🇦🇫 Afghanistan
Malaysia Visa Information for Afghan Citizens: Approval Before a Social Visit
For Afghan passport holders: a visa approval letter before a social visit, the documents Immigration lists, and the separate MDAC. Contact us before you apply.
Do Afghan citizens need a visa for Malaysia?
Afghanistan is on Malaysia's list of countries whose citizens must apply for a visa, with a special note for social visits. It does not present the ordinary online eVisa steps as if they applied to Afghan nationals.
Visa requirement
Afghanistan is on Malaysia's list of countries whose citizens are required to apply for a visa to enter Malaysia, marked (VDR). Afghan nationals who wish to enter Malaysia for social visit purposes must obtain a visa approval letter before applying for the visa. The air-only entry restriction does not apply to this nationality.
Entry rules can change, so contact us to confirm your requirement before you book. For general guidance see our visa requirements page.
At a glance
- Afghanistan is listed among the countries required to apply for a visa, marked (VDR), and Afghan nationals who wish to enter for social visit purposes must obtain a visa approval letter before applying for the visa.
- No air-only entry restriction applies to Afghanistan passport holders.
- Malaysia's yellow fever advisory (updated 12 October 2022) does not name Afghanistan.
Before you apply
- Contact us to check the visa options for your passport, travel purpose and application location before applying.
- Where you apply from. Enter your real location when you apply, and contact us if you are unsure.
- Processing time, fees and validity for your case. Contact us for guidance before you start.
Eligibility checklist for Afghan citizens
- Hold a valid Afghan passport with at least six months' validity from your date of arrival in Malaysia.
- For a social visit, obtain the visa approval letter before applying for the visa.
- Other purposes (study, work or other) follow the Visa With Reference route described by Immigration, subject to approval.
- Immigration decides every application. Nothing on this page promises approval, an outcome or a timeline.
Planning tips for Afghan passport holders
Start with the approval, not the visa
The visa approval letter comes first for a social visit. Begin there, and do not buy flights or accommodation that cannot be changed until you know the outcome.
Line up the sponsor's details early
The category Immigration lists for Afghanistan refers to a sponsor's identification card and undertaking letter. If a sponsor is involved, agree the paperwork with them before you submit your application letter.
Keep copies of every letter
Keep clear copies of the approval letter, the visa and the application letter you send, and carry them when you travel.
What applies to Afghan nationals
Afghanistan carries a special condition: a prior approval comes first. For that reason the ordinary tourist-style online steps used elsewhere on this site are not described here. Contact us and we will go through your case.
Approval before the visa
Afghan nationals who wish to enter Malaysia for social visit purposes must obtain a visa approval letter before applying for the visa.
Visa With Reference (VDR)
A Visa With Reference is a visa issued by a Malaysian mission abroad after approval by Immigration headquarters. Afghanistan is marked (VDR), and the VDR/eVDR and Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) facility applies to study, work or other purposes, subject to approval.
Not the ordinary route
Because a prior approval is involved, do not assume the tourist-style online steps apply. Which online options, if any, apply to Afghan nationals depends on your case. Contact us to check the visa options for your passport, travel purpose and application location before applying.
Where, how long and how much
Where an application may be made from, how long approval takes and what it costs depend on your case. We give no figures here; contact us for guidance.
Documents Immigration lists for its Afghanistan Visa With Reference category
- An application letter received by the Malaysian mission handling your application
- Form Imm.47
- Two recent photographs of the applicant
- A copy of the applicant's passport
- The sponsor's identification card
- The sponsor's undertaking letter
- A security bond
This is the list Immigration sets for its Afghanistan category. It refers to a sponsor, so it may not apply to every purpose of travel. Contact us to go through which documents apply to your case.
Our fees
Our eVisa application service (USD 95 Regular, USD 150 Express per applicant) applies only where an eVisa is available, and availability for Afghan nationals depends on your case. The MDAC is separate: our MDAC application help is USD 35 per applicant.
Arrival checklist for Afghan citizens
- A passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date.
- Your visa and any approval letter, exactly as issued to you, kept as a printed or saved copy.
- Your MDAC confirmation with its QR code, sent to your email after you submit the MDAC.
