Malaysia grants visa-free entry to Indian, Chinese nationals from December 1

Malaysia will implement visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian citizens, starting from December 1, allowing stays of up to 30 days, as announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a speech at the People's Justice Party congress on Sunday. 

The duration of the visa exemption was not specified in the announcement. China and India rank as Malaysia's fourth and fifth-largest source markets, respectively. 

Government data reveals that, between January and June of this year, Malaysia welcomed 9.16 million tourists, with 498,540 arriving from China and 283,885 from India. This is a notable recovery compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, when Malaysia received 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India.

This move aligns with efforts to revitalize Malaysia's tourism sector and stimulate economic activity, following the lead of neighboring Thailand, which also granted visa exemptions to Chinese and Indian nationals this year. 

Currently, individuals from China and India are required to apply for visas to enter Malaysia.

(With Reuters Inputs)