Malaysia Releases Official List of 15 African Countries Exempted from Visa With Reference in 2026
- The Immigration Department of Malaysia published a list of 15 African countries whose citizens do not need a Visa With Reference (also known as VDR) to enter Malaysia for any purpose
- African countries on the list include South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Eswatini
- Citizens from the listed countries are exempt from the Visa With Reference requirement regardless of whether they are visiting for study, work, or other purposes
The Immigration Department of Malaysia, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has released the full list of 15 African countries whose citizens are not required to obtain a Visa With Reference when entering Malaysia in 2026.
The Visa With Reference (VDR) facility is ordinarily required by foreign nationals seeking entry into Malaysia for purposes such as work, study, or other activities.
Source: Getty Images
Legit.ng confirmed that citizens from the 15 African countries named in the official exemption list, however, are not subject to this requirement, regardless of their purpose of travel, according to the Malaysia Immigration Department's official website.
Malaysia visa: List of 51 African countries
The African countries on the Visa with Reference (VDR) exemption list are:
- South Africa.
- Botswana.
- Gambia.
- Kenya.
- Lesotho.
- Malawi.
- Mauritius.
- Namibia.
- Seychelles.
- Sierra Leone.
- Eswatini (listed as Swaziland/Eswatini).
- Tanzania.
- Uganda.
- Zambia.
- Zimbabwe.
Citizens of these countries planning to travel to Malaysia for work, study, or any other purpose will not need to go through the standard VDR or eVDR application process, nor will they need to obtain a Visa Approval Letter (eVAL) before travelling.
Nationals from countries not included on this list are still required to complete the standard Visa With Reference application process before travelling to Malaysia for work, study, or any other purpose.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Malaysia had released an official list of the 51 countries whose citizens can enter the country without a Visa With Reference.
Man relocates to Malaysia with family
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a man had relocated with his family to Malaysia despite earning in dollars.
The man named Badiru shared pictures taken with his family and others he took personally, and shed light on why they left Nigeria.
The remote worker, who earns in dollars, said he was tired of the same environment and needed a change of scenery for a fresh start and a new chapter.
Source: Legit.ng
