Malaysia eSIM for Indians (2026): prices, bank OTPs and the MDAC

Most Indian travellers to Malaysia pick one of three options: switch on a Jio or Airtel roaming pack, buy a tourist SIM after landing, or install a travel eSIM before leaving home. Here is how they compare on price, data and effort, and how to keep bank OTPs reaching your Indian number.

Prices side by side

More sizes are on the Malaysia plans page. 1 GB for 7 days is ₹149, enough for a transit, and the 30-day plans run from 3 GB at ₹349 to 20 GB at ₹1,399 and 50 GB at ₹2,899. Unlimited gives 1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps: ₹349 for 3 days, ₹549 for 5 days, ₹1,099 for 10 days, ₹1,599 for 15 days and ₹2,899 for 30 days. Pick the 30-day version of a size: on the same page, 5 GB for 7 days is ₹2,999, against ₹499 for 30 days.

How much data you need

One thing to know about Unlimited in Malaysia: after the first 1 GB each day, speed drops to 512 Kbps. That is enough for WhatsApp messages and maps, but slow for video. If you will hotspot a laptop or stream every evening, a fixed 10 GB or 20 GB plan keeps full speed until the data runs out.

Networks and speed in Malaysia

The eSIMKite Malaysia eSIM connects to CelcomDigi, Maxis and U Mobile. Your phone picks the strongest one where you are, so you are not tied to a single operator's coverage.

Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for September 2026 puts Malaysia's average mobile download speed at 215.22 Mbps, 26th in the world. That is a national figure, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise for every town or island.

We have not quoted operator-by-operator rankings, or coverage for particular places such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi or the Genting Highlands, because we could not confirm current figures from a source we could check. With three networks to choose from, the eSIM is not limited to one operator's map.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

A travel eSIM is data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so your number, bank SMS and WhatsApp account stay as they are. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: the ₹951 10-day pack includes 25 SMS and the ₹589 1-day pack includes 20. If you skip a pack, check in the MyJio app how SMS works on your plan abroad.
• Airtel prepaid: the ₹998 and ₹1,298 packs include 20 SMS. Airtel's ₹118 roaming activation pack lasts 28 days at standard charges; check SMS costs in the Airtel Thanks app before you fly.
• Airtel postpaid: the free roaming trip on Airtel's new postpaid plans, from 8 October 2026, includes free incoming SMS.
• Vi: we had no current Vi roaming figures for this guide, so check in the Vi app whether you need a pack to receive SMS abroad.
• WhatsApp and calling apps: Freedom House's 2025 report on Malaysia found no blocked social media and no restricted networks. It records some website blocking, but no blocks on messaging or calling apps, so WhatsApp, FaceTime and Telegram calls have no known restrictions.
• UPI: Malaysia was not among the countries where Indian UPI apps could pay merchants as of 31 August 2026. India said in August 2024 that it would link UPI with Malaysia's PayNet, but that has not reached the list yet, so carry a card or forex card.
• QR payments: Malaysia's national QR code is DuitNow QR. PayNet lets Malaysian shops take QR payments from foreign travellers through partner banks and wallets, but its page does not name India or UPI.
• Cash: Malaysia's Immigration Department says cash or similar instruments worth more than USD 10,000 must be declared.

Before you land in Malaysia

Malaysia's online arrival card is the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC), run by the Immigration Department at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main. The same portal lets you check your registration, Visit Pass and e-gate eligibility. Use only that official address: in January 2025 the department warned tourists about a fake MDAC website, so type the address yourself rather than tapping a link in a message or an ad.

Malaysia's Immigration Department lists Indian citizens as visa-exempt until 31 December 2026; check its visa page before you book, and again for any trip after that date.

• Grab for rides. Malaysia's Transport Minister ordered inDrive and Maxim to stop operating by 24 July 2025, so stick to Grab or another licensed app.
• MyUMobile, if you buy U Mobile's tourist plan, to add more data later.
• Your bank's app, with international card use switched on, since UPI will not cover you at shops.
• Install these at home on Wi-Fi, so you are not downloading apps in the arrivals hall.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the Malaysia plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India. It takes about two minutes.
3. Leave the eSIM line off until you land. The plan starts counting when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy it.
4. After landing, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the line for mobile data.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM.

When a local SIM or roaming is the better choice

A travel eSIM is not always the right pick. If you will make many normal calls on your Indian number, a Jio or Airtel pack includes 100 to 200 minutes and a data eSIM has none; Jio also lists ₹2 a minute for calls to India from Malaysia without a pack. If you are on one of Airtel's new postpaid plans, the free trip gives 5 GB and 60 minutes for 5 days once a year, though Airtel's release does not list the countries, so check the app first. For very heavy data, U Mobile's ULTRA Tourist plan gives 100 GB as a SIM or eSIM to non-Malaysian passport holders, sold at shop.u.com.my, U Mobile stores and authorised dealers, and because 2026 is Visit Malaysia Year it comes with a Grab Travel Pass code. U Mobile's page shows no price or validity, so compare at the store. Our plans last up to 30 days, so for a longer stay a local plan is the more practical choice.

Questions

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Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.