This decision aligns with Malaysia's strategic move to boost economic growth by attracting additional tourists and their spending, says reports
Malaysia is set to scrap entry visa requirements for citizens of India and China starting December 1, as announced by the country’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday. This decision follows a similar visa waiver implemented by Sri Lanka and Thailand.
However, Indian nationals would be subject to security screening, Ibrahim added.
According to a press statement, this decision aligns with Malaysia’s strategic move to boost economic growth by attracting additional tourists and their spending.
The statement says that Chinese and Indian nationals will enjoy a visa-free stay of up to 30 days under this new policy, subject to security screening, the Malaysian Prime Minister has said in his speech during the annual congress.
It adds that Malaysia is counting on extra tourist arrivals, and their spending, to support economic growth. Ibrahim had last month announced plans to improve visa facilities next year to encourage the entry of tourists and investors, with a ‘particular focus on those from India and China.’
Currently, Indian citizens are eligible for a visa-on-arrival in Malaysia, provided they are arriving from Thailand, Indonesia, or Singapore. The conditions for obtaining visa-on-arrival also include having a valid visa for any of these transit countries and confirmed return tickets to India. Malaysia offers various types of visas for Indians which includes the eNTRI Visa, E-Visa, and Transit Pass, each serving different purposes and durations of stay, adds the statement.
As per the report, Ibrahim had earlier outlined plans to enhance visa facilities in the coming year, specifically targeting tourists and investors, with a particular focus on those from India and China.
Notably, China on November 30 announced that citizens from six countries, including Malaysia, will be permitted to enter China without a visa, effective from December 1 and lasting until November 30 of the following year, for up to 15 days without a visa.
According to government data, Malaysia recorded 9.16 million tourist arrivals between January and June this year, with 498,540 from China and 283,885 from India. That compared to 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India in the same period of 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Following a similar suit, Thailand has also lifted visa requirements for visitors from India and Taiwan. Indians can travel to Thailand without a visa and stay for up to 30 days. This visa-free access for Indian passport holders is applicable from November 10, 2023 to May 10, 2024.
Likewise, Sri Lanka has introduced a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from India and six other countries, encompassing China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand.
According to the latest Passport Index by Henley and Partners 2023, Indian passport holders can travel to up to 57 countries without a visa. This includes countries providing facilities like visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival facilities and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
