Tourist Visa Question

Hi,
I never try before..but I think it can be work.
As long as u have the VISA and PASSPORT and those are VALID,then u may enter.
The nearest country u can visit is Singapore.

Lucky me, I don't need VISA to enter Malaysia, hehe..bcoz I am Indonesian

No problem really... if they give you a hard time then there is nothing more they can do because "visa runs" are perfectly legal... just be calm and quiet and you should always get through.  I have been asked for bribes several times at the Thai / Malaysia border and they even kept a log book of their "takings".  If you are in that situation you can't really refuse to pay a bribe even though it's illegal and not necessary.  Sometimes you just want to get back on the road...

Not a problem. i knew someone from Australia living in KL for the last 5 years under 3 month visa, every 3 months he out of Malaysia for few days

its totally possible.
my dad is a foreigner and he does that.
every 3 months he goes to other country and cops his passport and stay for few days and goes back to malaysia.
its totally legal

Thank you everyone!!

I am Chad from Chicago.

I have fallen in love with a woman who is from Zimbabwe now living in KL, Malay.  We have been talking for 6 months online and I am going to come out there soon to see her!!

We are going to spend a month together to see if it is a True love connection... pretty crazy, eh!!??

Anyway, we are going to travel up to Thailand and around Malay and if we hit it off I would be moving out there to be with her; which is why I asked the question about the Visa run.

I am glad to hear that it shouldn't be a challenge for me and thank you for all for replying and introducing yourself.

Much love ~ :-)

omg! that is so nice <3
good luck in everything okeyhh

Visa run will work for a time. But they are not recommended for long term.

I know some people got into trouble from doing visa runs for too long. They got a warning letter asking them to regularize their situation within one week or leave the country.

It is not exactly illegal, but the Immigration department is going to start asking questions if you do it many times in a row, especially if you leave just a few days before your visa expires (ex. you stay for 2 months and 3 weeks, then leave for one or two days, then come back).

So you better be careful with this technique.

I have done it many times and no problem at all.
Try to fly to Singapore and even same day you can come back and nobody ask you any questions.

Cheers

I have had no problems doing this..leave on last day of visa then come back after 3days.Just dont come back before your original visa date.Once I did that;I went to Singapore and came back the same day.The immigration officer wouldnt give me 90days.only 1day.But that was going through Johor Malaysia and on a bus.I did the same thing only came in by plane and there was no problem.I have been doing this for over 2yrs now.And I did the same thing as u.I came here to meet a woman and ended up stayin g here.Good luck!!

Yes I was doing it and I had no problem.
Even I did go to Singapore or Thailand and come back same day still they do not ask questions.
They treat Tourist nicely. Well like a VIP treatment actually.
When you come then you will see.

Yes in Asia you will get treated nicely unlike USA treatment of Asian(well almost every foreigner really.) off course that is not your fault. And we Understand that.

Well i dont agree with the persons who said positive remarks about that thing....... my dear fellas its new rule in malaysia since 2010, an expatriate visitor can only enter into the country thrice a year......... and even this enterance is subjected to departure from his or her passport country..... if u dont believe try this and miss my words once u r not allowed to enter in KL.  this law is exempted for the Residents / nationals of ASEAN country persons.

EEeenjoyyy

Hi, i am also holding a 3 months tourist visa, an agent accompany my exit in Thailand, it is my first time. hoping it will work for me also.well the agent told me that i can renew my tourist visa every 3 months.
so were both in same raft.
Good luck

has anybody got experience with the following: we have bought property in Penang, but have not obtained the Mm2H due to the 350k deposit required. we are managing on 3 months tourist visas but this might not be sustainable. is there any regulation on visiting one's property in Malaysia? how often and how long? whom can one ask this question?
any hints appreciated
laohu23

a friend of mine from England just goes to Thailand whenever his visa runs out...and stamps it! hahahaha

Hi all ! How do u guys get 3 months ? I am a Singapore citizen and mine was only a month. I travel by air Asia n depart from Vietnam . Please help

if i am not mistaken, you can extend your visa upto 3months if you obtain the visa from a malaysian consulate ,, which can then be extended for one month and then the 2nd month,, giving you a total stay of 3months,, but the visa which you obtain on arrival is not extendable,, just my 2cents hope it helps

My visa free 30 days is impossible to go after 7 days an come back again to Malaysia ?

