BANGKOK, 9 October 2025: Myanmar’s junta confirmed in an announcement on 6 October that Malaysian citizens have been eligible to enter the country visa-free for a stay of 14 days since 1 October.
Malaysia announced that it would allow Myanmar citizens to visit Malaysia for a visa-free stay on 1 October, while the public announcement by the Myanmar junta took a few more days to reach the public domain.
For Malaysian Citizens, Myanmar has granted visa exemption for Malaysian passport holders for up to 14 days for short-term social visits. Travellers must enter and depart through designated international entry and exit points.
For Myanmar Citizens visiting Malaysia, Myanmar passport holders are exempt from visa requirements for short-term social visits to Malaysia for up to 14 days.
Important Note: The Malaysian Embassy in Yangon emphasised that the visa exemption does not guarantee entry into Malaysia, as admission is still subject to the approval of the immigration officer at the designated entry and exit points.
The 14-day visa-free entry for Malaysian citizens to Myanmar aligns with the standard visa-free period for all ASEAN nations. It is intended to have a positive impact on Myanmar’s tourism sector, thanks to the simplified travel process.
Removing the visa requirement eliminates the need for Malaysian travellers to go through the application process (which previously involved a visa or an e-Visa). This makes spontaneous, short-term travel much easier and more appealing.
Encouraging Short-Stay Tourism: The 14-day limit is ideal for a typical vacation or a short break. It encourages Malaysians to visit Myanmar for brief cultural and sightseeing trips without the commitment of a lengthy visa process.
While the policy is a positive step, its ultimate impact will be viewed within the context of Myanmar’s current tourism environment.
Political and Security Concerns: The tourism sector in Myanmar has been significantly affected by ongoing political instability and civil unrest since 2021. For the visa-free policy to have a significant impact, travellers’ safety and security concerns need to be addressed.
Myanmar already offers visa-free entry for up to 14 days to citizens of ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand), with ASEAN member countries Singapore and Vietnam receiving a 30-day exemption. The extension of this policy to Malaysian citizens rounds off the visa-free offering to all ASEAN bloc nations.
Targeted Entry Points: To qualify for visa-free entry to Myanmar, Malaysian travellers must enter and exit through specific international airports such as Yangon, Mandalay, or Nay Pyi Taw.
Tourism in Myanmar came to a halt after the 2021 military coup, and the 2025 earthquake further reduced tourist arrivals to a fraction of the 2019 levels.
In the past, Myanmar focused its visa-free and visa-on-arrival expansions on major tourism markets outside of ASEAN, such as China and India, to boost its tourism sector. The focus on markets with high-volume tourism potential may have taken precedence over completing the final ASEAN member arrangement.
Myanmar’s embassy announcement
Yes, it’s way overdue and it’s better late than never. Now Malaysian passport is ranked #12 worldwide tied with USA for visa free travel to 180 countries.
Myanmar can definitely see more Malaysians visiting mystical Myanmar. But security issues are still the main obstacle. Let’s hope the situation will return to some semblance of of peace after the December election.
Nevertheless, as a Malaysian passport holder, I have been given assurance to enter the country via the Mae Sai-Tachileik borders with a prior arrangement with a bona fide tour operator. I guess it may also be applicable via the Kawthaung checkpoint in Ranong.