Study in Malaysia: Immigration Entry Documents into Malaysia

Visa Requirements for Countries

No visa is required for U.S.A. citizens visiting Malaysia for social, business or academic purposes (except for employment).
No visa is required for a stay of less than one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore.

Nationals of the following countries require visas:
Afghanistan (Visa With Reference)	Ethiopia
Angola	Guinea-Bissau
Bhutan	Hong Kong (C/I or D/I)
Burkina Faso	India
Burundi	Liberia
Central African Republic	Mali
China	Myanmar (normal passport)
Colombia	Nepal
Comoros	Niger
Congo Democratic Republic	Rwanda
Congo Republic	Serbia & Montenegro
Cote D’ivoire	Taiwan
Djibouti	United Nations (Laissez Passer)
Equat. Guinea	Western Sahara
Eritrea

No visa is required for nationals of Commonwealth countries except the following countries:
Bangladesh	Mozambique	Pakistan
Cameroon	Nigeria	Sri Lanka
Ghana

No visa is required for nationals of the following countries for a stay not exceeding 3 months.
Albania	Hungary	Poland
Algeria	Iceland	Qatar
Argentina	Ireland	Romania
Australia	Italy	St Marino
Austria (Vienna)	Japan	Saudi Arabia
Bahrain	Jordan	Slovakia
Belgium	Kirgystan	South Korea
Bosnia-Herzegovina	Kuwait	Spain
Brazil	Kyrgyz Republic	Sweden
Croatia	Lebanon	Switzerland
Cuba	Lienchestien	Tunisia
Czech Republic	Luxembourg	Turkey
Denmark	Morocco	Turkmenistan
Egypt	Netherland	United Arab Emirates
Finland	Norway	United Kingdom
France	Oman	Uruguay
Germany	Peru	Yemen

No visa is required for nationals of the following countries for a stay not exceeding 1 month
Armenia	Guinea Republic	Paraguay
Azerbaijan	Haiti	Portugal
Barbados	Honduras	Russia
Belarus	Hong Kong SAR	Sao Tome & Principe
Benin	Kazakhstan	Senegal
Bolivia	Latvia	Slovenia
Bulgaria	Lithuania	Sudan
Cambodia	Macao SAR	Surinam
Cape Verde	Macedonia	Tajikistan
Chad	Madagascar	Togo
Chile	Maldova	Ukraine
Costa Rica	Mauritania	Upper Volta
Equador	Mexico	Uzbekistan
El Savador	Monaco	Vatican City
Estonia	Mongalia	Vanezuela
Gabon	Nicaragua	Zaire
Georgia	North Korea	Zimbabwe
Greece	North Yemen
Guatemala	Panama

No visa is required for nationals of the following countries for a stay not exceeding 14 days
Iran (15 days)	Sierra Leone
Iraq	Somali
Libya	Somalia
Macao (Travel Permit/Portugal CI)	South Yemen
Palestine	Syria

For nationals of Israel, visas are required and permission must be granted by the Ministry of Internal Security.
For nationals of Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro), visas are required and permission must be granted by the Ministry Of Home Affairs.
Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for a visit not exceeding one month.
(Note : These regulations are subject to change)

Contact Details

The Director Visa, Pass and Permit Division
Headquarters of Malaysian Immigration Department
1st - 7th Floor (Podium), Block 2G4
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
Precinct 2
62550 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tel : 603-88801000
Fax : 603-88801200
Website : www.imi.gov.my

Study in Malaysia: Six Easy Steps to Study in Malaysia

1 The student submits an application form for study, together with the relevant documents to the intended educational institution which has the official approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (Immigration Department) to recruit international students.

2 The student’s application is accepted by the educational institution, which then helps to apply for a student pass at the Malaysian Immigration Department in Malaysia (except for students from the PRC).

3 Upon acceptance, a letter of approval for the student pass is released by the Malaysian Immigration Department to the educational institution for them to pass on to the student.

4 Before leaving his/her country for Malaysia, the student informs the educational institution of his/her port of entry (airport), flight number, arrival date and time.

5 Upon arrival at the airport in Malaysia, the educational institution’s representative receives the student at the immigration check-point.

6 Within 2 weeks of the student’s arrival, the educational institution submits the student’s passport to the Immigration Department, which attaches the student pass sticker.

