KUL · Before you leave the transit area · published · checked
Entering Malaysia from a KUL layover
Malaysia does not use one rule for every passport. The arrival card is a second rule, and it is not the visa.
Check the country, not the continent
Immigration publishes the list. On the visa-exempt side of it are nationalities including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland. The list is longer than that sentence, and it is not 'all of Europe' and not 'everyone who was visa-free last time'.
Others need an eVisa before they fly, through the official portal. KLIA does not sell one at the desk. The number of days you may stay, even when you are exempt, depends on the passport. Confirm yours.
Indian passports, through 2026
Malaysia has extended a visa waiver for Indian nationals until 31 December 2026, for up to 30 days, for tourism, business, social visits, or transit. The foreign ministry asks for six months of passport validity, a return ticket, a hotel booking, and a submitted MDAC. A waiver is not a reason to skip the card.
The MDAC
Most foreign visitors submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card within three days before arrival. It is free at the immigration department's site. It is not a visa.
Exemptions include Singapore citizens, diplomatic and official passports, Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders, and a few border-pass categories. If you are not sure you are exempt, submit it. A third-party site that charges a fee is not the form.
Staying airside
If the list and the card are not clear, do not exit. The Ekspres is excellent and it is useless without permission to ride it.