Malaysia · Student
Student Pass
Student Pass is issued by Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (Immigration Department of Malaysia). VisaAI tracks 22 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.
Last verified against the official source on .
VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.
Requirements change. Confirm every item on Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (Immigration Department of Malaysia)’s own page before you apply.
Each requirement below is written in plain English by VisaAI. The indented text beneath it is quoted from Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (Immigration Department of Malaysia)’s own page, so you can check what we say against what they say. Where a quotation shows “ ... ”, text has been left out.
Conditions you must meet
- You must be outside Malaysia when the application is submittedNot a preference. A student already in the country on another pass cannot start this route from inside it.
d. Applicants MUST BE OUTSIDE MALAYSIA at the time of application submission.
- Your institution must already be approved to enrol international studentsPublic universities qualify directly. A private higher education institution needs its courses and establishment approved by MOHE and separate MOHA authorisation to enrol international students; a language, training/skills or accredited centre needs MOE and MOHR registration plus the same MOHA authorisation. This is the school's status, checkable before you apply and not fixable by you.
b. Admission to Private Higher Education Institutions (IPTS) with courses and establishment approved by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), and authorized to enrol international students by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA).
- eVisa applications cannot be made from Malaysia, Israel or North KoreaWorldwide otherwise. Being physically in one of the three at application time blocks the route, which compounds with the rule that you must apply from outside Malaysia.
g. Note: eVISA applications can be made worldwide, except from Malaysia, Israel, and North Korea
- Only master's and PhD students may bring dependantsUndergraduates may not, whatever their circumstances. Eligible dependants are a spouse, biological, step or adopted children under 18, disabled children of any age certified by a specialist, biological parents and parents-in-law.
g. Only Student Pass holders at Master’s or PhD level are permitted to bring dependents to reside in Malaysia.
- Language, training/skills and accredited centre students may bring no dependants at allA second, independent bar on top of the degree-level rule.
i. Student Pass holders under the Language Centre, Training/Skills Centre, and Accredited Centre category are not permitted to bring dependents.
- Dependants and guardians may not work, do business, or take part in political activityThe Department lists the same restriction twice, once for dependants and once for guardians, and it includes political speeches and lectures.
h. Dependents are NOT ALLOWED to work, conduct business, deliver political speeches, lectures, or engage in political activities.
- Part-time work is capped at 20 hours a week, and only at named kinds of workplaceRestaurants, petrol stations, mini markets, hotels and university or college areas. Only university and private higher education students qualify; centre students do not.
b. Student Pass holders are allowed to work part-time during their study period, limited to 20 hours per week, only at approved locations:
- Front desk duties and student recruitment work are prohibited outrightTwo specific bans inside the part-time permission, not general conditions.
c. Students are prohibited from front desk duties in line with current foreign worker policies and from working as student recruitment agents.
- Sarawak adds three documents of its ownA letter of authorization and a cover letter from the institution, and a pre-eVAL medical report from your country of origin. Sabah and Sarawak administer their own immigration, and the Department lists their requirements inline rather than on a separate page.
Letter of Authorization from the Institution of Higher Learning (Sarawak only) ... Cover Letter from the Institution of Higher Learning (Sarawak only) ... Pre-VAL Medical Report / Health Report from Country of Origin (Sarawak only)
Official forms
- Form 14 (IMM.14), for both new and renewal applications (IMM.14)The Department writes it as '14 form' on the higher-education list and 'imm.14 form' on the school list; they are the same form.
14 Form (New & Renewal Applications)
Documents you must provide
- The EMGS support letter — the Acceptance DeclarationThe document that proves the academic screening was passed.
EMGS Support Letter [Acceptance Declaration (AD)]
- A copy of every passport page, including the cover, with at least 18 months' validityEighteen months, not the usual six, and every page rather than the biodata page alone.
Copy of passport (all pages including cover; validity must be at least 18 months)
- A passport-sized photograph, 3.5cm × 5cm, white backgroundLarger than the common 3.5 × 4.5cm format.
Passport-sized photo (3.5cm x 5cm, white background)
- Health insurance recognised in Malaysia, covering at least 12 monthsA Malaysian policy or an international one giving personal cover recognised in Malaysia.
Health Insurance Policy recognized in Malaysia with a coverage period of at least 12 months.
- A stamped personal bond formRequired on both the higher-education and school lists.
Personal Bond form (stamped)
- The institution's valid MOHA approval letter for international student intakeThe school's document, which you must obtain from them and submit.
Valid MOHA approval letter for international student intake
Steps in the process
- EMGS screens you academically and issues the Approval to Study letter firstApplications go through the STARS system or the EMGS portal. Only eligible applicants get the letter, and without it nothing reaches Immigration.
Applications may be submitted online by institutions or students via the STARS system or EMGS portal ... EMGS will conduct academic screening and issue the Approval to Study for International Student letter only to eligible applicants.
- After eVAL approval, apply for a single-entry visa on the official eVisa portal if your nationality needs oneThe Department names the portal exclusively. Travel document and security checks happen at the eVAL stage, after EMGS forwards the file.
f. Upon obtaining eVAL approval, applicants from countries requiring a visa
- A post-arrival medical examination within 7 days of arrivingSeven days from landing, not from enrolment. The pass is not endorsed until it is passed and EMGS issues its support letter.
h. Upon arrival in Malaysia, students must undergo a Post-Arrival Medical Examination within 7 days.
- Your institution submits for endorsement at the immigration office nearest to itThe last step is the school's, not yours, and it is tied to the school's address rather than your own.
i. After passing the medical examination and receiving EMGS support letter, institutions may submit applications to the Immigration Office nearest to the institution’s address for Student Pass endorsement and issuance.
Government fees
- RM60 for the Student PassMYR 60The Department's own figure. The visa fee is separate and varies by nationality.
a. Student Pass – RM60.00
- RM90 for each dependant's or guardian's Social Visit PassMYR 90
b. Social Visit Pass for Dependents / Guardians of Student Pass holders – RM90.00
Official sources
- Student Pass — Requirements, Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (Immigration Department of Malaysia)