Covid-19
Updated 14th Oct 2021
What is the current situation in Sabah?
Domestic travel within Sabah is now allowed and you can travel freely between Kota Kinabalu and the rest of Sabah on the condition that you are fully vaccinated. Children aged 12 and below may travel with fully vaccinated parents. Please note that according to current government regulations, children under 12 are not allowed to climb Mount Kinabalu.
Interstate travel from the rest of Malaysia into Sabah resumed on 1st November 2021, the conditions for entry into the state are:
- Negative RT-PCR or RTK Antigen test result no more than 3 days prior to entry
- Adults must be fully vaccinated
- Children aged 12 - 17 must have received at least 1 dose of Covid-19 vaccine
- Children aged below 12 are permitted travel if accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
International travel into Malaysia / Sabah is currently not permitted for tourism purposes. Malaysia has, however, now vaccinated over 95% of the adult population and we are hoping we will be able to welcome everyone back to Sabah soon, in the meantime please reach out to us with any questions you may have.
Interstate travel from the rest of Malaysia into Sabah resumed on 1st November 2021, the conditions for entry into the state are:
- Negative RT-PCR or RTK Antigen test result no more than 3 days prior to entry
- Adults must be fully vaccinated
- Children aged 12 - 17 must have received at least 1 dose of Covid-19 vaccine
- Children aged below 12 are permitted travel if accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
International travel into Malaysia / Sabah is currently not permitted for tourism purposes. Malaysia has, however, now vaccinated over 95% of the adult population and we are hoping we will be able to welcome everyone back to Sabah soon, in the meantime please reach out to us with any questions you may have.
What should I expect when visiting Sabah under the "New norm"
The Malaysian government has implemented a series of Standard Operating Procedures covering all aspects of doing business and travelling in Malaysia, the common elements are very similar to what you will find in many countries throughout the world:
- Temperature checks are frequent and mandatory upon entering public buildings such as malls & offices.
- You will need to register your details when entering public buildings, this can be done quickly via the MySejahtera app (scan a QR code upon entry) or you can opt to write your details in a register instead. We advise bringing your own pen if you won't have internet or won't be able to access the MySejahtera app during your time here.
- Hand sanitiser is readily available at the entrances to all buildings including hotels, offices, tour agencies, national park registration counters etc.
- Wearing a mask is currently mandatory in public buildings such as malls, supermarkets, hotel or national park reception counters as well as on all forms of public transport. The official guideline is that if you cannot socially distance, even in an outside environment, then you must wear a mask, failure to do so may result in a fine. Most Malaysians wear a mask at all times whilst in public, except for during exercise or when eating & drinking.
- The number of visitors in most areas has been reduced to assist with social distancing. Mount Kinabalu is currently limited to 50% of previous climber numbers and the capacity of dormitory accommodation on the mountain has been halved.
- Covid-19 vaccination is a pre-requisite for most aspects of life in Malaysia and you are required to show proof of vaccination for entry into shopping malls, restaurants, supermarkets, national parks, hotels etc. Unvaccinated children under 12 are permitted to visit these places if accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
I'm coming from overseas, when can I plan to visit Sabah?
The simple answer is that we don't know. At this time, Malaysia's borders are closed to overseas visitors and we haven't been provided with a timeline for re-opening. Over 95% of the adult population has now been vaccinated and vaccination of 12 to 17 year olds is now underway, we therefore hope that by 2022 travel in and out of Malaysia will have resumed. In view of this, we are working to make our booking terms as flexible as possible, in the event that borders haven't reopened in time for your planned holiday, we will be happy to assist you to postpone until such time as you are able to visit. We are also offering deposit-free bookings for a number of our tours, please just contact us to find out more or view our flexible booking policy here.
