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How to work out Malaysian Tourist Visa expiry date

Last activity 11 June 2019 by Obaydullah

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sanooku

Any clues on how to work out expiry date of Malaysian Tourist Visa?.

My entry stamp on Passport says:

Permitted to enter and remain in West Malaysia and Sabah for ninety (90) days on social visit only from the date shown above.


I came to Malaysia on 12 March 2019. Counting the number of days 'normally', the 90th day would actually be 10 June 2019. However, I've seen on other forums that 12 March is counted as day 1. Does this mean my visa expires on 09 June 2019?

If I use this 'departure date calculator' and plug in my arrival date and visa/Permit duration = 90 days, it says last date of departure is 10 June 2019.

It also says:

most visas or permits allow you to stay in the country until the very last day of their duration, as the day that you leave does not count towards the total of days they allow you to stay.


then it goes on to say:

This is not set in stone however, so make sure that this actually applies to your specific visa or permit!


If I check this website:

https://www.tabeertours.com/visa-calc/

Enter the date of arrival: Tuesday 12 March 2019
Visa /Permit Duration: 90 Days

It says I need to leave on or before Sunday 09 June 2019.

Which version is correct?? Is the start date counted?...is the leaving date counted?? From my research up to now, it seems the second calculator is correct.

Pretty sure there will be some posters who will advice it's best to leave a few days before the actual expiry, so it doesn't matter what exactly the expiry date is. This is actually sensible advice and I’m aware of it.

Gravitas

9th June. But do bear in mind the actual  time you arrived in Malaysia (which you may not remember but is recoded when your passport is swiped). There have been problems reported where the 91st day (ie overstaying) would start if you leave later on the 90th day than your initial arrival time on 12th March.

sanooku

This source: http://www.backpackingasia.com/guide/Ar … ns/17.html

says fine of RM35 per day up to 7 days for overstay.

Elsewhere ( https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/ … t/12412618 ) it says fine is RM50 per day.

Backpackingasia also says:

For overstays of more than 30 days, you risk imprisonment of several months to 5 years and possible caning.


I believe the 'possible caning' part is not true in the case of overstayers, unlike Singapore.

Gravitas

Apart from the fine, offenders have to sign an Overstayers Form advising them that their future entries into Malaysia will be affected. Even one day (or a few hours) makes a person an Overstayer.

Naturally if hoping to work in Malaysia at any point, overstaying could affect immigration approval. Likewise any other immigration applications.

A person with the privilege to remain for 90 days will probably only be able to remain for 30 days if they wish to re-enter in the future.

sanooku

I'm slightly disappointed that there isn't gonna be any spanking.  :sosad:

sanooku

Gravitas wrote:

9th June. But do bear in mind the actual  time you arrived in Malaysia (which you may not remember but is recoded when your passport is swiped). There have been problems reported where the 91st day (ie overstaying) would start if you leave later on the 90th day than your initial arrival time on 12th March.


I've worked out the arrival time using method of triangulation (using multiple pieces of info to arrive at result):

1) scheduled time of landing on booking confirmation: 07:40 PM

2) check -
https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/ … history/80

Time landed: 07:21 PM

3) and the timestamp on wassup message sent to landlady just before getting taxi from airport.

08:23 PM

Therefore I went through immigration between 07:21 PM and 08:23 PM

There have been problems reported where the 91st day (ie overstaying) would start if you leave later on the 90th day than your initial arrival time on 12th March.


Logically, going through Immigration (to leave malaysia) at 8:30pm on 9th June would still be the 89th day.

Gravitas

If you think that then that's fine. Allow time for queues and potential issues at immigration should they decide to question you. Lately people leaving on the 89th day have found themselves contesting the way immigration count their days in Malaysia and they received an overstay stamp. Nobody quite understands why. A possible cause is that their computer system is calibrated in a way that counts days in a way which non immigration officials have not understood

sanooku

Gravitas wrote:

If you think that then that's fine.


What do you think?

going through immigration (to leave malaysia) at 8:30pm on 9th June - is it the 89th day? or 90th day, or 91st day?

Is it overstay?

edit: disregard queues etc. for the purpose of this exercise. Assume, the passport is swiped exactly at 08:30pm on 09 June 2019.

Gravitas

Frankly I have no opinion. I updated my remarks above

sanooku

Gravitas wrote:

...Lately people leaving on the 89th day have found themselves contesting the way immigration count their days in Malaysia and they received an overstay stamp...


Where are these reported? on expat? or some other sites. Or word of mouth perhaps??

sanooku

Gravitas wrote:

Frankly I have no opinion...


Great. As long as you are sitting comfortably on that fence.

Gravitas

You are on the fence not me

cvco

The simple way to compute the date is to add 90 to the day of arrival and then subtract four. MANY people have gotten in trouble in trying to go to the last minute only to find themselves planted in an office and being accused of overtstaying. They always say, rightly so, to leave a minimum of a few full days before the expiry. There is no point to debate it, just do it that way and keep them happy and make your plane on time. Even four days prior invites questions and calculations on their part which wastes time especially if the plane is leaving soon. You'll be arguing about 30 days in a month vs the actual days; you'll be arguing what time of day you arrived. Its all nonsense and you will be the loser, not them.

Most stations have been using a stamp which lets the officer write the maximum date in the passport but I guess you didnt get that one. I always looked at 3 months minus 5 days and didnt have trouble. Whenever I had counted actual days and was at the airport one day before, I was soon planted in the office.

sanooku

I left malaysia on 09 June 2019 without any issues. My flight was at 1735. I must have cleared immigration about 4pm. I wasn't taken to an office for questioning or accused of overstaying.

Actually I very much doubt that most immigration officers will accuse you of something which you are not guilty of without reason. They also to follow the rules. Same as us.

One thing I did do was to visit the immigration office at No 69, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1 about 3 weeks ago, and asked an officer there. He checked on the computer system and said 09 June 2019 20:11. So when the malaysia tourist visa on arrival says 90 days it actually means 89 days.

I must have had about three visa's of this type over the past 5 years or so, and never has an officer actually written a date on the visa. You'd think that if it's less than 90 days it makes sense to write a date to avoid confusion right?. No, it's probably more convenient just to write 90 days, then (depending on what kind of mood you are in) pick on someone who leaves too close to expiry and give them a hard time.

No one will become a loser if you stick to the rules. You are within your rights to even leave on the 90th day. Most people choose not to. It's up to you.

By the way (it's off-topic, but I just wanna make others aware), I asked an officer (at No 69, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1) if I could extend my visa and she said it can only be extended if you came to Malaysia from your passport country. I was travelling to Malaysia from Vietnam, so tourist visa extension was not possible.

Obaydullah

My visa agent approved by the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka says, if I extend my 30-day Social Visit Pass for another 30-day stay in KL, then I will have problem getting a Social Visit Pass next time I apply. Is it correct?

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