Study in Malaysia: Immigration Requirement to Enter Malaysia

Immigration procedures to enter Malaysia to study are simple and hassle-free. The requirements of the Immigration Department for international students are as follows :
Conditions To Qualify As A Student
The students must :

• have already been accepted for a full-time course of study (inclusive of English programme) at a public or private higher educational institution
• have the financial capability to meet the course fees and living/travel expenses
• possess good health and character
• be seeking entry for study purposes only

Application Procedures For Student Pass
All applications for student passes by international students are done through Malaysian educational institutions. The processing, approval and issuance of student passes and visas is carried out by the Immigration Department in Malaysia, except for students from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Students from the PRC have to get their visas from the Embassy of Malaysia or the Council of Malaysia in the PRC.
Family Members To Stay With Students
Family members of students under the following categories will be allowed to accompany students to stay in Malaysia for the entire study duration with approval from the Immigration Department. They are:

• Parents of students
• Spouses, children and parents of students from Middle-East countries
• Spouses and children of students who are studying postgraduate programmes

Working Part-time While Studying In Malaysia
International students are also allowed to work part-time (maximum 20 hours per week during semester breaks or holidays of more than 7 days) while studying full-time in Malaysia, subject to immigration requirements.
For further information about the immigration procedures and student pass, kindly contact the Immigration Department in Malaysia at the following address:

The Director
Visa, Pass and Permit Division
Headquarters of Malaysian Immigration Department
1st - 7th Floor (Podium), Block 2G4
Federal Government Administrative Centre, Precinct 2
62550 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tel : 603-88801000 Fax : 603-88801200
Website : www.imi.gov.my

Study in Malaysia: Cost of Living

Another attraction for international students to study in Malaysia is the relatively cheap cost of living. The total cost of expenditure for accommodation, either oncampus or off-campus, is reasonable and within many budgets. Depending on the location and choice, the average monthly rental for a single room (twin sharing) per student is between RM300 - RM450 (USD86 - USD129). Other expenses such as food, transportation, laundry and other essentials, based on an ordinary lifestyle are mated between RM700 - RM950 (USD200 - USD270) per month. Therefore, the average total cost of living will range from RM 12,000 to RM17,000 (USD3430 - USD4860). per year.

Study Opportunities at Private Higher Educational Institutions in Malaysia

Quality Assured Tertiary Programmes With Many Options
Local and international students in the pursuit of higher education are spoilt for choice by the wide range of study options and choices of both local and foreign universities, all at highly affordable costs. Underlying this is the current trend of setting up branch campuses in Malaysia by reputable universities from the UK and Australia. Furthermore, various universities from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and New Zealand are offering twinning, franchised and external degree programmes in partnership with Malaysian higher educational institutions.

Local private universities also offer competitively priced and excellent quality degree programmes as an added alternative.

Poised as the centre of educational excellence in the Asia- Pacific region, Malaysia’s educational programmes offered by private higher educational institutions (PHEIs) are of excellent quality. These institutions of higher learning are governed by various acts such as the Education Act 1996, the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1996, Private Higher Education Institutions Act 1996 and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007. English, an international lingua franca, is the medium of instruction making this a plus factor for students who aspire to succeed in their career.

Categories of Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs)
There are 2 categories of PHEIs in Malaysia:

• Non-university Status
  • Private Colleges
  • Private Institutions
• University Status
  • Private Universities
  • Private University Colleges
  • Foreign Branch Campus Universities

Types of Qualifications Awarded
By Private Colleges

• Awarding internal or self-made certificate and diploma qualifications
• Conducting foreign university collaboration degree programmes
• Preparing students for external professional examinations

By Private Universities and University Colleges
- Awarding their own degree qualifications
By Foreign Branch Campus Universities
- Awarding identical degree qualifications as the host university overseas

Study Options at Private Colleges
A. Internal Awards at Diploma Level
Private colleges have been developing and awarding their own diploma level qualifications to students since the early 1980s. They use English as the medium of instruction. The greatest strength of the internallydeveloped programmes is that they are recognised and granted with ‘advance standing’ entry status by many foreign universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Germany and the USA, allowing entry into these universities’ second year or final year bachelor degree programmes.

B. Preparing Students for External Professional Examinations
These colleges undertake to provide classes with tutorial support for students and prepare them for external examinations set by the local or foreign examination boards. Qualifications offered include those from the following globally recognised institutions :

• Professional Associations (ACCA-UK, CIMA-UK, ICSA-UK)
• Semi-Professional Examination Bodies (IBBM, LCCIEB-UK, NCC-UK)
• External Academic Programmes at postsecondary level (GCE ‘A’ Level - UK, SAM Australia, Canadian Pre-U)
• External English Programmes (University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate)

C. Bachelor Degree Programmes from Universities in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany and France
Students can complete their foreign bachelor degree programmes at colleges in Malaysia which have an interinstitutional collaborative arrangement with host-universities from overseas. The most common collaborative arrangements that these colleges have with the host universities offering foreign degrees are the Split Degree or 3+0 Entire Degree arrangement.

