KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has restricted the issuance of multiple-entry visas (MEVs) for citizens of Bangladesh and 30 other countries across South Asia and Africa, introducing a policy under which visitors from the affected countries will generally receive single-entry visas.
According to Malaysia’s Immigration Department, the revised policy took effect on Sept. 1, 2026. The move means Bangladeshi nationals travelling to Malaysia for visits or social purposes will have fewer opportunities to obtain a one-year multiple-entry visa.
The Immigration Department has published a list of 31 countries whose citizens will generally be issued single-entry visas instead of multiple-entry visas for visit purposes.
However, multiple-entry visas will still be available for certain categories of travel. These include business trips, medical treatment, fly-and-cruise travel and wedding tourism, according to the notice.
The new restrictions apply specifically to visit or social visas and do not directly affect Bangladeshi and other foreign workers already employed in Malaysia. Their work permits and employment-related visas remain governed by separate immigration rules.
The changes are part of Malaysia’s broader adjustment of its visa policy, under which multiple-entry visas will no longer be issued broadly to nationals of all countries.
For Bangladeshi travellers, the revised policy is expected to make repeated short-term visits to Malaysia more administratively demanding, as a single-entry visa will generally be required for ordinary tourism and social travel.
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