Study abroad in Malaysia: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not apply there, so you need your own cover for the stay. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, no visa is needed for up to three months without gainful employment. For a longer period of study, the consulate gives the binding answer. For meals, the University of Nottingham Malaysia cites 500 to 700 ringgit a month.
Study abroad in Malaysia at a glance
| Item | Information (as of October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The European Health Insurance Card does not apply. The Federal Foreign Office advises travel medical and repatriation insurance | European Commission, Federal Foreign Office |
| Visa | Visa-free for up to three months without gainful employment, a separate visa for Sabah and Sarawak | Federal Foreign Office |
| Travel document | Passport valid for at least six months beyond entry. Provisional passports and identity cards are not accepted | Federal Foreign Office |
| Living costs on site | Meals 500 to 700 ringgit a month, accommodation off campus 300 to 900 ringgit (no date) | University of Nottingham Malaysia |
| Study abroad grant (Auslands-BAföG) | Possible, responsible office according to the DSW allocation: Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim | German Student Services, leaflet January 2026 (in German) |
All information is general guidance and not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative in each case.
How are you health insured in Malaysia?
Whether your statutory or private insurance continues to work abroad depends on what your contract provides. Malaysia is not covered by the EU health card system. You therefore have to arrange cover for the stay yourself.
European Health Insurance Card and statutory health insurance
The European Commission’s FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card names the EU member states, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Malaysia is not on this list. The page carries no date. Your health insurance card therefore does not help you in Malaysia.
Before you leave, ask your health insurer to confirm in writing what cover it provides during the stay. The card does not promise any benefits in Malaysia.
Social security agreement
We have not found a verified social security agreement with Malaysia that covers health insurance, so we do not name one. The German Liaison Agency for Health Insurance Abroad (DVKA) publishes information on the agreements.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The Federal Foreign Office advises travel medical and repatriation insurance. The health insurance should also cover air ambulance flights to Germany. The page also notes that in many countries hospital and doctor bills must be paid or advanced before discharge, otherwise leaving the country can be refused. Plan money for advance payments, or check with your insurer how billing works.
Background is in the guide Auslandskrankenversicherung für Erasmus, USA und Work and Travel (in German). If you are privately insured, the guide PKV für Studierende im Nicht-EU-Ausland (in German) helps.
Health care and vaccinations
For direct entry from Germany, the Federal Foreign Office names no compulsory vaccinations. Standard vaccinations under the STIKO schedule should be up to date, especially measles and pertussis. The office advises hepatitis A and, for simple travel arrangements, typhoid. For a long stay or special exposure, the page adds hepatitis B, rabies and Japanese encephalitis. Check your vaccination status with your GP or a travel medicine clinic a few weeks before departure.
Do you need a visa for Malaysia?
For up to three months without gainful employment, the Federal Foreign Office says no visa is needed. A separate visa is issued for Sabah and Sarawak, which usually lasts 90 days. Whether and which visa you need for a course of study beyond that period is decided by the Malaysian diplomatic mission. We do not repeat a general rule here, because we have not found an official statement on studying that we could verify. The Federal Foreign Office’s travel and safety information for Malaysia sets out the entry rules for German citizens.
For entry, keep these documents ready:
- Passport valid for at least six months beyond entry, with blank pages and undamaged
- The electronic registration through the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC), which must be completed up to three days before entry
The Federal Foreign Office (page status 25 October 2026) issues a partial travel warning for Malaysia. It warns against travel to the Sulu Archipelago and the sea area in between. For the east coast of Sabah, from Terusan to Tawau, including Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Semporna, it advises against non-essential travel, and strongly so for the islands and dive areas off this coast. It strongly advises against overland travel between Malaysia and Thailand. According to the page, the threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping persists, and theft and robbery occur regularly.
What does a semester abroad in Malaysia cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees the host university charges depends on your home university’s exchange agreement. We do not name a general amount, because we have not found an official figure we could verify. Ask your home university and the host university before you accept an offer. Monash University Malaysia lists an application fee of 500 ringgit, but it applies to applications to that university only and is not a benchmark for other universities.
