New students applying directly to EMGS
Note on new visa application process effective from 1 April 2016 by Immigration Department and Ministry of Education
All international students will have the option of applying for their Visa Approval Letters (VAL) through the following methods:
Option A is the recommended method. However, students who opt for Option B can contact the UNM Visa Office if any assistance is required.
All new student pass will be issued for the duration of the course. This will heavilty depend on the validity of your passport. It is receomended to have passport validity beyond duration of studies.
All international students will not be required to do pre-arrival medical examination. However, you MUST fill in and sign-off the ‘HEALTH DECLARATION FORM’ and submit to Visa Office for your VAL application.
As such, student will be only doing post-arrival medical examination after arriving campus. Any student fail in their post-medical will have to return back to their home country and the university will not be responsible for any cost incurred.
You are allowed to appeal your post-medical but it is subject to the approval by EMGS. Only one appeal will be allowed by EMGS.
Getting started with your VAL application
All new international students must secure a Visa Approval Letter (VAL) before arriving in Malaysia. The application process can take up to three months so you are advised to submit your student pass application the earliest possible to avoid any delays.
Click here to view the visa documents submission deadlines for 2019
Visa documents submission deadlines 2019 Submission Deadlines
February 2019 intake: 20 December 2018
- Undergraduate programmes in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
- Selected undergraduate programmes in Nottingham University Business School.
- Part-time MBA programmes in Nottingham University Business School.
- Postgraduate taught programmes in the School of Politics, History and International Relations and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
- All research programmes (excluding programmes in the School of Economics and Nottingham University Business School).
- Selected postgraduate taught programme in the Division of Organisational and Applied Psychology.
April 2019 intake: 14 March 2019
- Three-semester foundation programmes.
- All research programmes (excluding programmes in the School of Economics, School of English and Nottingham University Business School).
June 2019 intake: 4 May 2019
- Three-semester programmes (Foundation Programme in Engineering only).
- Postgraduate taught programmes in School of Education.
July 2019 intake: 18 May 2019
- All research programmes (excluding programmes in the School of Economics, School of English and Nottingham University Business School).
September 2019 intake: 25 July 2019
- All two-semester and three-semester foundation programmes.
September 2019 intake: 3 August 2019
- All undergraduate programmes.
- All postgraduate taught programmes (excluding programmes in the School of Education).
- All research programmes (excluding programmes in the School of Economics).
September 2019 intake: 2 May 2019
- Postgraduate research programme in the School of Economics.
December 2019 intake: 15 October 2019
- Postgraduate taught programmes in the School of Education
*Students from Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Pakistan are advised to submit their visa documents one month earlier to avoid delays in obtaining your Single Entry Visa (SEV).
* The above deadlines do not apply to mobility/ exchange students/ students from partner universities. Please refer to your International Office for more information on visa application deadlines or email to International.Support@nottingham.edu.my
Using the EMGS website
1) Create an account on the EMGS website
2) Create a Student Pass application. Required documents for this step are:
- conditional/ unconditional offer letter from UNM.
- passport data page.
- passport photo (Read EMGS photo specifications).
- official O-level/ A-level results/ full transcripts.
- Fill up Health Declaration Form; check here
3) The EMGS portal will automatically calculate the cost of your visa. Although the amount will be billed from EMGS, the amount will only be payable to your higher education institution (UNM Visa Office) until further notice.
4) You will be issued with an application number and will be able to visit your account to monitor application progress.
5) EMGS will ask you to submit the remaining visa application documents and payment of visa fees to the UNM Visa Office, who will then liaise with EMGS for the remainder of the visa application process.
6) All international student will be required to pay a visa deposit of RM2000 via telegraphic transfer to the University’s bank account in Malaysia. Visa Office will refund this fee once the students submitted their passport for visa shortening/cancellation during graduation or completion of studies before going to home country. You may make payment via MyNottingham portal.
NOTE: All of the above information is accurate as of 21st December 2021 but is subject to change as EMGS/Immigration Dept refines the new online application system. The University is in the midst of preparing a user guide specifically for UNM students, and students can refer to the EMGS user guide in the interim.
Need more information? See our guide below.
User payment guide
VAL Application checklist
Below is the VAL application checklist. Failure to submit any of these documents may result in an incomplete application that cannot be processed.
