A valid Malaysian visa or Peninsular Employment Pass does not automatically let a foreigner live or work in Sabah or Sarawak. Both states are part of Malaysia, but they exercise special immigration control. A short domestic visit and a job or relocation are different decisions. On a leisure trip, take your valid passport and immigration documents through the state checkpoint. For work or a long-term move, ask the state employer or sponsoring institution to confirm the Sabah- or Sarawak-specific approval before taking the job, signing a lease or moving family.
This is not a separate “Sabah tourist visa” that every traveller must buy: domestic flights between the peninsula and East Malaysia can involve an additional immigration inspection and state entry permission, while a visa or work pass issued elsewhere in Malaysia may have an entirely different geographical scope.
Which route matches what you are doing?
| Your actual plan | What to carry or arrange | What is not enough |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign tourist flies Kuala Lumpur → Kuching for a weekend | Passport, lawful Malaysian entry/stay evidence, onward travel details; present yourself for Sarawak state immigration examination | Showing only an airline boarding pass, or believing the peninsula's visit stamp guarantees entry without inspection |
| Foreign worker holds an ESD Peninsular Employment Pass; employer opens a Sabah branch | Employer must check job-specific approval and Sabah Immigration pass requirements before the employee performs work | The existing Peninsular Employment Pass by itself |
| Company transfers a foreign professional to Kuching, Sarawak | Sarawak-based company coordinates the applicable Sarawak Labour Licence / visa with reference / state pass workflow through authorised systems | Existing West Malaysia job authorisation, or arrival as a social visitor |
| Student/family wants to relocate permanently from KL to Sabah or Sarawak | Ask the receiving school/employer/immigration office what state permission and sponsor records apply to each family member | Assuming a dependent or student pass from another region transfers automatically |
| Malaysian citizen from the peninsula moves to work in Sabah | Different citizen rules, including possible Section 66 exemption endorsement from Sabah Immigration | Foreign-worker rules are not the correct checklist for Malaysian citizens |
The federal Immigration Department's domestic travel procedures require appropriate identification/travel documents and a valid pass when departing Sabah or Sarawak. A travel stamp should never be mistaken for permission to begin a job.
Sabah: what changes for an employee?
The official ESD Employment Pass service explicitly states that an Employment Pass obtained through its ordinary expatriate route is valid only in Peninsular Malaysia and is tied to the named employer. The Sabah Government's Invest Sabah immigration guide states that employers arrange the Sabah-specific immigration approval, typically through the Sabah State Immigration Department in Kota Kinabalu, and relevant state labour processes.
Worked case: You work in Kuala Lumpur under an EP for a technology company. Your manager books a month of paid work at the new Kota Kinabalu office next Monday. Do not assume that flying in with a valid EP makes that assignment lawful. Ask HR to identify the actual Sabah role, expected activities and dates, the state approval or visit-pass category, and who makes the application. A short meeting and hands-on productive local employment may require different treatment; seek a documented decision from the state immigration authority before the latter.
For ordinary foreign-worker permits, federal Immigration also explicitly reserves Sabah/Sarawak hiring to each state government's jurisdiction. Don't copy peninsula-specific approval numbers, job quotas, levies or processing dates onto a Sabah application. The exact documents depend on worker category, employer and state rules.
Sarawak: what does the employer submit?
Sarawak runs its own integrated administration. The Sarawak Government GENESIS Labour Licence service says the Sarawak Labour Ordinance amendment effective 1 May 2025 requires a state Labour Licence for foreign workers; expatriate permits use the EXPRT / ALIANCE processes, with immigration verification and state approvals. The Sarawak eVDR service describes a visa with reference (eVDR) route for relevant new nonresident employees, connected to an approved labour process and source-country medical screening.
Don't reverse the sequence or treat one GENESIS workflow as covering every status. The state provides different screens for general workers and expatriates; the eVDR, labour licence and EP steps can depend on the selected category. Have the Sarawak employer determine the correct branch and produce the resulting approvals. A visitor cannot obtain lawful work rights just by signing a contract or holding a still-valid Peninsular EP.
Worked case: You have a Peninsular work pass and accept a Kuching job offer. The recruiter says, “Enter as a tourist—we will fix the pass next week.” Ask for the state sponsor name, application reference, whether an eVDR is required for your nationality/category and proof of the appropriate state labour/immigration route before travelling for the job. If the employer cannot show a legal pathway, defer the start date.
Short visits and family moves: the hidden document check
For tourists and short family visits, there are state-level entry formalities but not necessarily a fresh national visa application for each domestic flight. Bring the original foreign passport, the current valid visa/pass or evidence of permitted stay, and itinerary/contact details. Verify the entry/exit endorsement issued at the East Malaysia checkpoint and ensure the dates cover your onward journey. The Immigration Department's domestic travel page makes valid travel identity and pass status central.
For a dependant, spouse or child relocating to live with a principal working or studying in Sabah/Sarawak, obtain a state-specific family eligibility answer. A principal's Peninsular employment permission is not proof that their family's existing pass extends to a new state or new sponsor. Ask for the named receiving Immigration office, relationship documents, the principal's approved local status and each person's end date.
A different issue for Malaysian citizens: Malaysia's Immigration Act Section 66 exemption guidance concerns Malaysian citizens from outside Sabah who need the correct endorsement for longer stays/work. Its stated exemption stamp is issued by Sabah Immigration. There is also a free single-trip domestic travel document for Peninsular Malaysians allowing social/business visits up to three months. Neither scheme is a substitute for a foreign national's valid immigration pass.
If a checkpoint refuses you or your pass is expiring
At the airport: Present valid originals, remain in the designated immigration process and ask the officer for the specific missing endorsement or reason. Do not assume a rejected state entry can be cured by buying a new domestic ticket. Contact your actual sponsor/airline for lawful alternatives.
Employer says “the EP works throughout Malaysia”: Show HR the ESD's explicit Peninsular-only wording and ask for a written Sabah/Sarawak immigration assessment. Do not start paid work until the correct category is confirmed and approved.
Your national stay or state visit permission ends soon: Entry into another state does not automatically reset the duration of your national Malaysian stay. Ask Immigration about the correct extension, change-of-pass or departure action before any expiry. Do not make a border-run plan on the theory that domestic travel grants a new visa.
Your family is moving: Confirm whether the local sponsor and each dependant need new applications, whether a document must be cancelled/shortened elsewhere, and when lawful accommodation and school enrolment can begin.
What to decide before your next flight
Weekend visitor: carry the right passport/pass and leave time for an actual East Malaysian immigration counter. Employee or professional: get HR to provide a state-specific approval pathway and written start-date decision. Family moving: verify every dependant's local eligibility and length of stay before leasing or enrolling in a school. For general Malaysian visa/MDAC rules, see Malaysia entry guide; for Peninsular work-pass rules, see working and staying in Malaysia.