The Southeast Asian country, popular for its white-sand beaches and lush rainforests, closed its borders in March 2020. However, it will now need only a negative Covid test to enter.
“The government has decided to open its borders on April 1, 2022,” said Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri.
“We believe this decision will boost our economy and help revive our ailing tourism sector,” he added.
Malaysia is reopening in spite of more than 25,000 infections a day in recent weeks. However, most cases are mild.
Malaysia’s economy shrank 5.6 percent in 2020 due to the effect of the pandemic but recovered slightly at 3.1 percent last year.
Malaysia-based AirAsia, which is one of the top budget airlines of Southeast Asia, called the move, “timely” and said that it “will provide a strong impetus” for tourism and aviation recovery.
Vaccinated travelers will not need any quarantine but will have to show a negative PCR test report two days before arrival and take an antigen test within 24 hours after entry.
