Malaysia and China have agreed to extend their visa-free travel arrangement for another five years. This decision follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia and is part of a broader agreement signed between the two nations on 16 April.
What it means
For Chinese tourists: Chinese citizens can continue visiting Malaysia without a visa for up to 90 days.
For Malaysian tourists: Malaysians can travel to China visa-free for up to 30 days.
Impact on tourism: Malaysia has already seen significant growth in Chinese tourist arrivals, with nearly 900,000 visitors in April 2025 alone. The extension is expected to further boost tourism, including leisure, business, and experiential travel.
The move builds on a visa liberalisation initiative introduced in December 2023, which expanded visa-free stays for Chinese citizens from 15 to 90 days. As a result, Malaysia’s tourism sector is likely to continue benefiting from increased arrivals, supporting the country’s economic growth.
The visa-free extension is also expected to play a key role in the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, aimed at attracting 35.6 million international visitors.