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    Student visa guide

    Malaysia student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Student Pass, applied for through EMGS and preceded by an electronic Visa Approval Letter and, for most nationalities, a single-entry visa costs $696 in fees nobody can skip.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    How much does a Malaysia student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Malaysia on the Student Pass via EMGS costs $696 in fees you cannot skip: EMGS processing fee for a new Student Pass application ($429), Electronic Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) ($39), Post-arrival medical screening ($84), Student Pass sticker ($15), Entry visa through the eVISA portal (single or multiple, per nationality) ($5) and Medical insurance for the length of the pass ($124). Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

    Student Pass, applied for through EMGS and preceded by an electronic Visa Approval Letter and, for most nationalities, a single-entry visa cost breakdown

    Every line the Malaysia application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

    EMGS processing fee for a new Student Pass application$429
    MYR 1,728 at a private institution or a public university, including the 8% service tax EMGS has charged since 1 March 2024; a short course is MYR 864 and a renewal MYR 270 EMGS: Calculate your application fee
    Electronic Visa Approval Letter (eVAL)$39
    MYR 159. The eVAL is the Immigration Department's approval to travel and is valid for six months EMGS: Calculate your application fee
    Post-arrival medical screening$84
    MYR 340 at an EMGS panel clinic; the calculator also lists MYR 250 and MYR 350 in Sarawak, and public university students may screen at the campus clinic instead. Due within 7 working days of arrival EMGS: Calculate your application fee
    Student Pass sticker$15
    MYR 60, charged by the Immigration Department when the pass is endorsed in your passport after you land Immigration Department of Malaysia: Student Pass
    Entry visa through the eVISA portal (single or multiple, per nationality)$5
    MYR 20 for most nationalities, MYR 50 for India, MYR 30 for South Korea, MYR 15 for Indonesia and Sri Lanka, MYR 13 for Vietnam, per the Immigration Department's single/multiple entry visa table Immigration Department of Malaysia: Visa fees by country
    Medical insurance for the length of the pass$124
    MYR 498 to MYR 644 a year on the EMGS panel plans; you may buy equivalent cover through your institution instead EMGS: Calculate your application fee
    Mandatory total$696
    What the Student Pass, applied for through EMGS and preceded by an electronic Visa Approval Letter and, for most nationalities, a single-entry visa costs before any optional service.

    Amounts are US dollars. Malaysia bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • EMGS is a company limited by guarantee under the Ministry of Higher Education and is the official route for every international student application. Of the fees above, only the processing fee and the eVAL fee are money EMGS keeps.
    • An i-Kad identity card costs MYR 50 collected at EMGS or MYR 60.60 couriered to your institution, and is not issued to students at institutions in Sarawak.
    • Your institution also lodges a personal bond with the Immigration Department on your behalf. The amount depends on your nationality and comes back to you when you complete or withdraw from the course.
    • Neither EMGS nor the Immigration Department publishes a bank-balance figure for student applicants, so there is no official number to save towards beyond the fees and your tuition.
    • USD figures convert at USD 1 = MYR 4.03, Bank Negara Malaysia's interbank middle rate on 28 August 2026.

    Malaysia student visa requirements and documents checklist

    10 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    Offer letter from an approved institutioneveryoneThe course and the institution both have to be approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and the institution has to be authorized by the Ministry of Home Affairs to enroll international students. source
    Passport valid for at least 18 monthseveryoneEMGS recommends validity 12 months longer than the course, so a three-year degree wants a passport good for four years. Nationals of Libya, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen have to submit copies of every page. source
    Passport photograph on a white backgroundeveryone35mm by 45mm. EMGS runs an online photo checker because a rejected photo is one of the commonest reasons an application stalls. source
    Health declaration formeveryoneEMGS publishes the form as a download and you upload the completed scan with the rest of the application. source
    Academic certificates and transcriptseveryoneCopies of every previous qualification. Malaysia expects at least twelve years of education plus a recognized national or international examination before a diploma or degree place. source
    English language certificateeveryoneMUET, IELTS, TOEFL iBT or Essentials, PTE Academic, a Cambridge English qualification or ELS CIEP. Leaving it out delays processing and means you will not get a Student Pass covering the full length of your course. source
    Personal bond signed by your institutioneveryoneThe Immigration Department makes every institution bond a set sum for each international student. Your institution collects that amount from you and returns it when you finish or withdraw, provided you have broken no immigration rule. The rate depends on your nationality. source
    Medical insurance recognized in Malaysia for at least 12 monthseveryoneCompulsory for the whole period of study. You can buy it through EMGS, where plans run from MYR 498 to MYR 644 a year, or through your institution. source
    Post-arrival medical screening within 7 working dayseveryoneAt an EMGS panel clinic, or at the university clinic if you are at a public university. EMGS cannot start the Student Pass endorsement until the screening is done. source
    You must be outside Malaysia when the application is submittedeveryoneThe Immigration Department is explicit about it, and you may only enter once the electronic Visa Approval Letter has been issued. Traveling while it is still in processing is not permitted. source

