Malaysian leadership announced an extended visa exemption for Chinese travellers until end of 2026 during Chinese premier Li Qiang’s recent three-day official visit to Malaysia.
The 30-day visa exemption was first announced by Malaysia prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in November 2023, and it came into effect on December 1.
Malaysia has extended its 30-day visa exemption for Chinese travellers, a move that will boost Chinese tourist arrivals for the South-east Asian country
In May this year, China had agreed to extend its visa-free policy for Malaysian tourists until the end of 2025 and the visa-free duration per trip had also been extended from 15 to 30 days.
Anwar and Li said in a joint statement that they welcomed the keen interest in continuing consultations and discussions on mutual visa exemptions to facilitate the entry of Malaysian and Chinese citizens.
Uzaidi Udanis, chairman of the Consortium of Inbound Tourism Alliance, opined that the visa exemption for Chinese travellers to Malaysia as well as Malaysians travelling to China, will allow the travel trade from Malaysia and China to continue with their campaigns and promotions to attract quality tourists and niche segments such as business travellers from both countries.
He shared: “It is also a timely announcement by the Malaysian prime minister as Malaysia prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026. It will encourage more Chinese travellers to visit Malaysia and help the country achieve its target of 35.6 million tourists and target receipts of RM147.1 billion (US$31.2 billion).
“China is very important market as it is the top medium-haul inbound market in terms of number of tourists. Also, with this latest announcement, it will encourage airlines (based in) Malaysia and China to improve their connectivity and frequencies between Malaysia and China.”
Malaysian leadership announced an extended visa exemption for Chinese travellers until end of 2026 during Chinese premier Li Qiang’s recent three-day official visit to Malaysia.
The 30-day visa exemption was first announced by Malaysia prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in November 2023, and it came into effect on December 1.
In May this year, China had agreed to extend its visa-free policy for Malaysian tourists until the end of 2025 and the visa-free duration per trip had also been extended from 15 to 30 days.
Anwar and Li said in a joint statement that they welcomed the keen interest in continuing consultations and discussions on mutual visa exemptions to facilitate the entry of Malaysian and Chinese citizens.
Uzaidi Udanis, chairman of the Consortium of Inbound Tourism Alliance, opined that the visa exemption for Chinese travellers to Malaysia as well as Malaysians travelling to China, will allow the travel trade from Malaysia and China to continue with their campaigns and promotions to attract quality tourists and niche segments such as business travellers from both countries.
He shared: “It is also a timely announcement by the Malaysian prime minister as Malaysia prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026. It will encourage more Chinese travellers to visit Malaysia and help the country achieve its target of 35.6 million tourists and target receipts of RM147.1 billion (US$31.2 billion).
“China is very important market as it is the top medium-haul inbound market in terms of number of tourists. Also, with this latest announcement, it will encourage airlines (based in) Malaysia and China to improve their connectivity and frequencies between Malaysia and China.”