(i) Split Degree Arrangement
This comes under the Twinning Degree, Credit Transfer Degree or Advanced Standing (Validated) Programmes.

• Twinning Degree Programmes allow students to partially complete the first or second year of their degree at a local college, with the remaining years to be completed at the specified foreign partner university, which will then award the degree upon graduation.

• Credit Transfer Programmes are also offered by colleges that have links with foreign universities. Stdents who have met the required credit hours of the subject studied locally can transfer the credit hours to the foreign university of their choice. This flexible arrangement is most popular among the US universities.

• Advanced Standing Programmes are the private colleges’ internal diploma programmes validated and moderated with ‘Advanced Standing’ entry status by a group of overseas universities for direct entry into the second or third year of their degree programmes. Upon completion of the ‘recognised’ diploma course in Malaysia, students will be awarded the foreign degree after successfully completing the remaining portion of the degree programme in the host university overseas.

(ii) 3+0 Entire Degree Arrangement
This arrangement allows the entire foreign bachelor degree programme to be completed in a Malaysian college. There are two possibilities for students:

• ‘3+0’ Foreign University Degree Programme
• External Programme for Degree Qualification

3+0’ Foreign University Degree Programme
Under this arrangement, some colleges are permitted by the foreign partner universities from the UK, Australia, US and France to conduct the entire degree programme in Malaysia on their behalf. The overseas universities will then award the degree. This novel study option, in operation since 1998, has made Malaysia a popular education destination for those who want to save costs.

External Programme for Degree Qualification
For external programmes, students register at a college which functions as a tutorial centre preparing the student for the final external examination. The degree obtained is equal to that obtained by internal students of the foreign university.

D. Master’s Degree and Post-Graduate Programmes

In collaboration with foreign universities, many colleges offer students a wide range of foreign master’s degrees and postgraduate studies of international standard at relatively low cost.

“In Malaysia, we offer quality and value-for-money education with many choices of international qualifications for your selection.”

Study Options at Malaysian Private Universities
Students can study at these Malaysian home-grown universities to earn their qualifications at both bachelor degree and postgraduate degree levels. In both cases, English is the medium of instruction. The relatively cheap course fees combined with worldwide recognise qualification make these campuses much sought after by local and international students. The areas of study offered include business, computer science, engineering, IT, medicine, services and languages.

Study Options at Foreign University Branch Campuses
Degrees offered by a branch campus of a foreign university in Malaysia is identical in every aspect with that of the parent campus in the country of origin. The first foreign university branch campus, Monash University Malaysia was set up in Malaysia in 1998.

Students registered in the Malaysian branch campus of an overseas university are automatically students of the parent campus. Such students have opportunity to spend one or more semesters at the overseas parent campus (but not the final year) with no disruption to their studies. The cost of studying for a degree in a branch campus in Malaysia is substantially lower than that in the parent campus overseas.

Study in Malaysia: Education System of Malaysia

An Overview
Education is the responsibility of the Government and it is committed to providing a sound education to all. The Malaysian education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to university. Pre-tertiary education (pre-school to secondary education) is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE) while tertiary or higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The vision of the Government is to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence.

Primary and Secondary Education
Primary education (a period of 6 years) and secondary education (5 years which encompasses 3 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary) make up 11 years of free education.

The admission age to the first year of primary education is seven. Primary schooling is mandatory for all children between the ages of 7 and 12. Students sit for common public examinations at the end of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary levels.

Post-secondary Education
Upon completion of secondary education, students can opt to pursue 1 to 2 years ofpost-secondary education. This is the university entrance preparatory course. In total, the 12 years of school education serves as the basic entry requirement into Year One of a bachelor’s degree programme in higher educational institutions.

Tertiary Education
At tertiary education level, institutions of higher learning offer courses leading to the awards of certificate, diploma, first degree and higher degree qualifications (at academic and professional fields). The duration of study for a basic bachelor degree programme is 3 years and the courses of study at this level are provided by both the public and private education sectors, attracting many international students.

Tertiary education providers consist of two major groups :

• Public (government-funded) institutions of higher learning, for example, public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and teacher training institutes.
• Private (private-funded) higher educational institutions (PHEIs), for example, private universities, private university colleges, foreign branch campus universities and private colleges.

Government-funded Educational Institutions
The Government provides more than 95% of primary and secondary education as well as about 60% of the tertiary education, with the private sector providing the balance.