Living costs
We have not found an official figure for living costs for exchange students in Malaysia. As an example, the University of Nottingham Malaysia lists for students in Semenyih: meals 500 to 700 ringgit a month, on-campus accommodation 550 to 1,200 ringgit including water, electricity and Wi-Fi, off-campus accommodation 300 to 900 ringgit, and phone 30 to 70 ringgit. The page carries no date. Monash University Malaysia gives 330 to 1,500 ringgit for its student residences and from 400 ringgit for other monthly costs. Monash describes these figures as guide values only.
These amounts apply only to the universities named and are not a figure for your host university. As a worked example, the Nottingham figures for meals, off-campus accommodation and phone add up to 830 to 1,670 ringgit a month. For five months that is 4,150 to 8,350 ringgit, excluding fees, flights and insurance. The total is a guide, not a promise.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
The EU’s Erasmus+ programme guide lists Malaysia as a third country not associated with the programme. Participation is possible only for certain actions and subject to conditions. Before you plan, ask the International Office of your university whether Erasmus+ funding is an option for your stay. The guide Erasmus und Auslandssemester planen (in German) describes how an Erasmus stay works.
For Auslands-BAföG, the leaflet of the German Student Services (as of January 2026) places Malaysia in the allocation “Asien”. The responsible office is then the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim, Amt für Ausbildungsförderung im Ausland. For a partial period of study outside the EU and Switzerland, funding covers at most two semesters. A prior year of study in Germany is required, and the study abroad must last at least six months. We have not found a verified supplement for living abroad for Malaysia, so we name no amount. All details are in the guide Auslands-BAföG: Voraussetzungen, Höhe und Zuschläge (in German).
How to prepare before you leave
- Check that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond entry, and apply for a new one if needed.
- Ask the Malaysian diplomatic mission whether you need a visa for a course of study longer than three months, and get the answer in writing.
- Ask your health insurer to confirm in writing what cover it provides during the stay.
- Take out travel medical and repatriation insurance that includes air ambulance flights to Germany.
- Have your vaccination status checked, especially hepatitis A, typhoid and the standard vaccinations.
- Register through the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card in good time, no later than three days before entry.
- Submit your Auslands-BAföG application about six months before the start, to the responsible office, and clarify the details with the International Office.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card work in Malaysia?
No. The European Commission does not list Malaysia among the countries where the card applies. You need your own travel health insurance.
Do I need a visa for Malaysia?
For up to three months without gainful employment, the Federal Foreign Office names no visa requirement. For a course of study beyond that period, the diplomatic mission decides the binding answer.
Which passport is accepted for entry?
The Federal Foreign Office names passports and children’s passports. Provisional passports and identity cards are not accepted. The passport must be valid for six months beyond entry.
How high are living costs in Malaysia?
We have not found an official figure. The University of Nottingham Malaysia lists 500 to 700 ringgit a month for meals, on an undated page. Ask your host university for its budget for exchange students.
Is there a travel warning for Malaysia?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning for the whole country. A partial travel warning applies to the Sulu Archipelago, the east coast of Sabah and the overland route to Thailand. The regions are named in the visa section.
Which office is responsible for Auslands-BAföG for Malaysia?
According to the allocation of the German Student Services (leaflet January 2026), the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim, Amt für Ausbildungsförderung im Ausland, is responsible.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Malaysia: Travel and safety information (page status 25 October 2026, in German)
- European Commission, FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card (no date)
- European Commission, Erasmus+ Programme Guide Part A: eligible countries (no date)
- German Student Services, Auslands-BAföG leaflet (as of January 2026, in German)
- University of Nottingham Malaysia, cost of living in Semenyih (no date)
- Monash University Malaysia, cost of living (no date)
Sources accessed on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Related guides
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: What applies? (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Semester abroad in Japan (in German)
- Semester abroad in South Korea (in German)
- All countries for your semester abroad (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