    How to apply for a Malaysia student visa

    1. Accept your offer and start the EMGS application

      You can apply yourself on the EMGS portal or through the EMGS HUB app, or let your institution file it through the STARS system. Either way it is the same queue.

      source
    2. EMGS screens the academics and passes the file to Immigration

      EMGS checks the qualifications, issues an Approval to Study letter to eligible applicants, and forwards the complete file to the Student Pass Unit at Immigration headquarters for travel document and security checks.

      source
    3. Wait for the electronic Visa Approval Letter

      The eVAL is the Immigration Department's approval to come. The client charter is 14 working days for a complete application, and the letter is valid for six months from issue.

      source
    4. Apply for the single-entry visa if your nationality needs one

      It has to go through the official eVISA portal at malaysiavisa.imi.gov.my, and it can be applied for from anywhere except Malaysia, Israel and North Korea.

      source
    5. Fly in and take the post-arrival medical within 7 working days

      Miss it and EMGS will not issue the supporting letter, which means the Student Pass cannot be endorsed. Students who fail have three days to appeal at the same panel clinic.

      source
    6. Your institution gets the Student Pass endorsed in your passport

      Once the medical is cleared and the EMGS support letter is out, the institution files at the immigration office nearest its address. The sticker is normally issued for up to one year at a time and renewed against your results and attendance.

      source

    Malaysia student visa processing time

    EMGS works to a client charter of 14 working days for a complete Student Pass application. Incomplete or incorrect documents push it out, and the clock does not start until the file is whole.

    Education Malaysia: Application guide FAQ · checked August 2026

    Malaysia student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    Student Pass holders at public universities and private higher education institutions may work up to 20 hours a week with prior approval from the Immigration Department, and only at restaurants, petrol stations, mini markets, hotels and on the university or college campus. EMGS states the permission applies only during semester breaks or holidays longer than seven days. Front desk work, cashier work and jobs as a singer, masseur, musician or guest relations officer are all barred, and language, training and skills centers get no work permission at all.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Dependants

    Only master's and doctoral students may bring dependants. Undergraduates can apply only if they hold one of a listed set of nationalities, which covers Gulf and Middle Eastern countries rather than Malaysia's main South and East Asian markets. Eligible dependants are a spouse, children under 18, disabled children of any age, parents and parents-in-law, and none of them may work or run a business in Malaysia.

    source

    After graduation

    The Graduate Pass is a social visit pass giving 12 months in Malaysia after graduation, with a multiple entry visa, permission to work part-time in approved sectors and no need for an employer sponsor. You need a bachelor's degree or higher, a valid Student Pass at the time of applying, a passport with 18 months left, a year of local health insurance and a personal bond backed by a Malaysian sponsor earning at least MYR 1,500 a month. It is open to a fixed list of nationalities rather than to everyone.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Language requirement

    Most Malaysian degrees are taught in English and proof of English is part of the visa file, not just the admission file. EMGS accepts MUET, IELTS, TOEFL iBT or Essentials, PTE Academic, Cambridge English qualifications and ELS CIEP levels, and warns that an application without a certificate attached will not get a Student Pass for the full course length.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Indian students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Indian students, with the fee in your currency.

    The most expensive entry visa on the Immigration table

    Indian nationals pay MYR 50 for the single-entry visa, against MYR 20 for most countries, and India is on the list of nationalities that must hold one before traveling.

    source

    Graduate Pass only case by case, and only to the end of 2026

    Indian graduates were added to the Graduate Pass conditionally. Approval is decided case by case, you have to supply a letter of good conduct from your institution or your embassy, and the arrangement runs out on 31 December 2026.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Chinese students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Chinese students, with the fee in your currency.