It is possible but you dont know when the immigration will deny entrance.  My client once was in Malaysia 30 days...he exit malaysia and tried to enter again after 7 days however was detained at the airport. Sadly to say it also depends on your nationality

The latest "immigration officer's discretion" has been published incidentally by a yacht club:

90 days tourist visa eligibility:
Stay in Malaysia less than 80 days - 3 days outside Malaysia
Stay in Malaysia 80 to 90 days - 7 days stay out of Malaysia

30 days tourist eligibility:
Stay in Malaysia less than 20 days - 3 days outside Malaysia
Stay in Malaysia 20 to 30 days - 7 days stay out of Malaysia

Gravitas wrote:

The latest "immigration officer's discretion" has been published incidentally by a yacht club:

90 days tourist visa eligibility:
Stay in Malaysia less than 80 days - 3 days outside Malaysia
Stay in Malaysia 80 to 90 days - 7 days stay out of Malaysia

Gravitas -  does this mean that you can exit and enter multiple times during the 90 days with the stipulation that you are out of Malaysia for at least 3 days each time? Does this apply to countries that do not require a visa (USA, Canada, etc..)? Thanks.

Each time you enter on a tourist visa the maximum-day count (90 in the case of USA, UK, etc.) starts from zero. If you leave the country before the 80th day then you have to be outside for 3 complete days.

Immigration officers will want to know why a person comes regularly into Malaysia on the grounds of living here illegally i.e. without a longterm visa, or working illegally.

I'm thinking of visiting Malaysia 3 times a year for 2-3 months each time on  social visit pass (total6-7 months a year) for a couple of years while deciding whether to apply for mm2h to stay longterm. Given the process and cost involved in mm2h I want to try living in Malaysia for reasonable length of time at different times of year before making decision. I wont be working in Malaysia.  I understand entry is at immigration officers discretion and could be refused anytime. But looking at those guidelines in earlier post of 80 days needing 3 days out and 90 days needing 7 days out, I'll be out 1.5 - 3 months each time before trying to reenter so chances of reentry fairly good?  Or is doing this for 2 years too long? If entry is denied, is person usually banned from entering malaysia again? Or can reenter after cooling off period? It would be much easier if Malaysia clearly stated how long was or wasn't acceptable on social visit pass.

What happens is a Do Not Land can be issued which requires a person to be outside Malaysia for one month.  The authorities dont want people living in Malaysia as Tourists or working illegally on tourist entries as that means income tax evasion is happening.  Most over 50s live on Penang Island.

Julia...your circumstances are not likely to gain any interest. The fact that you visit twice a year with longer periods out of country is not so unusual to make Immigration suspect you are working here (unless you are).

I don't know if you intend to spend the time "out" going back to your home country or passing through several other countries but both are additional plusses. You look like a real "tourist" in the latter case, and appear to have a residence "back home" in the other. You area twice a year tourist.

The cases that raise Immigrations radar are people who live in Malaysia for most of the year and leaving for a few days every three months who then pop back in. I'd suggest mentioning an event or festival or some places that you intend to see if the officer asks why you are returning. You can also come through a different entryway (maybe Kuching or KK rather than KL). Increasingly there a many ways to reenter Malaysia, and if you are looking at potential spots to stay for MM2H you'd want to see a lot of different places before deciding rather than stay in Penang.

Things really don't change that much season to season...rainy seasons happen in every State though at slightly different times (so you are always going to get one). No where has sunny weather every day year 'round. Tourists are more impacted by these than long-term residents as a tourist has " we only had four weeks for the beaches and every day rained half the day". Locals just go on a holiday to the other coast and enjoy the better conditions in their place of residence most of the year. You may want to experience the "burning season" in Penang and Kuching though. Again, one can escape it...and it really hasn't been too bad this year.

Because Malaysia has a Federal set-up, it means that even matters such as immigration can be interpreted by States in their required manner. This probably explains why "discretion of the immigration officer" is used and there are only a few guidelines written.

Thank you both so much. Your answers are very helpful.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in Malaysia under tourist visa for 30 days. I would to know whether I have to leave on date written on the visa or before?

Thank you!

I know several people who've been doing the 90 day visa run for years, some over 20 years, but 3 of those have been formally told by immigration that they can no longer do it, and have been given a 30 day visa, and told that that will be the last visa: if they don't leave within 30 days, or come  back in in the near future after that, they will be deported. Seems like immigration is becoming stricter.

Yes, it indeed seems that they are going after people that look like they are "visa-hopping". I'm wondering what will be considered the time frame between admissions. Telling someone that they will not be allowed to return to Malaysia "ever" seems drastic. What if the person needs to route a flight through Malaysia.

