panorama destination

panorama destination

Malaysia Announces New Departure Tax
05 August 2019 | Written by Chris Alexander

Starting from 1st September 2019, visitors to Malaysia will have to pay a new departure tax on outbound air travel, according to an order from Malaysia’s Federal Government on 31st July. The new departure levy will not apply to passengers in transit, or infants and toddlers aged below 24 months.

The new tax, which ranges from RM8 to RM150, will be applied to all outbound flights from Malaysia. It is understood that the intended destination and the class of the ticket will determine the rate. For example, passengers flying from Malaysia to other ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) will have to pay RM8 when flying in economy, or RM50 in another class.

The proposal was first made public on 2nd November 2018, when Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng outlined his Budget for 2019. In the statement, Lim said the departure levy for all outbound travellers leaving Malaysia by air was intended to encourage domestic tourism, also noting that the proposed rates were consistent with similar rates already charged by Malaysia’s neighbours, such as Thailand (US$20), Hong Kong (US$15) and Japan (US$10).