Kuala Lumpur, November 27: Visas will no longer be required for Indian citizens visiting Malaysia as of December 1, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The decision comes after similar guidelines were issued by Vietnam, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Malaysia has lifted the visa requirements for Indians to strengthen the country's tourism sector, which is mostly composed of Chinese and Indian travellers worldwide.

During an address at his People's Justice Party conference late on Sunday, November 26, Anwar made the statement. He did not specify the duration of the visa exemption, though. Malaysia's fourth and fifth-largest source markets are China and India, respectively. Thailand Extends Visa-Free Entry to Indian and Taiwanese Tourists for Six Months Starting From November 10.

A total of 9.16 million tourists arrived in Malaysia between January and June of this year, with 498,540 coming from China and 283,885 from India, according to government figures. In contrast, during the same time in 2019, before the epidemic, there were 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India.

The action in this regard comes after Thailand, a neighbour, enacted such policies to strengthen its critical tourist industry and revitalise its flagging economy; this year, Chinese and Indian nationals were excluded from the restrictions. However, Chinese and Indian nationals must apply for visas to enter Malaysia currently. Passport Index 2023: Indian Passport Has Visa-Free Access to 57 Countries; Singapore’s Most Powerful at 192.

Additionally, Thailand's government announced last month that visitors from Taiwan and India will be able to enter the country without a visa for a six-month period beginning on November 10 and ending on May 10, 2024. As a trial project, the Cabinet of Sri Lanka has approved the granting of free visas to citizens of India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand till March 31, 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 27, 2023 11:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).