Malaysia travel guide for Indians

1 city guide — visa, money, customs and language · reviewed 25 September 2026

City guides

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Before you go

Visa & entry

Type
Visa-free entry (until 31 Dec 2026)
Fee
₹0
Validity days
30
Processing days
0 (stamp on arrival)
Documents
  • Passport (6 months validity)
  • Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) — free, filed online within 3 days of arrival
  • Confirmed return/onward ticket within 30 days
  • First night's hotel booking
  • Proof of funds (a bank statement on your phone — rarely asked)
Steps
  • No visa needed — Indians get a free 30-day stamp for tourism, business or transit; the exemption currently runs to 31 Dec 2026
  • Fill the MDAC at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac within 72h of your flight; screenshot the confirmation — airlines check it at check-in
  • Use the manned immigration counters at KLIA — Indians are not on the autogate list
  • 30 days cannot be extended; overstaying means fines and an entry ban
Alternatives
  • eVISA (single entry, 30 days) — ₹2,500 · Only if the exemption lapses after Dec 2026 or you need multiple entries — apply at malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my; MYR 100 approx

Money

Currency
MYR (Malaysian Ringgit)
Forex cards
  • Niyo Global — Zero forex markup; Maybank and CIMB ATMs charge nothing on their side for foreign cards
  • Scapia — No forex markup; cards accepted in malls, chains and Grab
  • BookMyForex card — Load MYR directly; skip the KLIA money changers, the city rates are better
Upi supported
No
Upi note
Not yet. NPCI International and PayNet signed the UPI–DuitNow QR link in Feb 2026 (Phase 1 = Indians paying at DuitNow QR merchants), but it has not gone live — re-check before you promise yourself UPI in KL.
Cash vs card
Cards work everywhere from malls to Grab; hawker stalls, Brickfields eateries and small shops want cash. Malaysian bank ATMs (Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank) add no local fee — withdraw RM 1,000–2,000 at a time and let your forex card do the rest. Change money at licensed counters in Bukit Bintang or Masjid India, never at the airport.

Customs

Into india
  • Duty-free allowance ₹50,000 (returning resident) — 2L alcohol + 100 cigarettes
  • Duty-free liquor from Langkawi counts towards the 2L limit
  • Gold jewellery above the allowance must be declared
Into destination
  • 1L wine/spirits per adult; tobacco allowance is 200 cigarettes on paper but tobacco duty relief has been cut back — expect to pay tax on any you bring
  • Vapes and e-liquids are taxable and tightly controlled — declare them or leave them at home
  • Gifts up to RM 200 duty-free (RM 500 if bought in Langkawi/Labuan)
  • Drones need a CAAM permit applied for 14 days ahead — no permit, no flying; fines up to RM 50,000
  • Drug offences carry the death penalty; carry prescriptions for medicines

Language

Official
  • Bahasa Malaysia
English prevalence
Excellent — English is the working language of KL; menus, signs and transit are bilingual. Tamil is spoken across Brickfields and much of the Indian community.
Key phrases
  • Terima kasih — Thank you
  • Selamat pagi — Good morning
  • Tidak pedas — Not spicy
  • Saya vegetarian / tanpa daging — I'm vegetarian / no meat
  • Berapa harga? — How much?
  • Halal / tidak halal — Halal / not halal — matters for Muslim travellers picking eateries