Be it Kuala Lumpur, Penang, or Langkwi, each and every corner of Malaysia spells infinite bliss for travellers. However, before buying tickets to the destination, one needs to have a fair understanding of things like visa and passport requirements, currency laws, and policy on travel with children. Get more acquainted with the nitty gritties of such matters.
Visa
Visa
- British nationals booking their cheap flights to Malaysia for tourism purpose need not obtain a visa in advance. Usually, such travellers can stay in the country for three months without a visa. However, a visa is required to enter for non tourism purposes, or for staying more than three months.
- Travellers booking their cheap flights to Malaysia should be very careful of not flouting any entry rules or overstaying their visas. Even a few days of overstay attracts a fine and there is a possibility of being detained and finally deported back. The Malaysian authorities are closely inspecting immigration documents as part of their drive against illegal immigration.
Passports
- UK citizens who plan to visit East Malaysia from Peninsular Malaysia will need to produce their passports for inspection before entering. East Malaysia includes the states of Sabah and Sarawak and is also called Malaysian Borneo.
- Before boarding their flights to Malaysia, travellers should ensure that the validity period on their passport is more than six months. Flouting this requirement may disqualify them from entering the country.
Visiting with Children
Some tourists booking flights to Malaysia travel alone with children. Such travellers should know that some nations require documents proving parental responsibility. Examples of such documents are birth certificates or a letter of consent given by the other parent, birth certificates, or any other documentary, which that the accompanying adult is responsible for the child. Authorities can bar one from entering the country or prevent children from leaving in the absence of such documents. Although, Malaysian authorities usually don’t require such proof, it makes sense to take official information from the Malaysian representation in the UK.
Malaysian High Commission in the UK
High Commissioner:
HE Datuk Zakaria bin Sulong
Address:
Malaysian High Commission
45 Belgrave Square
London SW1X 8QT
The office is open from Monday to Friday and the timings are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The time for visa and consular work is from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Currency Control
No prior approval is required from the authorities if travellers need to export or import currency up to 1,000 Malaysian Ringgit per head. Similarly, no upper limit has been placed upon the export or import of foreign currency notes and/or traveller’s cheques. However, one has to declare the amount to customs officials if the total amount of such currency being carried exceeds the equivalent of USD 10,000. The penalty of not adhering to this rule can work out to be many times greater than what one spends on airfares to Malaysia. Fines can be as high as RM 1 million and/or a three year spell in jail.
Some tourists booking flights to Malaysia travel alone with children. Such travellers should know that some nations require documents proving parental responsibility. Examples of such documents are birth certificates or a letter of consent given by the other parent, birth certificates, or any other documentary, which that the accompanying adult is responsible for the child. Authorities can bar one from entering the country or prevent children from leaving in the absence of such documents. Although, Malaysian authorities usually don’t require such proof, it makes sense to take official information from the Malaysian representation in the UK.
Malaysian High Commission in the UK
High Commissioner:
HE Datuk Zakaria bin Sulong
Address:
Malaysian High Commission
45 Belgrave Square
London SW1X 8QT
The office is open from Monday to Friday and the timings are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The time for visa and consular work is from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Currency Control
No prior approval is required from the authorities if travellers need to export or import currency up to 1,000 Malaysian Ringgit per head. Similarly, no upper limit has been placed upon the export or import of foreign currency notes and/or traveller’s cheques. However, one has to declare the amount to customs officials if the total amount of such currency being carried exceeds the equivalent of USD 10,000. The penalty of not adhering to this rule can work out to be many times greater than what one spends on airfares to Malaysia. Fines can be as high as RM 1 million and/or a three year spell in jail.