    Graduate Pass only case by case, and only to the end of 2026

    Chinese graduates sit under the same conditional extension as Indian graduates: case-by-case approval, a letter of good conduct from the institution or embassy, and an end date of 31 December 2026.

    source

    Relationship documents go through the Malaysian mission in China

    Where a dependant application needs proof of relationship, certification for PRC nationals must be obtained from the Malaysian mission in China rather than from an embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Bangladeshi students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Bangladeshi students, with the fee in your currency.

    Single-entry visa required, and no Graduate Pass

    Bangladesh is on the single-entry visa list at MYR 20, but it is not among the nationalities EMGS lists as eligible for the 12-month Graduate Pass, so there is no post-study stay to plan for.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Pakistani students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Pakistani students, with the fee in your currency.

    Single-entry visa required, and no Graduate Pass

    Pakistan needs the single-entry visa before travel, at MYR 20, and is not on the Graduate Pass nationality list.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Nigerian students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Nigerian students, with the fee in your currency.

    Single-entry visa required, and no Graduate Pass

    Nigeria is on the single-entry visa list. It is not itemised on the Immigration fee table, so the default MYR 20 applies, and it is not on the Graduate Pass nationality list.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Kenyan students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Kenyan students, with the fee in your currency.

    The one origin here that needs no visa before traveling

    Kenya is absent from the list of countries requiring a single-entry visa, so a Kenyan student travels on the eVAL alone. The Graduate Pass is still closed to Kenyan graduates.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Vietnamese students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Vietnamese students, with the fee in your currency.

    Cheapest entry visa, and the Graduate Pass is open

    Vietnamese nationals pay MYR 13 for the single-entry visa, the lowest rate on the Immigration table among our markets, and Vietnam is on the Graduate Pass nationality list for the 12-month post-study stay.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Indonesian students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Indonesian students, with the fee in your currency.

    Single-entry visa at MYR 15, and the Graduate Pass is open

    Indonesia needs the visa before travel but at a reduced rate, and Indonesian graduates are on the Graduate Pass nationality list without the case-by-case condition applied to India and China.

    source

    Malaysia student visa requirements for Filipino students

    The full Malaysia visa guide for Filipino students, with the fee in pesos.

    Graduate Pass is open, but check which visa fee you are quoted

    Filipino graduates are on the Graduate Pass list. The Philippines is not itemised on the Immigration Department's fee table, which defaults to MYR 20, while the EMGS calculator quotes MYR 36, so budget for the higher figure.

    source
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Malaysia student visa fee?
    The Student Pass via EMGS application charge is $429 (EMGS processing fee for a new Student Pass application). Add the other mandatory items (Electronic Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) $39, Post-arrival medical screening $84, Student Pass sticker $15, Entry visa through the eVISA portal (single or multiple, per nationality) $5 and Medical insurance for the length of the pass $124) and the all-in mandatory total is $696.
    Can you work on a Malaysia student visa?
    Student Pass holders at public universities and private higher education institutions may work up to 20 hours a week with prior approval from the Immigration Department, and only at restaurants, petrol stations, mini markets, hotels and on the university or college campus. EMGS states the permission applies only during semester breaks or holidays longer than seven days. Front desk work, cashier work and jobs as a singer, masseur, musician or guest relations officer are all barred, and language, training and skills centers get no work permission at all. Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia: Student Pass (August 2026).
    How long does a Malaysia student visa take?
    EMGS works to a client charter of 14 working days for a complete Student Pass application. Incomplete or incorrect documents push it out, and the clock does not start until the file is whole. Source: Education Malaysia: Application guide FAQ (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a Malaysia student visa?
    Only master's and doctoral students may bring dependants. Undergraduates can apply only if they hold one of a listed set of nationalities, which covers Gulf and Middle Eastern countries rather than Malaysia's main South and East Asian markets. Eligible dependants are a spouse, children under 18, disabled children of any age, parents and parents-in-law, and none of them may work or run a business in Malaysia. Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia: Student Pass (August 2026).
    What's not included in the Student Pass via EMGS fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified August 2026.