Private-funded Educational Institutions
The private education providers in Malaysia can be broadly grouped into 2 categories, depending on the levels of education offered, ranging from pre-school to tertiary education. These two categories of private institutions are :

• Private Educational Institutions (PEIs) which provide education at preschool, primary and secondary levels. They comprise private schools and foreign system schools.
• Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) which provide tertiary education leading to the awarding of certificate, diploma and degree qualifications.

Malaysia Centre of Educational Excellence

The Malaysian international education sector has grown tremendously during the past decade and Malaysia is fast becoming a centre of educational excellence in the region. Malaysia currently houses more than 50,000 international students from more than 100 countries and it is proud to be the study destination of choice, offering quality international education at an affordable cost. Besides the relatively low cost of education, many choose to study here because they recognise Malaysia as an ideal gateway to develop their Asian network and relationships. They are also able to learn from Malaysian’s great diversity, rapid economic development and peaceful and harmonious multicultural society!

The country is set to welcome 80,000 international students to study in Malaysia by the year 2010. Higher education opportunities in Malaysia are provided by 20 public universities, 24 polytechnics, 37 public community colleges, 33 private universities, 4 foreign university branch campuses and about 500 private colleges. There are also various other higher educational institutions from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand which offer twinning and franchised degree programmes through partnerships with Malaysian colleges and universities.

The 38 international schools (American, Australian and Britishstyled) and 12 expatriate schools which include French, German, Japanese and Taiwanese schools have facilities for students from pre-school to upper secondary levels. They provide parents with many options of pre-tertiary international education at affordable fees.

Why Study in Malaysia?-Study in Malaysia

Students and their parents have many things to consider when deciding on where and what to study. In choosing Malaysia as a study destination, students benefit from:

• An international standard and high quality education, which is closely monitored by the Malaysian Education Ministries through their quality control authorities and appropriate legislation such as The Education Act, 1996, The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act, 1996 and The Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007.
• Competitive course fees and an extensive selection of popular courses.
• A wide range of study options and universities and colleges to choose from.
• Twinning degrees & 3+0 degree programmes conducted in Malaysia, which offer a cost-effective route for quality education and qualifications from universities in the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France.
• Foreign Branch Campus Universities operating in Malaysia, which enable students to acquire their prestigious university qualifications in a country that has lower living expenses.
• Wide usage of English, which makes living and studying easy for students who are proficient in English while at the same time creating an environment for those who want to pick up the language.
• Life in a multicultural society, where Malaysians of different races and religions live in peace and tolerance with each other.
• The experience gained in providing education to the existing 50,000 international students from more than 100 countries, which testifies to the world-wide acceptance of Malaysia as a favoured destination for further study.
• Hassle-free immigration procedures, which enable foreign students to have easy entry into Malaysian higher educational institutions.
• Affordable living expenses, which can be as low as RM12,000.00 (USD3,750) per year.
• Student-friendly laws, which allow international students to work part-time for a maximum of 20 hours per week, while studying full time in Malaysia (subject to immigration requirements).
• An economically sound and socially safe country, which has a stable government and a low serious crime rate.
• A geographically safe environment, with Malaysia situated in a zone free from most natural disasters.
• A food paradise which has a huge variety of cuisines available including vegetarian, halal, ethnic and western.
• An excellent transportation system, which allows for easy mobility and a huge variety of interesting places to visit for relaxation.

Welcome To Malaysia! - "Selamat Datang Ke Malaysia!"

Malaysia is a fascinating and enchanting nation of different races, cultures and religions, co-existing in harmony in a tropical paradise in the heart of Southeast Asia. Malaysia comprises two distinct land areas, West Malaysia and East Malaysia. West Malaysia is a peninsula, flanked by the South China Sea on the east and Straits of Malacca on the west, with Thailand as its northern neighbour and Singapore sitting at the south. West and East Malaysia cover a total land area of about 329,758 km2 and are separated by approximately 40 miles of sea.

East Malaysia consists of a federal territory and two large states, namely Sabah and Sarawak, which occupy the north of Borneo Island. West Malaysia consists of 11 states and 2 federal territories, all of which have their own distinctive attractions.
The country is 8 hours ahead of the GMT and 16 hours ahead of the US Pacific Standard Time. The climate is warm and humid throughout the year. Malaysia is a physically blessed country which does not experience drastic weather changes or natural calamities. Temperatures are around 30oC during the day and 22oC at night. Light, cotton, cool and casual clothing is recommended all year round.

