Malaysia is becoming the center of education worldwide with the recent educational reforms and developments. Hence, more and more international students choose Malaysian universities and colleges to pursue their academic interests and research activities. There are plenty of reasons why international students choose to study in Malaysia, yet the most prominent reasons include low tuition fees, high-quality education and research, diversity in student population, multilingualism, and so on.
Once you decide on studying in Malaysia for a degree program and receive the acceptance letter from a Malaysian university, the next step is to obtain your student visa to be able to reside in the country during the course of your program. If you don’t know where to start or how to progress, read our article and find out how to get a student visa for Malaysia.
What Documents Do You Need When Applying for a Student Visa?
First things first, you need to know what to bring to your student visa application for Malaysia. As a part of the bureaucratic procedures, all Malaysian student visa applicants must provide valid and accurate documents to present or prove that they’re eligible to study for a degree program in the country.
The required documents you need to prepare and bring with you for your student visa application are generally as follows: a valid passport, one passport-size photograph, an offer letter from an accredited Malaysian university, a health declaration form, previous academic documents, including the diploma and transcript of records of the latest completed degrees, and proof of English language proficiency. Additional documents can be requested for students coming from specific countries, so it’s best to visit the online application website by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia for reference.
Where to Apply for a Malaysia Student Visa?
Once you’re accepted to an accredited public institution in Malaysia, your institution starts your application by contacting the State Immigration Office. On the other hand, students accepted in a degree program at a private institution in Malaysia must apply individually to the Education Malaysia Global Service (EMGS) system. In any case, your Malaysian university will inform you about the visa application process, so it’s best to talk with the International Office of the university you enrolled.
How Much is the Visa Issuance Fee for a Student Visa?
A new Malaysia student visa application fee is MYR 1,060 (USD 225) for international students, and depending on whether you’re enrolled in a private or public university, you are to pay additional fees. An example is medical screening, which is MYR 250 (USD 53), required for students accepted in private universities in Malaysia.
The fees for Malaysian student visa can differ by many factors, such as the nationality of the student, the type of insurance plan preferred, the type of higher education institution enrolled, medical screening fee, multiple entry visa fee, and so on. To receive the accurate amount of Malaysia student visa application fees based on your circumstances, you can try the Visa Application Fee Calculator provided by EMGS.
Note that the refund policy is applicable for only limited circumstances, and once your application is rejected, you cannot ask for a refund. For more details about the refund policy, you can contact EMGS.
Steps on Applying for a Malaysia Student Visa
Below, we state the crucial steps you need to consider when applying for a student visa to Malaysia.
Step 1. Prepare your documents
The first step for applying for a Malaysia student visa is to collect the necessary documents once you receive an acceptance letter from a Malaysian university. Preparing the documents may take time and potentially affect your student visa application process, so it’s best to start collecting the documents as early as possible.
An example document is proof of English language proficiency; international students must provide official sources about their English language skills in order to apply for the Visa Approval Letter (VAL). Obtaining an acceptable English language proficiency certificate can take time, depending on the type of language exam you prefer and your level of English, so it’s best to start earlier to acquire an adequate score in English.
Step 2. Apply via the online visa application platform
Once you have finished obtaining your documents, you are required to start your online application via the Education Malaysia Global Service (EMGS) system. You can also find the downloadable documents in the system to complete the required documents for your student visa application.
Step 3. Pay the application fee
The next step for your Malaysian student visa is to pay the application and other service fees to be able to complete the process. Depending on the Malaysian institution you’re enrolled in, your nationality, or the health insurance plan you’ve chosen, the fees can change in amount. Once you calculate the fees for your visa application on EMGS, you can continue with the next step and make your payment.
Step 4. Track your application
Once you submit your application, it’s your responsibility to track your application and notify your institution in Malaysia. You can track if your passport is delivered to EMGS or the current status of your application by visiting EMGS’s online system. The duration of your application process is usually 14 working days once you have made your payment for the application fee. Then, a Visa Approval Letter (VAL) is issued by the Malaysia Immigration Department.
Step 5. Attend medical screening and arrange accommodation
Lastly, once you receive your Malaysian student visa, you can contact the International Office of your Malaysian university and look for options to arrange accommodation. When you arrive in Malaysia, you are required to attend a post-arrival medical screening within the first seven days of your residence in the country.
The student visa application process is one of the essential steps to study in Malaysia, and missing any requirement may cause serious problems. With the help of our guide to getting a student visa for Malaysia, you can be familiar with what you need to do during your application and be ready for the process beforehand.
We hope that this article on How to Get a Malaysia Student Visa was informative. To learn more information on how you can study in this beautiful country, please visit the Malaysia Page and don’t forget to sample some of the Available Courses for International Students.