- Your flight and accommodation details to hand. They are optional uploads that can be supplied later.
- Entry route: no air-only restriction applies to Afghanistan passport holders.
- A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate if your itinerary requires it (see the yellow fever section below).
Your journey from Afghanistan: time and route
Time difference: 3.5 hours
Afghanistan is on Afghanistan Time (UTC+4:30) all year. Malaysia is on UTC+8 with no daylight saving, so Malaysia is 3.5 hours ahead.
The MDAC is submitted within 3 days before you arrive. Count from the arrival date shown for the Malaysian airport on your ticket, which is Malaysian local time and can be a day or more after you leave.
Route check
Afghanistan is not named on the advisory's list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission; the advisory lists African and South and Central American countries. The requirement depends on the countries you actually travel from or through, including any airport transit of more than 12 hours at a named country's airport.
Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC)
The MDAC is a separate arrival declaration for foreign visitors, whether or not you need a visa. Complete it within 3 days before you arrive in Malaysia. It is not part of the eVisa.
Our MDAC application help is USD 35 per applicant, separate from the eVisa fee.
The exempt categories are: Singapore citizens; diplomatic and official passport holders; Malaysia permanent residents and long-term pass holders; General Certificate of Identity (GCI) Brunei Darussalam holders; Brunei Malaysia Frequent Traveler Facility holders; Thailand border pass holders; and Indonesia cross-border travel document (PLB) holders. Afghan citizens are not exempt because of their nationality.
Yellow fever certificate: entry documents
- A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required from all visitors, Malaysians and foreigners, coming from or going to or through countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.
- It is also required from travellers who have transited more than 12 hours through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
- Travellers without a valid certificate shall be quarantined on arrival in Malaysia for a period not exceeding 6 days.
- The international certificate is valid for life, beginning 10 days after the date of vaccination.
- The requirement follows your itinerary, not your passport nationality.
Afghanistan is not named in that advisory's list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. The requirement still depends on your own itinerary: it applies if you are coming from or going through a listed country, or if you transit for more than 12 hours at a listed country's airport. Check your route country by country.
Based on Malaysia's yellow fever travel advisory, updated 12 October 2022. The list of countries is revised from time to time, so contact us to confirm your itinerary before you travel. For vaccination questions, speak to a doctor or travel clinic.
More travel health information: health and safety.
Frequently asked questions
Do Afghan citizens need a visa for Malaysia?
Yes. Afghanistan is among the countries whose citizens must apply for a visa, marked (VDR). Entry rules can change, so contact us to confirm before you book, and do not rely on a visa on arrival.
What is the visa approval letter?
Afghan nationals who wish to enter Malaysia for social visit purposes must obtain a visa approval letter before applying for the visa. Immigration also describes a Visa With Reference (VDR/eVDR) or Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) facility, subject to approval. The pages we could read do not explain the steps further, so we do not either.
Can Afghan citizens apply for an eVisa online?
A prior approval and a Visa With Reference route apply, and eVisa availability for Afghan nationals depends on your case. Contact us to check the visa options for your passport, travel purpose and application location before applying.
Is Afghanistan marked as air-only entry?
No. Many nationalities are restricted to entry by air, but Afghanistan is not. Contact us to confirm your entry point and route before you travel.
Do I still need the MDAC if I hold a visa?
Yes, where it applies to you. The MDAC is a separate arrival declaration for foreign visitors, completed within 3 days before you arrive, and it is not replaced by a visa or an approval letter. Our MDAC application help is USD 35 per applicant.
How does the 3.5-hour time difference affect the MDAC?
Malaysia is 3.5 hours ahead of Afghanistan. Count the 3-day MDAC window from the arrival date shown for the Malaysian airport on your ticket (Malaysian local time).
Afghanistan is not on the yellow fever list. Do I still need a certificate?
Possibly. The requirement follows your route, not your passport. It applies if you are coming from or going to or through a country named in the advisory (it names African and South and Central American countries), or if you transited more than 12 hours at a named country's airport. Check each stop. The advisory is dated 12 October 2022; contact us to confirm anything newer.
More answers on our FAQ page or contact us.
Questions before you apply?
Get in touch before you start any application and we will go through what applies to your passport.