New visa rules now apply when sailing from the Malay mainland to Sarawak or Sabah on the island of Borneo. No new visa issued on arrival.

Published 11 years ago, updated 6 years ago

If heading to Sarawak or Sabah on the north/north-west coast of the island of Borneo, possibly en route to or from the Philippines and Hong Kong, be sure to check how much time you have left on your Malaysian visa to give you enough time to enjoy this wonderful cruising ground.

It is no longer the case that a new 90-day visitor’s visa will be automatically issued on arrival in Sarawak or Sabah. Most visitors will only be granted the time remaining on the original Malaysian visa. Nationals from Commonwealth countries may be granted an extension.

Our advice is to ensure you have enough time remaining on your visa before leaving mainland Malaysia and if not, make a quick visit to either Singapore or Thailand to obtain another 3-month visa.

It is not known if the situation is the same when sailing from Borneo to mainland Malaysia. However, it would be a wise precaution to visit Singapore first and obtain a new Malaysia visa there before moving on.