Malaysia travel guides
Practical, plain-English help with the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card and arriving in the country, written and reviewed by our team. Rules change, so each guide shows when we last checked it.
-
How to fill in the MDAC, field by field
A calm walk through every part of the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card form: what each field means, what to type and the small traps that catch people out.
-
Malaysia entry requirements by nationality: how to check yours
Visa-free or visa required, how long a visit allows and who is exempt from the MDAC: where Malaysia publishes each rule and how to check it for your passport.
-
MDAC vs visa: what is the difference?
The arrival card and a Malaysian visa are separate things. Learn what each one does, who needs which, and how visa-free stays and the eVisa fit in.
-
Passport validity and blank pages for Malaysia
The six-month validity rule, blank pages, damaged passports, name mismatches and what to do if you lose your passport in Malaysia, from official sources.
-
What to carry at Malaysian immigration
Passport validity, onward tickets, accommodation, funds, visas and your arrival card confirmation: what to have ready, on paper or on your phone.
-
Common MDAC mistakes and how to avoid them
The errors we see most on Malaysia arrival cards, from swapped names and mistyped passport numbers to wrong dates, lost emails and late submissions.
-
MDAC for families and children
Who fills in the arrival card for babies, children and teenagers, which email and phone to use, and how to handle a whole family or group without mix-ups.
-
Transit through Malaysia: do you need an MDAC?
When a connection through Kuala Lumpur or another Malaysian airport needs an arrival card and when it does not, explained by airside and landside transfers.
-
Arriving at KLIA and other entry points
What to expect at KLIA Terminals 1 and 2, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and the Johor land checkpoints, including autogates and the Sabah and Sarawak check.
-
Sabah and Sarawak arrivals: immigration in Malaysian Borneo
Why Sabah and Sarawak run their own immigration checks, what that means on flights from Peninsular Malaysia, and how the MDAC fits for visitors to Borneo.
-
Singapore to Malaysia by land
Crossing into Johor by the Causeway or the Second Link: buses, the shuttle train, driving, the busiest times, and who needs an arrival card for the trip.
A note on how we write these
We are an independent private service that offers optional paid assistance with the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card. We are not affiliated with the Government of Malaysia or the Malaysian Immigration Department, and nothing here replaces the official rules. The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card itself is free on the official MDAC website, and the Immigration Department of Malaysia has the final word on entry requirements. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.