2020

Fully-vaccinated international tourists coming to Langkawi under the pilot project for the travel bubble, which started on 15 November 2021, are required to stay at least seven days in Langkawi before they are allowed to visit other destinations in Malaysia.

International tourists to Langkawi must have minimum insurance of USD80,000 and engage in tourism operators licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) with accommodation and return ticket bookings made in advance until day 7 before they can continue their vacations as Free Independent Travellers (FITs).

Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by fully-vaccinated parents or guardians, and only a maximum of 20 people in a group tour is allowed with a tourist guide per group. Wearing face masks are also compulsory in all public places as well as in public transportation.

A minimum stay of three days is required and trips can only be made via air travel, either arriving through Kuala Lumpur or direct flight to Langkawi/via Penang (technical stop only).

However, tourists can opt for sea travel if they wish to continue their holidays to another destination after staying for seven days in Langkawi, provided that they undergo RT-PCR COVID-19/ Rapid Molecular Test on day 7 or 72 hours before leaving the island or Malaysia. All costs will be borne by the tourists.

Tourists arriving through Kuala Lumpur would be subjected to RT-PCR COVID-19 Screening/Rapid Molecular Testing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 1 (KLIA 1) and must be tested negative before being allowed to resume travel to Langkawi. The COVID-19 screening test booking and payment must also be included in the travel package.

However, for those taking direct flights to Langkawi, they must undergo COVID-19 RT-PCR testing 72 hours before arriving in Malaysia. They also need to bring along a digital or printed copy of their results and have the mandatory MySejahtera app downloaded, registered and activated beforehand.

Again, they also need to be tested negative after taking RT-PCR/Rapid Molecular Testing at a private facility that has been booked with tour operators and arranged by a tourist guide on the day of arrival in Langkawi or day two at the latest.

The Covid-19 diagnostic testing is also a prerequisite for international tourists 72 hours before leaving Malaysia. Should the international tourist be found to be symptomatic or tested positive for COVID-19, the tour operator is responsible for reporting the case to the Health Ministry and arranging the isolation to the designated quarantine centres.

On another note, fully-vaccinated travellers can enjoy quarantine-free air travel between Malaysia and Singapore under Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) via KLIA and Changi Airport starting 29 November 2021.

However, the resumption of this cross-border travel does not include land travel via the Causeway or Second Link, and more details will be announced soon.

As of 16 November 2021, Malaysia has fully inoculated 95.4% of its adult population or 76.2% of its total population, with 87.2% of teenagers aged between 12 and 17, received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Another 6,013 COVID-19 patients have recovered, and at the same time, Malaysia recorded 5,413 new cases, totalling 2,551,250 cases nationwide. The country’s COVID-19 death toll is 29,769.