Moving to the UK from Malaysia: Guide
A guide for Malaysian nationals moving to the UK, covering visa routes, document requirements, costs in Malaysian ringgit, and practical tips.
- Section
- Moving to the UK From...
- Reading time
- 6 min
- Last checked
- 4 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Malaysians are not visa nationals: a short visit needs a £20 electronic travel authorisation, not a visitor visa.
- A tuberculosis test is needed for stays of more than 6 months. Malaysia has approved clinics.
- Malaysia is not on the majority English-speaking list, so an English test is needed for most routes.
- Malaysia is a Commonwealth country, so the UK Ancestry route is open if a grandparent was UK-born.
- Malaysian law does not generally allow dual citizenship. That is a Malaysian question, not a UK one.
Malaysian citizens are not visa nationals, so a short visit needs an electronic travel authorisation rather than a visitor visa. Longer stays need a visa, and Malaysia is on the tuberculosis testing list but not on the majority English-speaking list. As a Commonwealth country, Malaysia also opens the UK Ancestry route. This guide covers the main routes and what each one requires.
Visiting: an Electronic Travel Authorisation, Not a Visa
Malaysia is not on the Home Office visa national list, so Malaysian citizens do not need a visitor visa for a short trip. Instead you need an electronic travel authorisation. It costs £20, and it covers visits of up to 6 months each. You do not need one to change planes at a UK airport if you do not pass through UK border control. An electronic travel authorisation does not let you work, study long term, or move to the UK.
Visa Routes for Malaysian Citizens
- Student visa. One of the most popular routes. UK universities are highly popular among Malaysian students. See the student visa guide.
- Skilled Worker visa. Requires a licensed sponsor, a job at degree level (level 6 of the regulated qualifications framework) for a new application, and a salary of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. Some applicants qualify at the lower £33,400 threshold. See the salary threshold guide.
- Family visa. See the spouse visa guide.
- Graduate route. 2 years after a UK degree, or 3 years after a PhD. For applications made on or after 1 January 2027 the standard length falls to 18 months. See the Graduate route guide.
- UK Ancestry visa. Open to Commonwealth citizens, which includes Malaysians, who have a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or born in Ireland before 31 March 1922. It costs £726, lasts 5 years, allows any work, and a decision usually takes 3 weeks from outside the UK.
Document Requirements
- Valid Malaysian passport.
- Tuberculosis test. Needed if you are applying to come to the UK for more than 6 months and have lived in Malaysia, or another listed country, for 6 months or more. Malaysia has approved clinics; the certificate is valid for 6 months. GOV.UK publishes no price, because each clinic sets its own fee.
- English language test. Needed for most work, study and family routes. Malaysia is not on the majority English-speaking list, so the fact that English is widely spoken there makes no difference. A degree taught in English can be used instead of a test if UK ENIC confirms it is equivalent to a UK degree.
- Police certificate. Not needed for every route. The Home Office asks for one where you are applying for a Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker visa in certain jobs, mostly in healthcare, education, therapy and social services, and for some other routes. Where it is needed, apply to the Royal Malaysia Police for a Certificate of Good Conduct. Check the GOV.UK criminal records checks guidance for how to apply from Malaysia.
What It Costs
UK visa fees are set in pounds sterling and are the same wherever you apply from.
- Electronic travel authorisation: £20
- Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK: £819 for up to 3 years, £1,618 for more than 3 years
- Student visa: £558
- UK Ancestry visa: £726
- Healthcare surcharge: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year for students, their dependants and under-18s
- Settlement: £3,226 for each person
- British citizenship: £1,709 to apply plus a £130 ceremony fee, £1,839 in total
- English test and tuberculosis test: GOV.UK publishes no price for either. Test providers and approved clinics set their own fees.
See our UK visa fees guide.
What the Healthcare Surcharge Buys
Paying the immigration health surcharge does not make the National Health Service free. It puts you on the same footing as a UK resident, so you then pay what a resident pays. In England that means £9.90 for each prescription item and dental charges of £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10 depending on the treatment. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
After Arrival
- Set up or sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and check your online immigration status. There is no card to collect: biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024. To prove your status to an employer or a landlord you generate a share code, which lasts 90 days
- Apply for a National Insurance number
- Register with a GP
- Open a UK bank account
Path to Settlement
Most work and family routes lead to settlement, also called indefinite leave to remain, after 5 years. It costs £3,226 for each person and a decision usually takes up to 6 months. After 12 months with settlement you can apply for British citizenship for £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony fee.
Malaysian law does not generally allow dual citizenship: under the Federal Constitution a Malaysian who voluntarily acquires another nationality can be deprived of Malaysian citizenship. That is a question for the Malaysian authorities, not the Home Office, and nothing in UK law stops you applying. Check your position with the Malaysian National Registration Department before you apply.
Next Steps
For official information, visit the British High Commission Kuala Lumpur and the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page.
Questions and answers
Do Malaysian citizens need a TB test for a UK visa?
Only if you are applying to come to the UK for more than 6 months and you have lived in Malaysia, or another listed country, for 6 months or more. Malaysia is on the list of countries where a test is needed, and there are approved clinics in Malaysia. GOV.UK publishes no price for the test: each clinic sets its own fee.
Do Malaysian citizens need an English language test?
Yes, for most work, study and family routes. English is widely spoken in Malaysia, but Malaysia is not on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, and being widely spoken creates no exemption. You need an approved secure English language test, or a degree taught in English that UK ENIC confirms is equivalent to a UK degree. The Skilled Worker route needs level B2 (upper intermediate) for new applications made from 8 January 2026.
Are Malaysian citizens eligible for the Ancestry visa?
Malaysia is a Commonwealth country, so the UK Ancestry route is open to Malaysian citizens who have a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or born in Ireland before 31 March 1922. The visa costs 726 pounds, lasts 5 years, and a decision usually takes 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.
How much does it cost to move to the UK from Malaysia?
UK visa fees are set in pounds. A Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK costs 819 pounds for up to 3 years or 1,618 pounds for longer, a Student visa costs 558 pounds, and the healthcare surcharge is 1,035 pounds a year (776 pounds for students and under-18s). GOV.UK publishes no price for the English test or the tuberculosis test: providers and clinics set their own fees.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.