Economy & Education
Malaysia takes pride in being one of the world’s largest exporters of palm oil, natural rubber, natural gas, timber, cocoa beans and pepper. It is also one of the leading exporters of manufactured products such as semiconductors, audio-visual products, electrical goods, rubber-dipped products and oleo chemicals in the world.
Education is another growing industry where Malaysia is gaining acceptance as a reputable study destination in the region. The education sector offers a variety of higher educational programmes as well as professional and specialised skill courses that are competitively priced and of excellent quality. Underlying this is the current trend of setting up branch campuses in Malaysia by reputable universities from the UK and Australia. Furthermore, various universities from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and New Zealand are offering twinning, franchised and external degree programmes in partnership with Malaysian educational institutions.

South Africa Overview

South Africa lies at the southern tip of the African Continent. It is flanked in the west by the Atlantic 0cean, in the south and the east by the Indian 0cean, in the north by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and in the north-east by Mozambique and Swaziland.
South Africa covers an area of 1,127,000 square meters - about one-eighth the size of the USA and nearly five times the size of the United Kingdom.

Population

The population is currently estimated at about 46,000,000 people. This heterogeneous composition embodies a unique diversity of cultures, religions, languages and lifestyles.

Time

Throughout the year, Standard Time in South Africa is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, one hour ahead of Central European Wintertime, and seven hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Winter Time.

Climate

• Overview: Mostly sunny and temperate
• Sunshine Hours: The average number of sunshine hours is among the highest in the world: 8.5 hours a day
• Winters: Winters are mild and clear, although snowfall often occurs on the higher mountain ranges
• Summers: South Africa experiences summer rainfall usually in the form of short afternoon thunderstorms
• Seasons: As South Africa lies in the southern hemisphere, seasons are the reverse of those in the northern hemisphere
• Average Temperature: In Johannesburg, summer: 28 degrees Celsius; winter: 17 degrees Celsius.

Why Study in Germany?

Germany is world's 3rd largest economy, and ranked at second place in export and R& D. Germany is also India's most important EU business partner, especially for machinery, automobiles, chemical and electrical products as well as IT. The country is having more than 300 institutions of higher education; it is one of the top most countries in the field of research, science and technology.

Outstanding Academic Standards: The world-renowned of German Universities long back to the 14th Century and promise an outstanding level of education and research. Products of German companies, especially machine tools, motor vehicles and electrical engineering products are leading in the international market.

Economic Strength: Germany offers the best and the most cost effective study options for aspiring international students. Most of the universities are state-funded, so most of them charge no tuition fee from students. Students only need to bear their living expenses, such as accommodation, food, health insurance and transport.

International Exposure: Attracted by international study programmes, excellent research opportunities and low tuition fee more than 2,50,000 international students come to there to study. Study in Germany also gives you a wider exposure and experience of being an part of highly qualified academic community.

Plenty of Internships: Germany is the only country in the World where completion of study programs in Universities is normally followed by paid internships in top MNCs that ultimately lead to full-time placement. The close ties with leading companies such as Daimler-Chrysler, SAP, Siemens, BMW or Bosch will increase your career prospects.

Some special features:
Students are allowed to stay for one year after the completion of the study program. Your work permit could be further extended by that employer.
Country's strong economic position has also led to the use of German as the preferred language of commerce in a number of Eastern European countries.
Learning German language will open the doors to various cultural centers of Europe: Berlin, Vienna, Geneva, Zurich, Frankfurt and Munich.
Permanent Residency permission within 5 years of working full-time in Germany.
German Immigration option is also valid for international students.
Minimum documentation required for visa process and no financial declaration documents required.
Part-time jobs allowed 20 hours per week making learning and living conditions within the reach of the students

University of Liverpool

University of Liverpool (UOL) offers Online Master's & Doctorate degree courses to Canadian and international students in the fields of Business Administration, Management, Information Technology, Behavioural Sciences, Psychology, Education and Law. Since its foundation in 1881, UOL has produced eight Nobel Prize winners. This academic excellence is one reason why almost three thousand professionals from more than 175 countries have chosen it for their 100% online Master's or Doctorate degrees. They also recognise that the University’s exclusive partnership with e-Learning experts Laureate Online Education provides a uniquely global perspective and stimulating educational experience.

Outstanding reputation - The Financial Times has ranked the University of Liverpool among the top 10 UK universities in terms of annual research income; and it is the 15th largest research university in the UK. The University is also one of the top 25 universities in England according to the latest Times Higher Education Supplement University World Rankings.

Many countries, including Canada and the US, accept the standard of degrees awarded by UK universities as equivalent to their own.