Whats drastic? A tourist visa is for tourism. Greater than 90 days does imply illegal work. There are legal methods to stay long term eg mm2h. With proof of funds a 6 month stay is easy enough.

Nemodot wrote:

Whats drastic? A tourist visa is for tourism. Greater than 90 days does imply illegal work. There are legal methods to stay long term eg mm2h. With proof of funds a 6 month stay is easy enough.

I gave an example...transit. Many people use KL as a hub and move from use of a Low-Cost Carrier to a long-haul carrier in a different terminal. Another, might be medical needs, for example coming from North or West Sumatra to a better hospital.

And staying in Malaysia greater 90-Days (using visa hopping) does not IMPLY ILLEGAL WORK. Lot's of people visa hop and are not working. It COULD imply illegal work...but is not a very good indicator. Many are tourists who simply want to absorb the culture at a slower pace than the breakneck fashion that a 90-day pass requires. They may get involved in learning some skill..like batik, or silat, etc. So they go out and return. And I know more than a few old pensioners who do the visa runs. They have their little room set up with their books and records and pet cat, live on the RM5000 pension, and are virtually invisible except to the locals who they bichara with in the local markets and their buddies in the kopitiam.  They may show up at a gallery opening or talk on Colonial History on occasion, thus revealing something about their past lives, serving to defend Malaysia during the Konfrontasi, etc.

Many who visa hop can live comfortably and travel about in Malaysia...but simply do not fit into one of the many "long-stay" visa categories. MM2H no longer allows pensioners (even with the equivalent of RM10000 monthly income) to qualify. You have to have substantial income AND place RM350,000 into a fixed account.

Now if this is actually what Immigration believes is necessary to live on in Malaysia (and the Fixed Account actually places money OUTSIDE normal living expenses, hence reducing access to available funds) then >90% of Malaysians cannot survive in the country. Those they accept in on "work visas" can't survive on the income levels they require of MM2H applicants. I wonder if many of the junior immigration officers themselves could qualify.

While we may think of MM2H as a retirement or "long-stay tourist visa" it is rapidly becoming an investment visa. Officials from the MoT are constantly talking about how they want it for "high-quality people". But that really means "wealthy" and "buying an expensive condo or home".

There is no other visa for tourists with more than enough to live on in Malaysia. All are work visas, social visas with reference, student visas, investor visa, etc. If you are falsely claiming status under one of these and actually "just a tourist" then you are misusing the visa. None of these are, contrary to your statement, particularly easy to get.

cinnamonape wrote:

Nemodot wrote:

Whats drastic? A tourist visa is for tourism. Greater than 90 days does imply illegal work. There are legal methods to stay long term eg mm2h. With proof of funds a 6 month stay is easy enough.

I gave an example...transit. Many people use KL as a hub and move from use of a Low-Cost Carrier to a long-haul carrier in a different terminal. Another, might be medical needs, for example coming from North or West Sumatra to a better hospital.

And staying in Malaysia greater 90-Days (using visa hopping) does not IMPLY ILLEGAL WORK. Lot's of people visa hop and are not working. It COULD imply illegal work...but is not a very good indicator. Many are tourists who simply want to absorb the culture at a slower pace than the breakneck fashion that a 90-day pass requires. They may get involved in learning some skill..like batik, or silat, etc. So they go out and return. And I know more than a few old pensioners who do the visa runs. They have their little room set up with their books and records and pet cat, live on the RM5000 pension, and are virtually invisible except to the locals who they bichara with in the local markets and their buddies in the kopitiam.  They may show up at a gallery opening or talk on Colonial History on occasion, thus revealing something about their past lives, serving to defend Malaysia during the Konfrontasi, etc.

Many who visa hop can live comfortably and travel about in Malaysia...but simply do not fit into one of the many "long-stay" visa categories. MM2H no longer allows pensioners (even with the equivalent of RM10000 monthly income) to qualify. You have to have substantial income AND place RM350,000 into a fixed account.

Now if this is actually what Immigration believes is necessary to live on in Malaysia (and the Fixed Account actually places money OUTSIDE normal living expenses, hence reducing access to available funds) then >90% of Malaysians cannot survive in the country. Those they accept in on "work visas" can't survive on the income levels they require of MM2H applicants. I wonder if many of the junior immigration officers themselves could qualify.

While we may think of MM2H as a retirement or "long-stay tourist visa" it is rapidly becoming an investment visa. Officials from the MoT are constantly talking about how they want it for "high-quality people". But that really means "wealthy" and "buying an expensive condo or home".

