Key Information for Travelers to Malaysia.
Dear Friends of Malaysia,
In a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Malaysia, the government has announced that it will impose an entry ban on citizens of countries that have recorded more than 150,000 cases of Covid-19 beginning September 7.
As of today, the countries that have been included in the list are India, Indonesia, Philippines, United States, Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Bangladesh.
Exemptions are only given for specific reasons including emergency cases and cases involving bilateral relations.
Previously, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced an entry ban on long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines from September 7. This decision was made in light of the spike in Covid-19 cases in those countries.
This will involve six categories of pass holders from the countries: permanent resident status (PR), Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H) participants, expatriates including professional visit pass (PVP) holders, resident pass holders, spouses of Malaysian citizens and their children, as well as students from the three countries who wish to return to Malaysia.
However, Malaysians from high-risk countries may return to the country, provided that they are subjected to the 14-day mandatory quarantine as well as other SOPs as outlined by the government.
The entry ban on long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines was agreed by the state government of Sarawak. Echoing the federal government’s policy, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah announced that the state will impose the same entry ban to the three countries citing concerns due to the high imported cases from the countries.
On a related note, the federal government reminded that those entering Sarawak from abroad, including returning Sarawakians, will still need to complete the 14-day quarantine requirement at designated centres. Overseas arrivals will also have to undergo Covid-19 swab tests on the second and tenth day.
A statement issued by the government clarified that the quarantine cost for returning Sarawakians from overseas will be fully borne by the state government whereas non-Sarawakians will need to bear their own expenses. Domestic arrivals of Malaysians from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan to Sarawak need not be quarantined anymore. However, they must fill in the E-Health Declaration Form prior to entering the state. Meanwhile, foreigners and Malaysians from overseas are required to fill up both E-Health Declaration Form and Enter Sarawak form.
As of September 3, Malaysia recorded 14 new cases of Covid-19, making the total active cases in the country 163. Meanwhile, the total recovery rate is at 96.9% with the four new recovery cases recorded yesterday.
