Malaysia’s Immigration Department has tightened eligibility for its Multiple Entry Visa (MEV), restricting it to travelers from 31 approved nationalities and to four specific travel purposes, effective September 1, 2026. This is a narrowing of eligibility, not a discontinuation of the MEV program itself — travelers who don’t qualify under the new criteria will instead need to apply for a single-entry visa for each trip, where a visa is required at all.
The four approved purposes under the new rules are Fly & Cruise travel, business trips, medical treatment, and wedding tourism. Travelers applying for an MEV for tourism outside these categories, or from a nationality not on the approved list, will no longer qualify under the revised policy.
Why This Matters for Travelers
Most visitors to Malaysia are unaffected by this change entirely. A large share of nationalities already enter Malaysia visa-free for short tourist stays — see our Malaysia Visa Guide for who needs a visa at all — and Malaysia has separately extended visa-free entry for China and India through the end of 2026, which is a completely separate program from the MEV.
The MEV restriction specifically affects travelers who previously relied on a multiple-entry visa to make several trips to Malaysia within its validity period — for example, frequent business travelers, people visiting family across multiple trips, or travelers combining Malaysia with side trips to neighboring countries like Singapore or Thailand. If your nationality or travel purpose isn’t among the newly approved categories, you’ll need to apply for single-entry visas for each visit going forward.
What Travelers Should Do
If you hold, or were planning to apply for, a Malaysia Multiple Entry Visa, check whether your nationality is on the approved list of 31 and whether your travel purpose matches one of the four eligible categories (Fly & Cruise, business, medical treatment, or wedding tourism) before applying. If you don’t qualify, plan on applying for a single-entry visa for each trip instead, and build the extra processing time into your itinerary — this matters in particular for multi-country trips, such as a Malaysia–Singapore itinerary, where travelers previously used an MEV to cross back and forth.
FAQ: Malaysia’s Multiple Entry Visa Change
Has Malaysia discontinued the Multiple Entry Visa entirely?
No. The MEV still exists, but eligibility is now restricted to 31 approved nationalities and four travel purposes: Fly & Cruise, business, medical treatment, and wedding tourism. Travelers outside these categories are no longer eligible for an MEV and must apply for single-entry visas instead.
When did this change take effect?
The restriction took effect on September 1, 2026.
Does this affect visa-free travelers?
No. Visa-free entry (including the extended visa-free arrangement for China and India through 2026) is a separate system from the Multiple Entry Visa. This change only affects travelers who need a visa and were using, or planning to use, an MEV specifically.
What if my nationality isn’t on the approved list?
You can still visit Malaysia, but for multiple trips you will need to apply for a separate single-entry visa each time, rather than one visa covering multiple visits.
Does this affect tourists visiting Malaysia once?
Generally no — a single tourist trip is typically covered by either visa-free entry or a standard single-entry visa, depending on nationality. The MEV restriction mainly affects travelers making repeat or multiple trips to Malaysia.
Where can I check if I need a visa for Malaysia at all?
See our Malaysia Visa Guide, which covers visa-free allowances, the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, and standard visa requirements by nationality.
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