Malaysia, which was named Asia’s most beloved nation, has decided to prolong the visa-free travel privilege for visitors from China for an additional five-year period. This extension aims to support the expansion of tourist activities.
\”We will continue this for five more years with the option to extend it for another five years after this period ends,\” Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said as quoted by
The Star
.
Among the 32 memorandums of understanding signed during China’s recent state visit by President Xi Jinping, this agreement was one of them.
New Straits Times
reported.
As part of this program, Chinese visitors can remain in Malaysia for up to 90 days without needing a visa.
Ismail stated that China would similarly provide visa-free access to Malaysian citizens for an equivalent duration.
Last year, Malaysia was designated as Asia\’s most beloved nation by an American financial website.
Insider Monkey,
implemented a 30-day visa-exempt entry program for travelers from China starting in December 2023, with the initiative extended to run through until 2026.
In 2024, Malaysia saw an influx of 3.29 million travelers from China, marking a substantial rise compared to the prior year and positioning China as the country with the third-highest number of visitors, following closely behind Singapore and Indonesia.
In the initial two months of this year, China ranked as the second-largest provider of tourists to Malaysia, with almost one million visitor arrivals.