🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Malaysia Visa Information for Ethiopian Citizens
Everything an Ethiopian passport holder should check before applying: the visa requirement, the documents, the application steps and the separate arrival card.
Do Ethiopian citizens need a visa for Malaysia?
Malaysia's Immigration Department lists Ethiopia among the countries whose citizens must apply for a visa before travelling. This guide is written for Ethiopian passport holders and covers what to check first, which documents to upload, and how the visa and the MDAC differ.
Visa requirement
Ethiopia is on Malaysia's list of countries whose citizens are required to apply for a visa to enter Malaysia. This nationality is allowed to enter Malaysia by air only, so plan your route to a Malaysian airport.
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
- Ethiopia is listed among the countries whose citizens must apply for a visa to enter Malaysia.
- Entry to Malaysia is by air only for Ethiopia passport holders.
- Malaysia's yellow fever advisory (updated 12 October 2022) names Ethiopia.
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: Immigration's typical estimate is 2-7 working days after submission, and it is not guaranteed.
Processing
Immigration estimate: typically 2-7 working days once an application is submitted. Express is priority handling by our team and does not change that estimate.
Our fees
Our eVisa application service fee, where an eVisa applies: USD 95 Regular or USD 150 Express. The MDAC is separate.
Online
Apply online from your current location, subject to application-location requirements.
Eligibility checklist for Ethiopian citizens
- Hold a valid Ethiopian passport with at least six months' validity from your date of arrival in Malaysia.
- Apply before you travel and from outside Malaysia, subject to the application-location requirements shown in the application.
- Pick the purpose that matches your journey (tourism, business, official visit or medical). Employment, study and dependent visas are handled differently.
- Immigration decides every application. Nothing on this page promises approval, an outcome or a timeline.
Planning tips for Ethiopian passport holders
Enter names exactly as printed
Type every name part exactly as it appears on the passport data page and in the same order. Do not add, drop or reorder a name to fit the form; contact us if the form will not accept your passport's layout.
Work or study is a different route
Work, study and dependent stays follow a Visa With Reference (VDR/eVDR) or Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) route, subject to approval. Our application asks for those approval documents, so this guide's tourism-style steps do not cover them.
Check passport validity and condition
Make sure the passport has at least six months left from your arrival date and that the data page is undamaged. If an older passport number appears on the current passport, upload the old passport's data page as well.
Travel purposes and what changes
The purpose of your trip decides which extra documents our application asks for.
Tourism or social visit
Our application asks for the passport data page, a face photo and a one-month bank statement. Flight and hotel bookings are optional uploads that can be supplied later.
Business visit
In addition to the standard documents, our application asks for a company registration certificate, a business invitation letter from the Malaysian company, an employment letter or business card, and documents explaining the purpose of the visit.
Official visit
Our application asks for the same standard documents as a tourism visit. Immigration may request more, so keep any supporting letters available.
Medical visit
In addition to the standard documents, our application asks for a letter from the Malaysian hospital confirming the appointment, a recent medical report from your home-country doctor, a doctor's recommendation letter, the treatment plan or procedure details, and the hospital registration or booking confirmation.
Work, study or dependent stay
Work, study and dependent stays follow a Visa With Reference (VDR/eVDR) or Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) route, subject to approval. Our application asks for the approval letters, so these purposes are outside this guide.
Documents to prepare
These are the documents our application asks for. The form shows the full list for the visa type you choose, and business or medical applications ask for more.
Passport data page
A clear colour scan or photo of the page showing your photo and personal details.
Previous passport data page (if applicable)
Needed if an expired passport number appears on your current passport.
Face photograph
Recent passport-style photo on a white background, 35 mm x 50 mm.
One-month bank statement
Your latest statement covering the last 30 days, for tourist, business, official and medical applications.
Flight ticket and hotel booking (optional)
Upload them if you have them. They can be submitted later.
Birth certificate for children under 16
A colour scan of the birth certificate when a child is applying.
Upload clear JPEG, PNG or PDF files. See the Malaysia eVisa overview for visa types and purposes.