There is no other visa for tourists with more than enough to live on in Malaysia. All are work visas, social visas with reference, student visas, investor visa, etc. If you are falsely claiming status under one of these and actually "just a tourist" then you are misusing the visa. None of these are, contrary to your statement, particularly easy to get.

What a load of typical American imperialist rubbish! Typical "entitlement I am an American bow to my superiorness you silly foreigner " and general entitlement generation nonsense! Basically rascist drivel.

Malaysia as a sovereign country like all countries has the right to choose who it has stay within it's borders. It doesn't want the "white trash" (or as Americans say trailer park trash) that Thailand has - sexpats and losers which Thailand are also trying to remove (the fx rates are mostly helping with that).

Malaysia is a proud country which has open arms to people with high quality skills and or willing to invest in Malaysia. If you are what Malaysia wants it is easy to get a work permit or a long term or student visa. People who try to abuse this are refused,

Malaysia doesn't want poor or unskilled people. Same as Australia, UK or USA etc (well nowadays  USA has stopped its open arms to all policy).

And to be honest to see how westerners especially Americans swan around saying they are entitled to a job anywhere in the world or stay as they are simply  superior is just rascist. Can I just move to USA? No way.

Strong words . . . But it seems to me that it's actually easier for those from Western nations to legally use the system to suit themselves, as they're often the ones who can afford MM2H etc, and are more likely to have had the luxury of a good education.  From the people I've encountered, it's often those from poorer countries who end up working illegally, not because they want to avoid tax, but because they're simply not allowed to work, and have fewer choices. In fact the 3 people I referred to earlier who were given warnings at immigration were all white and European, but I also know of an Asian person with full legal refugee status, who was simply arrested for working, without being given any warning.  And that was someone with skills which are lacking in Malaysia.
It's true the immigration system in Malaysia is much the same as that in other countries, few people can move easily around the world unless they're tourists or very rich. 
I think unless we ever achieve a fairer world, every country will look suspiciously at people who seem to be playing the system, and will always aim to get the most in taxes to spend on their own citizens. And people will do what they always do, and try to make the system work best for themselves and their families.

"And to be honest to see how westerners especially Americans swan around saying they are entitled to a job anywhere in the world or stay as they are simply  superior is just rascist. Can I just move to USA? No way."

Can you translate this run-on sentence into proper English? And the proper spelling is "racist". English teacher? Really? [BTW I'm not, so standards are lower for me ;-)]

And the topic in dispute was in regards to an individual who was getting a 90-day tourist pass, leaving the country, and returning for another period of time.

It wasn't about illegally working...or anyone applying for a job.  Or qualifying under any sort of visa provided they were working, investing etc.

Or national sovereignty. Of course, any nation has the right to establish any immigration rules they wish. Some nations introduce policies about tourism and end up reversing those policies in a few years because of the deleterious impact on tourism. For example, Indonesia eliminated their free visa pass at the behest of the Islamist Tourism/Immigration Minister. He argued that he wanted only quality, high end tourists. A 30-Day paid Visa was introduced. Entry points were reduced. Tourism numbers, particularly to more remote areas in the peninsula, plummeted. Hundreds of thousands of Indonesians serving the budget-midrange tourism market faced bankruptcy.  But people, both tourists and tourism operators/providers, had warned that this would happen.  After eight years of this a new administration terminated the old policy and went back to visa-free entry.

I also think that people have the right to complain or comment about the strictures of those rules, just as people from many nations have about Trump's anti-Muslim and anti-asylum policies. People can complain about Myanmar's Rohingya policies, or Australia's immigration policies. Maybe people should have been more expressive about the "immigration" (reclassifying people of other nationalities as non-citizens and, hence temporary immigrants) in the 1930's.  I'm not sure how critiquing or commenting about this is racist, or denying that nation "sovereignty"? You might be challenging the views of some misguided immigration official. But nothing prevents them from making that decision, unless the views expressed changes the views of that official or someone superior to them.

I'm all in favor of careful review of a persons employment background if they apply for for work. And I also don't believe that someone should be taking a job from a qualified national. 

Just looked at your travel experiences and seems that you left Britain (though you assert that you are a staunch nationalist) because you hated the people and it was too expensive. Hmmmm! As well, your work history shows a suspicious lack of ability to stay in one job very long. What if Malaysian immigration examined that and said..."you aren't the type of person we want".  Would that be harsh? Unfair? Perhaps.

