Malaysia implements new, simplified immigration initiatives under new Visa Liberalization Plan

Effective 1 December 2023, Malaysia implemented the Visa Liberalization Plan, which introduced several initiatives to attract foreign nationals and generate national income. The Visa Liberalization Plan will benefit employers by streamlining the entry of business visitors and providing access to a larger pool of foreign talent. Under the Visa Liberalization Plan, the following initiatives went into effect on 1 December 2023 (i) until 31 December 2024, Indian and Chinese nationals who seek to enter Malaysia for up to 30 days for purposes other than work or study (e.g., business or tourism) will not require an entry visa; (ii) until 31 December 2026, SVPs issued to residents or nationals of certain jurisdictions, who require a visa to enter Malaysia, will be valid for up to 30 days; (iii) individuals who require a visa to enter Malaysia and seek to transit via the country for Umrah purposes are now eligible to obtain an Umrah Transit Visa, which will enable them to stay in Malaysia for up to seven days; and (iv) students who are nationals of the certain countries and completed their bachelor’s degree or above at an institution of higher learning in Malaysia are now eligible to apply for LTSVPs.

A Tax Alert prepared by EY's People Advisory Services group, and attached below, provides additional details.