Malaysia has announced plans to reopen its borders to tourists by January 1, 2022, amid nationwide mitigation of COVID-19 measures.
As Malaysia looses restrictions in most states, it is also preparing to welcome tourists in the new year. This week, the government began offering prospects for how the country will eventually reopen its borders, as disease rates across the country have steadily declined and vaccination rates rise, and over 76% of Malaysia’s 32 million people are now fully vaccinated.
But Malaysia is in no hurry. She announced this week that an agreement with Singapore will kick off on November 29 that will allow people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel between the two countries without quarantine. According to Reuters, a similar agreement will be created with Indonesia, after which Malaysia will open its borders to international travelers no later than January 1.
Currently, most foreign travelers are banned from entering Malaysia for non-essential reasons, and even fully vaccinated arrivals must pass a negative COVID-19 test before travel and be quarantined for at least seven days upon arrival in the country.
It is likely that those arriving in the country will need to get vaccinated when the borders reopen in January, as this is a requirement of the upcoming agreements with Singapore and Indonesia, but the government has not yet clarified what the requirements for entering the country will look like in January. We will update this article when more information becomes available.
Currently, it takes 14 days after the second dose of Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac to be considered fully vaccinated for travel to Malaysia; or 28 days after a single dose of Johnson & Johnson or Cansino, confirmed by the US Embassy in Malaysia.
At a government meeting on Thursday, according to Reuters, the head of the Malaysian recovery task force, Muhiddin Yassin, said measures such as “COVID-19 tests will remain in place and authorities will determine entry into the country based on the COVID-19 situation in countries of origin and other factors. ”
Most of Malaysia’s states are in phase four (least restrictive) of the National Recovery Plan, which means that most businesses can operate at full capacity if sanitary protocols are in place. However, entertainment venues such as nightclubs and bars remain closed for now.