Darren YeohAttention, all travelholics, especially those who love pristine island getaways! Malaysia’s most famous island, Langkawi, will be reopening soon to fully vaccinated international tourists!
In an announcement late last week, Malaysia’s Prime Minister announced that Langkawi will be able to welcome international tourists again starting 15 November 2021! In a follow-up statement to the announcement, the Malaysian Tourism Minister added that the international travel bubble, the first of many in the works, will be open to ALL countries!
This comes after the success of the domestic travel bubble scheme which also started with Langkawi before state borders were reopened earlier this month. We’ll skip right to all the juicy details of what you need to know before visiting!
No quarantine!
Image credit: Jay Tun
Yes, there will be no quarantine required for fully vaccinated tourists (who, at the moment, are the only ones who can travel to Langkawi in the first place). Individuals who are below 18 years of age must be accompanied by fully vaccinated guardians.
Testing requirements
Image credit: Mat Napo
However, visitors will have to undergo a few COVID screenings before and during their trip.
First, all travellers headed to Langkawi must undergo an RT-PCR test at least 72 hours before departure. Those who are flying to Langkawi via transit at KLIA will have to undergo Rapid Molecular Testing at the airport. On the other hand, those who are flying directly to Langkawi and those who are staying for a period of at least three days will have to prebook a PCR test on day two, just like in the UK.
If your stay in Langkawi exceeds five days, you will need another PCR test on day five.
All costs are to be borne by the traveller. At the moment, the average cost of a PCR test in Malaysia is between RM300 – RM450 (US$70 – US$110).
Mandatory insurance
In addition, travellers intending to visit Langkawi must have insurance with a minimum coverage of US$80,000. Even as a Malaysian, I admit, that’s pretty steep.
Most likely it is because public hospitals in Malaysia give priority to Malaysians, and the lack of private medical facilities on the island means that helicopter transport may be necessary in case of emergencies.
Booking with a MOTAC-approved travel agent
Image credit: Abdulrhman Alkhnaifer
What’s more, travellers heading to Langkawi need to make travel arrangements with valid travel agencies approved by Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC). A list of travel agents/agencies in Kedah, where Langkawi is based, can be found here.
One of the main reasons for this is actually to make it easier for international tourists to visit. According to the Malaysian Tourism Minister, the travel agents will be fully responsible for the travellers they handle.
Image credit: Afeeq Nadzrin
This includes making sure they meet the necessary requirements to travel to the island. Basically, they will be able to help you travel to Langkawi easier, given the many restrictions in place.
Contact tracing
Before travelling to Langkawi, international travellers need to download Malaysia’s contact-tracing app, MySejahtera.
You will need to use this app to check-in at all eateries, accommodations, and tourist attractions. Don’t forget to check out when you leave too!
Health form declaration
You will also need to fill up and submit a health declaration form, a Letter of Undertaking (LoU), and a Letter of Indemnity (LoI). Your travel agent should be able to help you go through all these processes.
Passport & Visa
Finally, you will need to have a valid passport and Visa (if applicable).
More to come?
However, there is still plenty of time between now and 15 November 2021. There may still be changes to the plan to reopen Langkawi to international tourists. As a Malaysian myself, I would advise not making concrete travel plans just yet, but wait to see if there are any amendments to the current SOPs.
As always, stay tuned as we bring you more news on travel slowly resuming in the region!
