KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian citizens will enjoy visa-free entry to China for short-term visits totalling up to 90 days within a 180-day period, effective Thursday (July 17).
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia said that under the China-Malaysia Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption, Malaysian and Chinese passport holders may enter, exit, or transit through each other's countries without a visa and stay for up to 30 days per visit, starting Thursday.
The visa-free entry applies to purposes such as tourism, family visits, business, cultural exchange, private affairs, medical treatment, and travel as crew members.
"The cumulative duration of stay must not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period," the statement stated.
The embassy stated that those planning to stay for more than 30 days, or to work, study, engage in media activities, or undertake any activity requiring prior approval, must apply for the appropriate visa before entering the country.
The embassy added that inquiries can be made at the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 03-8966 3925 from 1pm to 5pm on working days, email: klcentre@visaforchina.org), or the Chinese consulates in Kuching (Tel: 08-223 8344, email: kuching.csm.mfa.gov.cn) and Kota Kinabalu (Tel: 08-8385480, email kk@csm.mfa.gov.cn).
The agreement to extend visa exemption between China and Malaysia was exchanged during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Kuala Lumpur in April. - Bernama