How to apply, step by step
- 1
Check the requirement
Read the visa requirement for your passport above, confirm your travel purpose, and check whether an eVisa is available for your case.
- 2
Start your application
Choose the visa type, your nationality and where you are applying from.
- 3
Enter your details
Fill in your personal and travel details exactly as they appear in your passport.
- 4
Upload your documents
Add the passport data page, photo, bank statement and any other documents the form asks for.
- 5
Choose Regular or Express and pay
Review your application, select the handling option and complete payment.
- 6
Immigration reviews it
Immigration decides the application. Your eVisa is sent to you if one is issued.
- 7
Complete the MDAC separately
Submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card within 3 days before you arrive.
Where you apply from
The application asks where you are applying from. Which locations can submit is decided by Immigration, so enter your real location and contact us before paying if you are unsure.
Our fees and processing
Regular - USD 95
Our standard eVisa application service per applicant, where an eVisa applies. Immigration's estimate is typically 2-7 working days after your application is submitted; this is not guaranteed.
Express - USD 150
Priority handling by our team. Express does not change Immigration's processing time or guarantee a faster decision.
Two stages, two clocks
Stage 1 is ours: collecting your documents, reviewing them and submitting your application. Stage 2 is Immigration's decision. Immigration's estimate of typically 2-7 working days counts from successful submission, applies to Regular and Express alike, and is not guaranteed. Requests for extra documents can add time.
These are our service fees. Read more on the processing time page.
Arrival checklist for Ethiopian citizens
- A passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date.
- Your eVisa if one is issued. It is emailed as a PDF, so keep 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 by air only: Ethiopia passport holders must arrive at a Malaysian airport.
- A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate if your itinerary requires it (see the yellow fever section below).
Your journey from Ethiopia: time and route
Time difference: 5 hours
Ethiopia is on East Africa Time (UTC+3) all year. Malaysia is on UTC+8 with no daylight saving, so Malaysia is 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
Ethiopia is on the advisory's list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, so the certificate requirement applies to a journey that starts in Ethiopia. Of Ethiopia's land neighbours, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan are on the list; Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia are not named in it. A transit of more than 12 hours at an Ethiopian airport also counts under the advisory.
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. Ethiopian 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.
The advisory lists Ethiopia among the countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. If your journey starts in Ethiopia, passes through it, or includes a transit of more than 12 hours at its airport, the certificate requirement applies to you. The same is true for any other listed country on your route.
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 Ethiopian citizens need a visa for Malaysia?
Ethiopia is among the countries whose citizens must apply for a visa before entering Malaysia. Entry rules can change, so contact us to confirm before you book, and do not assume a visa on arrival.
Is a Malaysia eVisa available to Ethiopian citizens?
A visa is required. Whether it can be handled as an eVisa depends on your passport, travel purpose and application location, and Immigration decides every application. Contact us to check the visa options for your passport, travel purpose and application location before applying.
What if the form does not match my passport's name layout?
Enter the names exactly as printed on the data page, in the same order, and do not invent or move a name part. If the form does not accept it, contact us before submitting.
I want to work or study in Malaysia. Can I use this route?
Not as described here. Work, study and dependent stays follow a Visa With Reference (VDR/eVDR) or Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) route, subject to approval. Our application asks for the approval letters, so apply only once you hold them.
Can I enter Malaysia by land or sea?
Entry is by air only for Ethiopia, so arrive at a Malaysian airport.
How long is the gap between Ethiopia and Malaysia time?
Malaysia is 5 hours ahead of Ethiopia. Count the 3-day MDAC window from the arrival date shown for the Malaysian airport on your ticket, which is Malaysian local time.
What do the eVisa and the MDAC cost?
Where an eVisa applies, our application service is USD 95 (Regular) or USD 150 (Express) per applicant. The MDAC is a separate arrival declaration with its own application help at USD 35 per applicant; it is never included in the eVisa fee.
More answers on our FAQ page or contact us.
Ready to apply?
Check the requirement for your passport, then start your application if you need an eVisa.