All documents should be sent via email to apply.visa@nottingham.edu.my
Documents required for residents of all countries
- Passport sized photograph with white background (Read EMGS photo specifications).
- Clear cover to cover scan of all passport pages. Your passport must be valid for the duration of the course. This will depend on the validity of your passport.
- Complete academic certificates/transcripts (including English proficiency test, if applicable) in English. For academic certificates/transcripts in other languages, a certified true copy of the English translation must be submitted together with the original version.
- Conditional/ Unconditional offer letter from UNM.
- Proof of payment of visa fees.
- Student Declaration Form.
- Student from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan MUST do their Pre-Arrival medical examination in EMGS appointed clinic in their country of residence. The rest can do at the government appointed hospitals.
- Fill up Health Declaration Form.
Additional documents for residents of specific countries
- Copy of yellow fever vaccination card (for students from high risk countries).
- No Objection Certificate/ NOC Only applicable for Sudanese students. The University will apply the NOC from the Sudanese embassy in Malaysia on your behalf. Any charges from the embassy will be borne by the student.
- Letter of Eligibility (LOE) Only applicable for Iranian students. The University will apply the LOE on your behalf from the Iranian embassy in Malaysia.
- A copy of WAEC/NECO scratch card, to be obtained from the Ministry of Education (for students from Nigeria only).
New students who have current active passes for Malaysia (transferring students/ dependant visa holders) may have to submit additional documents. Please refer to Special Circumstances for further information.
Click here for more information on visa fees and how to pay them
The visa fee for students applying through EMGS varies depending on nationality and preferred insurance package. The EMGS visa fee includes the following:
- EMGS and Immigration processing fee for the VAL and the Student Pass
- i-Kad fee
- Medical insurance for one year (optional)
- Post-arrival health check and x-ray
- SST
The visa fee does not include:
- UNM Visa Office service fee
Payment of these fees can be made by:
HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad
Payee Name: The University of Nottingham in Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Bank account number: 301-879391-101
Bank Address: Main Branch, 2 Leboh Ampang, 50100 Kuala Lumpur
Swift code: HBMBMYKL
Refund of visa fees
Visa fees are non-refundable once the VAL application has been submitted by the Visa Office to EMGS. Please contact the Visa Office if you would like to withdraw your VAL application, and you will be advised on your eligibility for a refund.
VAL application processing
Once you have submitted your documents, the Visa Office will send them to EMGS for processing. When EMGS has vetted your documents, your application will be sent to the Immigration department for approval and issuance of the VAL. The entire process can take around 6 to 8 weeks at times may be slightly longer. You can track the status of your application by using the EMGS Track My Application feature.
EMGS and the University may request additional documents from you in this period, and delays in submitting the requested documents may affect your VAL issuance.
Due to the length of the application processing period, you are not advised to book your flight to Malaysia until your VAL has been approved and sent to you.
VAL receipt and SEV application
Once your VAL is approved by Immigration, you should do the following:
- Wait for your VAL to be sent to you by the Visa Office (you will receive both a soft copy via email and a hard copy via courier). It is advised not to book your flight to Malaysia prior to receiving your VAL.
- Refer to the Immigration department's lists of countries that require and do not require a Single Entry Visa (SEV)
- Students who require an SEV will be required to visit their nearest Malaysian Embassy to apply for the SEV.
- Once your SEV is issued, you will be able to enter Malaysia. The SEV has a validity period of 30 days.
Arriving in Malaysia and post-arrival procedures
Upon arrival in Malaysia, you should do the following:
- Present your VAL/ SEV to the Immigration desk at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to get your entry stamp.
- Report to the International Office and Visa Office on-campus on the next working day after arrival
- You will receive further instructions on completing your post-arrival health check
- After completing your post-arrival health check, you will submit your passport to the Visa Office for receiving the Student Pass endorsement sticker. Please note that you should not make travel plans until your passport has been returned to you.
- Once your passport has been endorsed and sent back to the Visa Office, you will be contacted via email to collect your passport
*Please note that the VAL and SEV are not the Student Pass. Students are responsible for completing both the pre- and post-arrival visa processes in a timely manner. For assistance and enquiries, please contact the Visa Office at apply.visa@nottingham.edu.my or +603 8725 3704/ 3704/ +603 8924 8078