Procedure 1 – Applying for a Visa and Student Pass

The process of applying for a student pass is simple. The Malaysian institution of higher education which has offered international students like you a place to study at their institution will apply for the student pass on your behalf, prior to your arrival in Malaysia.
Applications will be submitted by the respective higher educational institution to the Director of Pass & Permit Division, Malaysia Immigration Department Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur (e-Student Pass System). Students do not need to apply directly to the Immigration Department under this procedure.
Prospective students will be informed of their application status by the Immigration Department in Malaysia through their educational institutions within an estimated seven to 14 days after the application. A prospective international student must have an approved student pass before entering the country.
Documents required for applying a student pass Malaysian educational institutions are required to submit the following documents to the Malaysian Immigration Department Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in order to apply for student passes for students who intend to study at their respective institutions.

An offer letter or letter of acceptance from the educational institution to the student
Student Pass Application Form (Imm.14) in duplicate
Two photocopies of the student's passport / travel document (with a validity period of at least 12 months)
Three passport-sized photographs of the student
One photocopy of the student's medical health examination report
Evidence of student's ability to finance their education cost in Malaysia

Upon approval, student passes are then granted to international students which will allow them direct entry into Malaysia with the exception of students from The People's Republic of China who are required to obtain a Single-Entry Visa before they come to Malaysia.

Procedure 2 - Arriving in Malaysia : At the Malaysian Immigration Check Point

Upon arrival at the airport / entry point in Malaysia, the student has to show his or her student pass approval letter at the immigration check point. A special pass will be issued to refer the student to the respective State Immigration Department for the issuance of a student pass. A visa will also be issued to the student at the entry point in the form of an endorsement on the student's passport (with a validity period of at least six months).
The educational institution's representative will usually be at the immigration check point to receive and attend to the student. After the immigration clearance, the representative will be responsible to transfer the student to the educational institution to report their arrival.
The most common entry point for international students is the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Other entry points (international airports) include Kota Kinabalu International Airport (Sabah); Kuching International Airport (Sarawak) and Penang International Airport (Penang). Some also enter Malaysia via land routes from Singapore, Thailand or Indonesia.

​Procedure 3 - Affixing the Student Pass Sticker and Student Pass / Visa Fees

The special pass issued to the international student at the Immigration check point is valid for 14 days. Therefore within two weeks of their arrival, the educational institution is required to submit the student's passport to the State Immigration Department to enable a student pass sticker to be affixed. Students from certain countries, such as Pakistan, are advised to get this "visa sticker" from their country (from the Embassy of Malaysia) to avoid any immigration trouble.
The student pass and visa are endorsed in the students' passport by the Malaysian Immigration Department. The endorsement indicates their visa type, the length of stay in Malaysia, the number of entries permitted into Malaysia and the validity of the student pass (which is usually one year).
The fee for a student pass is RM60.00 a year (or part of a year) while visa fees range from RM15 to RM90 depending on the student's county of origin. All payments of fees, issuance of student passes and visas as well as renewal of student passes can be done at the respective State Immigration Departments. The student pass needs to be renewed yearly. All international students will be issued an I-Kad by the Immigration Department after they obtain a student pass sticker.

Family Members of International Students who are Allowed to Stay in Malaysia


Certain family members of foreign students are allowed to accompany students in Malaysia on a Long Term Social Pass (for the duration of 12 months or according to the duration of study whichever come first). They include the following types of family members:

Parents of students, Spouses, and and children of students who come from middle-eastern countries
Spouses and children (immediate family only) of students who are pursuing postgraduate programmes
Submitting a Long Stay Application
A long stay application may be submitted to the nearest Malaysian Representative Office abroad, together with a copy of the student pass application.
For countries that do not have a Malaysian Representative Office, the applicant may enter Malaysia on a Social Visit Pass at the entry point and then apply for an extension of stay at the State Immigration Office where the educational institution is located within one month from the date of entry.


Working Part-time While Studying in Malaysia


All international students studying at public or private higher educational institutions are allowed to work part-time. Students are allowed to work part-time for a maximum of 20 hours per week only during semester breaks or holidays of more than seven days at restaurants, petrol kiosks, mini markets and hotels as long as their student passes remain valid. Students are NOT permitted to work as cashiers. In addition, in the hotel sector, students are not allowed to work as singers, masseurs, musicians or GROs. Students are not allowed to engage in any job or activity deemed to be immoral. Application to work part-time must be made through the educational institution at which the student is studying. The student needs to be present with the educational institution representative at the Immigration Department when submitting the application.


Extending Your Student Pass / Visa Validity Period


You need to have a valid student pass / visa at all times when studying full-time in Malaysia (unless you are a dependent / diplomatic /extended visit pass holder). Your visa / pass has to be renewed or extended if you have not completed your study programme on the date of visa / pass expiration.
In order to extend your student visa / pass, you must submit to your IS Office all the required documents at least one and a half months before the expiry date stated in your student pass / visa.
The renewal may not be approved if you have any of the following :
Poor class attendance; or No course selection in the current semester or next semester, whichever is applicable.

Transferring to Another Institution​
If you wish to withdraw from your course in your present college / university to transfer to another approved institution in Malaysia, an approval of transfer has to be obtained from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. You need to have your existing student pass (from the previous institution) cancelled. The new institution will then obtain a fresh student pass on your behalf from the Immigration Department. The student pass is not transferable.

Statistics

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Deputy Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung said the prospect was bright based on the ministry’s statistics until Dec 31, 2009, which indicated that they had already achieved the 80,000 student target for this year (as compared with 48,000 in 2006), of whom 58,294 were enrolled in private universities and 22,456 in public universities. The goal is to have Malaysia become the world’s sixth-biggest education exporting country by 2020 with a target of 200,000 international students.
In a bid to make Malaysia an education hub for Southeast Asia, the Higher Education Ministry targets 120,000 foreign students in local varsities by 2015 and by 2020 Malaysia aims to be the sixth largest international student attracting country in the whole world with over 200,000 foreign students. Currently, Malaysia has over 95,000 foreign students.