Malaysia mulls visa-free travel for Sri Lankans

Colombo, July 2 (Daily Mirror) - Malaysia’s tourism authorities are throwing their weight behind a proposal for visa-free travel for Sri Lankan citizens as part of broader efforts to strengthen tourism ties between the two countries, a senior official from Tourism Malaysia revealed.

In what could be a potential shot in the arm for bilateral tourism, Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi, Senior Director of International Promotion for Asia and Africa at Tourism Malaysia said discussions and proposals had already been submitted to the Malaysian government on granting visa-free entry to Sri Lankans.

Speaking to Daily Mirror during a visit to Putrajaya recently, Azmi said a formal request from the Sri Lankan government would further bolster these efforts.

She added that the Malaysian High Commission in Colombo was also actively supporting the initiative.

“Visa-free initiatives are gaining momentum globally as countries look to attract more tourists, and Malaysia too has recently launched visa-free travel for visitors from China and India,” she added.

Meanwhile, Zulhelmi Mohammed from the International Promotional Division for Asia and Africa at Tourism Malaysia highlighted a significant surge in tourist arrivals from Sri Lanka.

He said over 58,000 Sri Lankans visited Malaysia in 2024 marking a 122 percent increase compared to 2019, when 26,058 arrivals were recorded.

He further noted that Malaysia has set an ambitious target of attracting 31.4 million international tourists in 2025, and 35.6 million by 2026.

“Our campaign is built on five strategic pillars: sustainable tourism, culture and heritage, nature and adventure, digital innovation, and global connectivity,” he added.

Under Malaysia’s updated visa-free entry policy, citizens from over 130 countries can travel to the country without a visa, with varying permitted stay durations. Travellers from over 60 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, are allowed to stay visa-free for up to 90 days.

Further, citizens from around 65 countries, such as China, India, and Russia, can enjoy 30 days of visa-free travel while nationals from a limited number of countries, including Iran and Libya, are granted 14 days of visa-free entry.

In line with its aggressive tourism revival strategy, Malaysia will host the launch of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and World Tourism Day celebrations in September 2025 in the historic city of Malacca under the theme “Tourism & Sustainable Transformation.”