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Malaysians do not need a visa arranged before travelling to Dubai. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Malaysia as visa free, and the Consulate General of Malaysia in Dubai says Malaysian passport holders receive a visa on arrival for 30 days, multiple entry. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter the UAE. Nothing is paid for the stamp.
What the 30-day visa on arrival allows
The consulate's guidance, checked , sets out four points:
- Each Malaysian passport holder gets a visa on arrival for 30 days, multiple entry.
- You must complete the 30 days before a new 30-day cycle starts.
- Overstay is charged at the point of exit, at the airport or sea port.
- Staying beyond 30 days is allowed only in isolated cases, such as hospitalisation or an emergency.
Point 2 matters if you planned a quick exit to a neighbouring country to come back on a fresh 30 days. As the consulate puts it, a new cycle starts only once the current 30 days are complete, so check your dates before booking.
When 30 days is not enough
| Plan | What you need instead |
|---|---|
| A holiday of up to 30 days | Nothing in advance, the stamp on arrival |
| A stay of 31 to 60 days as a tourist | A GDRFA tourist visa for 60 days, arranged before you fly: AED 315 single entry |
| Visiting several times a year for business | ICP's 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa, AED 3,720 including a AED 3,000 refundable guarantee |
| A job in Dubai | Employer-sponsored work permit and employment visa |
| Working for yourself | A freelance visa in Dubai |
| Long-term residence through investment or skills | The golden visa UAE |
The 60-day tourist visa and the 5-year visa come with their own conditions: a passport valid 6 months, an onward ticket and health insurance valid in the UAE for the tourist visa, and USD 4,000 in the bank for 6 months for the 5-year visa. Fee sources: GDRFA and ICP service pages, checked .
Moving to Dubai from Malaysia
Malaysians who land on the visa on arrival and then get a job offer do not need to fly home. Once the employer has the work permit and a residence entry permit, a status change moves you onto it inside the country. GDRFA's status amendment fee is AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10. After that come the medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and the residence itself.
A Malaysian whose spouse lives in Dubai on residence can be sponsored on a family visa rather than repeating 30-day visits. The sponsor needs AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
Overstay and exit
Count your 30 days from arrival. If you go over, ICP's fine is AED 50 a day and you pay at departure. Our overstay fine in Dubai page has a calculator. A long overstay can also lead to a departure permit being needed, which delays your flight.
What we do for Malaysians
For a short holiday you need nothing from us. Where we help is the step after: a 60-day or 5-year tourist visa before the trip, a status change when a job comes through, or a family residence for a spouse. The partner team prepares and submits the file, books the medical and Emirates ID appointments for residence cases, and keeps you updated until it is issued. One total price is agreed first, with government fees and the service charge shown separately. Ask on WhatsApp or use the form.
Other passports, including Indonesia and Thailand: Dubai visa by nationality.
