Packing Tips: What You Should Bring to Malaysia

After getting accepted into a Malaysian institution of your choice, and finding accommodation, the next step to studying in Malaysia is to prepare the things you will bring with you.

Malaysia does not have continental weather. In fact, like most Asian nations, it is a tropical country. Thus most students who are used to a continental type of weather may have a hard time packing for the Malaysian climate. 

To help students prepare for their trip, here are some packing tips and lists of what you should bring to Malaysia. 

Packing Tips for Malaysia 

Here are some packing tips to help you make sure that you will have a comfortable stay in Malaysia:

Tip 1: Check your luggage allowance 

Before you can create your checklist, you must first determine how much your luggage allowance is. Different airlines have their own policies on luggage, so make sure to double-check with your airline how much you can take with you. Otherwise, you may have to remove some things you want to bring abroad while at the airport if you exceed the luggage weight allowance. 

Tip 2: Know which things are not allowed in Malaysia

After determining how much you can bring abroad, do your research on Malaysia’s list of prohibited items. For example, for Malaysia Airlines, passengers are not allowed to bring flammable liquids and seafood in their checked-in baggage. Aside from the items not allowed in specific airlines, other items generally not allowed by the Malaysian government include spare lithium batteries, live plants and flowers, open razors and blades, and so on. 

Tip 3: Organize your things

After going through the first two tips, you can now create your checklist. While creating it, you can start organizing your things such as those you should put in your carry-on luggage and your checked-in baggage. As a rule, the most important stuff such as your documents and money should be in your carry-on luggage, while other things including your clothes and footwear should be in your checked-in baggage. 

Tip 4: Pack lightly

Even if you will be staying in Malaysia for more than a year, you should not pack too many clothes. Remember to pack lightly and focus on the important stuff. Also, there’s a lot of shopping centers and markets in Malaysia where you can purchase clothes at an affordable price. 

Things You Should Bring 

After following those three steps above, then can you start packing your things. To help you, here’s a more comprehensive checklist of the most important things to bring to Malaysia. 

Carry-on luggage

• Passport
• Enrollment letter
• Visa With Reference (VDR)
• Prescription letter and medicines 
• Proof of address 
• Malaysian Ringgit for emergency use after landing 
• Flight tickets 
• Emergency contact number (your school and accommodation) 
• Gadgets (phone, laptop, charger, camera)

Checked-in baggage

• Light and breathable clothes, preferably cotton clothing (excluding short shorts and midriffs) 
• Formal clothes for formal events 
• National clothes for inter-cultural events
• G type adaptors 
• Souvenirs for your host family 
• Umbrella 
• Sneakers 
• Flats or sandals 

These packing tips are sure to help international students get through the first weeks of their stay in Malaysia. To know more about living in Malaysia, check out MSM Unify’s article on Cost of Living in Malaysia: Guide for International Students.