🇷🇼 Rwanda
Malaysia Visa Information for Rwandan Citizens
What Rwandan passport holders need to check before applying: the visa requirement, air-only entry, the documents, and the separate arrival card.
Do Rwandan citizens need a visa for Malaysia?
Rwanda is on Malaysia's list of countries whose citizens must apply for a visa before entering Malaysia. This guide is for Rwandan passport holders planning a short visit and explains what to confirm, what to upload and what to complete separately.
Visa requirement
Rwanda 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
- Rwanda is listed among the countries whose citizens must apply for a visa to enter Malaysia.
- Entry to Malaysia is by air only for Rwanda passport holders.
- Malaysia's yellow fever advisory (updated 12 October 2022) does not name Rwanda.
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 Rwandan citizens
- Hold a valid Rwandan 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.
- Choose the purpose that fits your trip: tourism, business, official visit or medical. Work, study and dependent visas are separate procedures.
- Immigration decides every application. Nothing on this page promises approval, an outcome or a timeline.
Planning tips for Rwandan passport holders
Book an air route
Rwanda is an air-only entry nationality, so your journey must end at a Malaysian airport. Contact us to confirm before booking.
Check your connections, not your passport, for yellow fever
Rwanda is not named on the advisory's list, but several regional countries are, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. If your route includes a listed country, or an airport transit there of more than 12 hours, the certificate requirement applies.
Keep scans clean and complete
Upload the whole passport data page and a recent white-background photo. If an earlier passport number appears on your current passport, also upload the earlier passport's data page.
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 Rwandan 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: Rwanda 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 Rwanda: time and route
Time difference: 6 hours
Rwanda is on Central Africa Time (UTC+2) all year. Malaysia is on UTC+8 with no daylight saving, so Malaysia is 6 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
Rwanda is not named on the advisory's list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. Its land neighbours Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi are on the list, while Tanzania is not named. The requirement depends on the countries you actually travel from or through.
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. Rwandan 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.
Rwanda 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 Rwandan citizens need a visa for Malaysia?
Rwanda 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 rely on a visa on arrival.
Is a Malaysia eVisa available to Rwandan 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.
Can Rwandan citizens enter Malaysia by land or sea?
Entry is by air only for Rwanda, so plan to arrive at a Malaysian airport.
Rwanda 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 on the advisory's list, or transited more than 12 hours at a listed country's airport. Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya and Ethiopia are named in the advisory. Check each stop on your itinerary, and contact us if you need to confirm anything newer than 12 October 2022.
Why does Immigration's estimate not start when I apply?
Our own stage comes first: collecting your documents, reviewing them and submitting the application. Immigration's estimate of typically 2-7 working days counts from successful submission, applies to Regular and Express alike, and is not guaranteed.
How does the 6-hour time difference affect the MDAC?
Malaysia is 6 hours ahead of Rwanda. Count the 3-day MDAC window from the arrival date shown for the Malaysian airport on your ticket (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.