Angela Dias wrote:

Strong words . . . But it seems to me that it's actually easier for those from Western nations to legally use the system to suit themselves, as they're often the ones who can afford MM2H etc, and are more likely to have had the luxury of a good education.  From the people I've encountered, it's often those from poorer countries who end up working illegally, not because they want to avoid tax, but because they're simply not allowed to work, and have fewer choices. In fact the 3 people I referred to earlier who were given warnings at immigration were all white and European, but I also know of an Asian person with full legal refugee status, who was simply arrested for working, without being given any warning.  And that was someone with skills which are lacking in Malaysia.
It's true the immigration system in Malaysia is much the same as that in other countries, few people can move easily around the world unless they're tourists or very rich. 
I think unless we ever achieve a fairer world, every country will look suspiciously at people who seem to be playing the system, and will always aim to get the most in taxes to spend on their own citizens. And people will do what they always do, and try to make the system work best for themselves and their families.

The rich these days are mostly Chinese and are the big users of mm2h. Why should anyone be able to move anywhere? That's globalisation gone mad! Again nonsense you get from the "entitlement generation".

cinnamonape wrote:

"And to be honest to see how westerners especially Americans swan around saying they are entitled to a job anywhere in the world or stay as they are simply  superior is just rascist. Can I just move to USA? No way."

Can you translate this run-on sentence into proper English? And the proper spelling is "racist". English teacher? Really? [BTW I'm not, so standards are lower for me ;-)]

And the topic in dispute was in regards to an individual who was getting a 90-day tourist pass, leaving the country, and returning for another period of time.

It wasn't about illegally working...or anyone applying for a job.  Or qualifying under any sort of visa provided they were working, investing etc.

Or national sovereignty. Of course, any nation has the right to establish any immigration rules they wish. Some nations introduce policies about tourism and end up reversing those policies in a few years because of the deleterious impact on tourism. For example, Indonesia eliminated their free visa pass at the behest of the Islamist Tourism/Immigration Minister. He argued that he wanted only quality, high end tourists. A 30-Day paid Visa was introduced. Entry points were reduced. Tourism numbers, particularly to more remote areas in the peninsula, plummeted. Hundreds of thousands of Indonesians serving the budget-midrange tourism market faced bankruptcy.  But people, both tourists and tourism operators/providers, had warned that this would happen.  After eight years of this a new administration terminated the old policy and went back to visa-free entry.

I also think that people have the right to complain or comment about the strictures of those rules, just as people from many nations have about Trump's anti-Muslim and anti-asylum policies. People can complain about Myanmar's Rohingya policies, or Australia's immigration policies. Maybe people should have been more expressive about the "immigration" (reclassifying people of other nationalities as non-citizens and, hence temporary immigrants) in the 1930's.  I'm not sure how critiquing or commenting about this is racist, or denying that nation "sovereignty"? You might be challenging the views of some misguided immigration official. But nothing prevents them from making that decision, unless the views expressed changes the views of that official or someone superior to them.

I'm all in favor of careful review of a persons employment background if they apply for for work. And I also don't believe that someone should be taking a job from a qualified national. 

Just looked at your travel experiences and seems that you left Britain (though you assert that you are a staunch nationalist) because you hated the people and it was too expensive. Hmmmm! As well, your work history shows a suspicious lack of ability to stay in one job very long. What if Malaysian immigration examined that and said..."you aren't the type of person we want".  Would that be harsh? Unfair? Perhaps.

Firstly Malaysia has a very easy to get a tourist visa so talking about impact on tourism is nonsense. Indeed getting an employment pass in Malaysia is easy if you have the right skills and qualifications. It is far easier than many countries but not as easy as the UAE for example where job are plentiful.

I never said I am a staunch nationalist and you are just trolling. I dont feed trolls especially those with weak intellects.

No one has the right or entitlement to live in Malaysia unless they are a Malaysian citizen. It has a very easy to obtain an employment pass or student visa or retirement visa. Those that are poor or unskilled  cant get a visa should leave and not whine like entitlement babies. A younger friend pointed out how KL now has a lot of transient American and British 20 or 30 something unemployed seekers of jobs who turn up expecting an easy life in a third world country. It's the spoilt entitlement generation who dont understand it's basically rascist to assume an Asian country sees a westerner as a superior saviour. Seen it so many times it laughable.

I am sympathetic towards the younger generation  now in the west who have been sold a lie to get a large student debt and graduate into a terrible economy. But hey dont expect Asian countries to want you. The world doesnt work like that. Dont work dont eat is how most of the world works. Brits and Europeans especially dont get how spoilt they are with welfare states.