Malaysia student visa documents checklist

At a glance

The checklist

• Passport bio-data page, plus visa pages and observation page — EMGS requires a minimum of 18 months' passport validity
• One passport-size photograph, 35mm x 45mm, with a WHITE background (EMGS photo specification)
• Offer letter / letter of acceptance from the EMGS-registered Malaysian institution
• EMGS Health Declaration Form (scanned copy, completed before the application is submitted)
• Academic certificates and mark sheets/transcripts for your highest qualification (Class 12 / bachelor's, as applicable)
• English language proficiency certificate — EMGS accepts MUET, IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge English or ELS
• Personal Bond, as required by the Immigration Department — the amount varies by country of nationality (see the EMGS Personal Bond Fees schedule)
• EMGS-approved medical insurance selection and payment (insurance is compulsory for the whole study period)
• Payment of the EMGS application fee bundle (processing fee, eVAL fee, Student Pass fee, medical screening, i-Kad)
• eVAL (electronic Visa Approval Letter) — required to lodge the Single Entry Visa / eVISA application
• Single Entry Visa (eVISA) application supporting documents: passport copy, photograph, confirmed flight details and proof of adequate financial means for your stay
• Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) confirmation, submitted within 3 days before arrival
• Post-arrival medical screening report from EMGS or an EMGS-appointed panel clinic (submitted within 7 days of arrival)

The three rules that decide a document

1. Consistency. Your name, date of birth and parents' names must match across passport, certificates and bank papers. A single spelling difference needs an affidavit and weeks.
2. Translation and certification. Anything not in the accepted language usually needs a certified translation, and "certified" has a specific meaning that varies by country.
3. Currency. Bank statements, medicals and police clearances all expire. A document valid when you gathered it may not be when you submit.

Assembling the file

• Start with the documents you do not control — transcripts from an old university, police clearances, attestations.
• Scan everything at the required resolution before you need it.
• Keep originals together; several routes ask to see them at biometrics or interview.
• Make one list of what has an expiry and when, and check it the week you submit.

The most common avoidable refusal in every route is a document that was not asked for being missing — people read the list as exhaustive. It is a minimum; an officer may ask for anything that supports your case.