How to Apply for a Malaysian eVisa as a Nigerian Citizen

Nigerians who plan to visit Malaysia must first obtain a Malaysian visa before travelling to the country. Luckily, the Malaysian Government has simplified the process of getting this visa by introducing evisas. Did you know about this?

I didn’t but I have Seun of Private trips.ng to thank for putting me on to this information. Because of this tip, I was able to apply for my visa using the evisa portal, rather than making the trip to the embassy or respective application centre to apply in person.

In this article, I will tell you about the entire application process and tips to improve your chances for a successful Malaysian visa application.

Trip Planning Resources

Book your accommodation: Find accommodation options for any budget on Booking.com

Purchase Travel Insurance: I use SafetyWing for both my travel and visa application needs

Activities: Find fun activities and tours in your destination via Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook Travel

eSIM: Get your travel eSIM here

Be aware that: As a Nigerian, you will not be allowed to travel into Malaysia via the land border, even if you have a valid visa. You must enter the country by air. Read about my experience in this post.

Malaysian Visa for Nigerian Citizens – Required Documents

To apply for the visa online, you would need the following documents to begin:

• Passport Biodata page
• Passport Photograph that matches the website’s specification *
• Flight Itinerary (merge multiple documents/pages and upload as a single file)
• Hotel Accommodation (merge multiple documents/pages and upload as a single file)
• Others *

I will now highlight some details to take note of for the documents with an asterisk mark.

Malaysian Visa: Passport Photograph

During the evisa application process, I had issues uploading my passport photograph. The website can be quite strict when it comes to accepting uploaded passports. The best thing you can do is to format your passport using the recommended dimensions before uploading it to the system.

If you are still facing issues uploading the passport after formatting it correctly, simply delete the existing application and start a new one. This was how I was able to resolve the upload issue on my end.

Malaysian Visa: Other Documents

For other documents, I decided to upload my payslip and bank statements for the last 3 months, as well as my employment letter. Since each section allows users to upload a single file below 2MB, I simply merged all my documents and used a tool to reduce the size before uploading it to the portal.

Now that you know what documents you need, here’s a breakdown of the application process. Note that the visa officer may request additional documentation after you submit, so always log back into the website to check until you receive an email stating that your visa has been approved.

Malaysian Visa for Nigerian Citizens – Application Process

The first step to applying for a Malaysian visa online is to visit the official Malaysia visa website at this address. Click the “I’m New Apply” button to create a new account if you’re logging in for the first time, otherwise, select “Returning User Login”.

Note that the captcha is case-sensitive, so it must be entered exactly as the letters appear in the reference text.

Once you have successfully logged into the system, click on the “Apply Now” button and follow the prompts to fill out the required information.

Again, you would need to check on your application often as there are often requests made for additional documentation that does not get sent by email.

For example, I received further requests to submit my Kenyan work permit, scanned yellow card and updated flight itinerary. I also used the opportunity to include a cover letter as well as a breakdown of each day’s activities.

Malaysian Visa Application: eVisa Processing Time and Fees

It took exactly 7 working days for me to receive my visa and this time, I received an approval notification via email. At the time of my application, I paid a total of 126 Malaysian Ringgit (RM) – which was approximately $30.

Please note that travellers are expected to print out this evisa (in colour) to present to Immigration Officers in Malaysia. In addition, the document must not be wrinkled and it should be folded just once, in case you decide to fold it.

Also, note that the Malaysia evisa does not automatically grant you access to the country. Travellers might be asked to present their return or onward ticket and show proof of good financial standing and travel insurance. I have been purchasing my travel insurance for all my trips since last year with SafetyWing and I can easily recommend their services to get yours as well.

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Protect yourself from the unexpected while you travel by purchasing insurance coverage. I use SafetyWing, which is affordable and covers several travel-related risks, such as unexpected illness or injury, eligible hospital expenses, lost luggage and more. Click here to purchase a cover for your travel and visa application needs.

If you plan to apply in person for this visa, you can do so by visiting the VFS office in Abuja located at the address below:

Malaysian Visa Application: Where to Physically Apply in Nigeria?

The Malaysian Visa Application Centre is located in Sterling Bank Plaza, 3rd Floor, Plot 1083 Mohammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja-Nigeria.

They are open from Monday to Friday (apart from Nigerian and Malaysian public holidays) from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm for submissions and 08:00 to 15:00 for passport collections.

If you have any questions about the visa application process, leave me a comment below and I’ll be sure to get back to you! Please note that this post focuses only on tourist visas.