Malaysia has become one of the top spots for Indian nationals to visit this year, as can be seen by how our nation was ranked as the 7th most-searched travel destination on Google in India.
With over 1 million visitors from India having travelled to Malaysia so far this year, the Home Ministry has announced that visa exemption for Indian nationals has been extended until 31 December 2026.
Over 1 million tourists from India visited Malaysia in the first 11 months of 2024
For illustration purposes
Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing recently revealed that from 1 January until 30 November 2024, Malaysia recorded 1,009,114 travellers from India, which means that the Ministry has reached this year’s target of 1 million tourists from the country.
According to Sinar Harian, Tiong said that this was a significant increase as the number is 71.7% more compared to last year. Furthermore, it’s also 47% more than the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
The MOTAC Minister attributed the success to the implementation of visa exemption for Indian nationals in December 2023, as well as the introduction of new direct flights from the country to Malaysia this year, including to Penang and Langkawi.
Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing
Visa exemption for Indian nationals has been extended until December 2026
Following this, the Home Ministry, in a statement, announced that visa exemption for Indian nationals has been extended.
Previously, Indian nationals were only given visa exemption for 30 days from 1 December 2023 until 31 December 2024.
With the extension, Indian nationals will enjoy the same visa exemption as Chinese nationals, which is until 31 December 2026.
So, what do you guys think of the visa exemption for Indian and Chinese nationals? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Study: Malaysia is The Best Holiday Destination for Safety in Asia, 2nd Most Relaxing Vacation Spot
