is not mandatory as per authorities, it is highly recommended.
Where to apply for Malaysian Visa on Arrival?
The following checkpoints can be utilized to apply for Malaysian VoA
While traveling by airlines:
Bayen Lepas International Airport, Pulau Pinang
Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Sabah
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA and KLIA2)
Kuching International Airport, Sarawak
Sultan Ismail, Senai Airport, Johor
While traveling by land:
Tuas at Sultan Abu Bakar Complex
Documentation needed for Malaysia Visa on Arrival
The process for obtaining VoA after reaching Malaysia is dependent on the availability of the following documents for smooth processing of visa for the applicant
The respective passports, Indian or Chinese , must have validity for the next six months from the date of application
In case the applicant has a visa that has been issued by the respective authorities of Thailand, Singapore, or Indonesia, this document is required to be submitted in order to obtain VoA
As mentioned earlier the proof of sufficient fund wither by means of cash USD 1000 per person or in bank statement available for withdrawal internationally.
An onward journey ticket within the next 7 days or a return flight to native locations is a must to be submitted for VoA
After entering the respective Malaysian check point you will be given a arrival/departure card, this needs to be submitted along with the other documents for the processing of VoA.
The process of obtaining VoA
After you arrive at any respective checkpoints, kindly head towards the visa counter, where you need to submit the above-mentioned documents and pay a fee for processing the application. The current visa processing fee stands at USD 100 per person. After this, the authorities will review, and a visa will be granted if all terms and conditions set are met with the documents.
Validity of Malaysian VoA
The Malaysian VoA only has a validity of 7 days, which means that with this visa, you can only stay up to 7 days and cannot extend your stay. As a proof, you will be asked to submit necessary documents like return ticket or any onward journey, showing that you intend to leave the nation within the stipulated time as per the VoA. In case you need to extend your stay, you need to apply for the other types of visas which are on offer.
Pros & Cons of Malaysian VoA
Let us discuss the benefits against the limitations of such Visa on Arrival, the primary reason of benefit being that while traveling from states like Indonesia, Thailand or Singapore, you can opt for this short 7day trip as a leisure or any other business avenue and due to the ease of process can be great experience.
Pros:
As you need not visit the embassy the time taken gets significantly reduced, which, in turn, eases the tension or the uncertainty that comes with normal visa applications
As the duration is much quicker, and the applicant does not have to wait for days for approval
The ease of having to submit less documents is a boon.
Cons:
This visa is not available from the native regions that is India or China, only if you are coming from the three countries mentioned above. That is a hard-stop issue.
The fees related to this visa is relatively higher.
Need a higher cash in hand USD 1000.
Summary: Though the process of Malaysian Visa on Arrival is great, it has to be properly applied to have maximum impact. This article gives a brief idea as to the details and required documentation. However, in case of longer stays, the applicant must choose other visas which the country offers.
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