Because the procedure of applying for VISAs differ slightly from one consulate to another in India, even if you are applying for the same country’s VISA, I was slightly confused about How to apply for Malaysian tourist VISA in Bangalore when I started planning the first visit there. Not enough specific information was available online about it. The stuff that was there on VFS’s official website was very generic and hence of not much help. The Customer care representatives were equally confused, they gave me a different list of required documents each of the three times I called them. Also, the fact that my Passport was not issued in South India, the region handled by the Chennai consulate where I was applying, only added to the confusion.

How to apply for Malaysia Tourist VISA in Bangalore?

Like a lot of country’s consulates here in India, the Malaysian consulates too handle their VISA processing through VFS. Here in Bangalore, the VISA applications along-with all necessary documents are to be submitted at the VFS office located not far from Shivajinagar. For me, it was good news. I had dealt with them a few years back when I had applied for Canadian VISAs on behalf of someone in the family and had been quite impressed by the way they work.

Documents required for Malaysia Tourist VISA for Indians

Based on the official VFS website and multiple conversations with their customer care I found that the list of documents required was more or less the same that I would need when I apply for Singapore Tourist VISA  (I applied for the Singapore VISA after I received my Malaysian Tourist VISA). The documents are listed below.

• Air-tickets. Arrival.
• Departing air-tickets (from Singapore).
• Hotel booking for the entire period of stay.
• Two copies of 3.5cm X 4.5cm passport-sized photos.
• Properly filled and signed the VISA application form.
• Passport with a minimum of 6 month’s validity.
• The itinerary.
• HR Letter on company letter-head mentioning my local address.(Not required if your passport has been issued in South India)
• Six month’s bank statement mentioning my local address. (Not required if your passport has been issued in South India)

However, when I actually went to submit the application, all that was taken in the name of documents apart from the form were, the air-ticket and two address-proofs. All the fuss about documents for nothing!

Also Read: One Week Itinerary For Singapore-Malaysia Trip

Validity and Fee of Malaysia Tourist VISA

It took a week for my Passport to get stamped and reach me, actually five-working days to be specific. The VISA-fee at Rs.3,400/- was quite reasonable as well for a multiple-entry VISA that is valid for one year. However, what was confusing was the fee-payment. The fee mentioned above has three components and have to be made in two different payment modes which honestly speaking, does not make any sense. The break-down is as follows:

• Demand draft of Rs. 1,000/- in favor of Consulate General of Malaysia, Payable at Chennai.
• Demand draft of Rs. 2,000/- in favor of DU Digital Technologies Private Ltd, payable at Chennai.
• Rs. 400/- in cash as VFS fee.

There are some additional options you can opt for like SMS notification and door-step delivery for which there are additional charges. I did not opt for any of these. If you want to know more about the SMS notification thing, you might read this.

Update [04/04/2017]: For tourists who wish to visit Malaysia for shorter durations (max 15 days), the Malaysian authorities have eased the VISA process. Now, Indian tourists can get their VISA processed online in less than 48 hours. The VISAs issued will be multiple-entry and there will also be n visa fee for Indian tourists. Please note that the charges for processing the visa which is charged by a third party agency remain unchanged.

How has been your experiences in applying with the blue-book (Indian Passport)? Do you have any questions or something I might have missed? Do let me know.