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This comes in preparation for the country's 'Visit Malaysia Year' in 2026 — a campaign that aims to attract 35.6mn tourists and generate RM147.1bn in receipts.
Malaysia has extended the visa exemption period for India citizens entering the country to 1 December 2026.
The initial period for this visa-free travel initiative began in December 2023, and lapsed on 31 December 2024. With this exemption, Indian travellers will be able to stay in the country for up to 30 days without needing a visa.
Responding to the announcement on the extension, Dato' Zakaria Shaaban, Malaysia's Director-General of Immigration, said the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) welcomed the decision on the extension.
In a statement, he shared that throughout the initial exemption period of 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2024, JIM recorded a total of 916, 821 Indian visitors to the country, a 233% increase from what was recorded in 2023 (283,885). This increase, he highlighted, not only generated income for Malaysia, but also created job opportunities for the local community, thus boosting the business industry.
He added that in support of the extension, JIM will enhance aspects of control and enforcement that are already in place, including:
- having a special team in place to monitor the movement of Chinese and Indian visitors,
- surveillance activities in areas where more foreigners reside/visit,
- a strict procedure for 'Notice of Denial of Entry' and compliance with filling up the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, and
- continuing to maintain a security check where visitors would need to present a return ticket and proof of accommodation at immigration.
The announcement on the extension was made by Chief Secretary of the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Awang Alik Jeman, who said it comes in line with Malaysia's ASEAN 2025 chairmanship, and in preparation for its 'Visit Malaysia Year' in 2026 (VM 2026).
The VM 2026 roadmap, presented by Tourism Malaysia in April 2024, is built on three core strategies – creating demand, increasing traffic, and prioritising target markets. Key initiatives include branding and marketing blitz, strategic partnerships for joint promotions/tactical campaigns and market segmentation.
The agency shared that key target markets for this are prioritised into three tiers, led by first-level priorities such as China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Australia. The second-level priorities include South Korea, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the UK, followed by third-level priorities comprising Taipei and Germany.
Apart from traditional markets such as Brunei, Thailand, and Singapore, the focus also involves emerging markets like Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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