Malaysia will welcome international visitors back by January 1.

Malaysia will reopen its borders to international travelers by January 1, at the latest, according to a government advisory council. This move aims to rejuvenate the country's struggling tourism sector.

As coronavirus infection rates have slowed, thanks to an accelerated vaccination campaign, Malaysia has gradually been reopening its economy in recent weeks.

Over 75% of Malaysia's 32 million residents are now vaccinated, according to government data.

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who leads the council overseeing Malaysia’s economic recovery, stated that the tourism sector's recovery was too slow without international visitors and emphasized the need for time to allow businesses to get back on track.

However, Muhyiddin mentioned that infection control measures, such as Covid-19 testing, will remain in effect. Entry will be determined based on the Covid-19 situation in the travelers' home countries, as well as other relevant factors.

He did not provide a specific date for the official reopening but mentioned that the final decision is still being worked out by health and security agencies.

This week, Malaysia announced the launch of a vaccinated travel lane with Singapore, starting November 29, allowing fully vaccinated travelers to move between the two countries without quarantine.

Malaysia has also reached an agreement with Indonesia to establish a similar travel corridor, which will be rolled out gradually.