Foreign Consulates & Embassies in Kota Kinabalu
Indonesia, China and Japan have consular offices in Kota Kinabalu, and Australia has an honorary consul there with limited powers. For most other nationalities, the nearest full embassy or high commission is in Kuala Lumpur.
For any life-threatening emergency, dial 999, Malaysia's single emergency number for police, fire and rescue, ambulance, civil defence and maritime emergencies (MERS 999, checked 6 October 2026). Contact your consulate or embassy after the immediate situation is resolved. See our Emergency Contacts page for all emergency numbers.
Find Your Country's Help
Select your nationality to see what consular representation is available in Sabah and the quickest way to get help.
Consulates in Kota Kinabalu
These consular offices serve their own nationals in Sabah. Check each office's own website before you go, as hours and services change.
🇵🇭 Philippines (no consulate confirmed in KK)
We could not confirm a Philippine consulate in Kota Kinabalu. Filipinos in Sabah are served by the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, which has run temporary consular outreach missions in Kota Kinabalu (Daily Express, 2 March 2023, checked 6 October 2026). For current contact details and services, check the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs at dfa.gov.ph.
🇮🇩 Indonesian Consulate General
Address and phone: see the consulate's own page below; we could not confirm them this round.
Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KJRI Kota Kinabalu, checked 6 October 2026
🇨🇳 Chinese Consulate General
Address: Lot 10, No 3, VIP Lot, Lorong Pokok Palma Rajah, Jalan Lintas, 88000 Kota Kinabalu
Phone: 088-385 481 or 014-368 1380 (weekdays 9:30am to 11:30am and 2:30pm to 4:30pm)
Consular protection for Chinese citizens: 014-985 7312
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm for visa, travel document, notarisation and authentication applications; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 1:30pm to 3:30pm for Malaysian passport holders only
Source: Consulate General of China in Kota Kinabalu, checked 6 October 2026
🇯🇵 Consular Office of Japan
Address: No. 18, Jalan Aru, Tanjung Aru, 88100 Kota Kinabalu
Phone: 088-254 169
Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 12pm and 1:30pm to 4pm, by appointment
Source: Consular Office of Japan in Kota Kinabalu, checked 6 October 2026
Honorary Consuls in KK
Honorary consuls cannot issue passports, visas, or emergency travel documents. They can provide emergency referrals, help you contact your embassy, and attest documents. For full consular services, contact your embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
| Country | Phone | Can Help With |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 088-267 151 | Accepts Australian passport applications and gives limited consular help; no immigration, visa or citizenship enquiries |
The Australian Honorary Consul is at Suite 10.1, Level 10, Wisma Great Eastern, 65 Jalan Gaya, 88000 Kota Kinabalu (Australian High Commission, Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026).
Embassies in Kuala Lumpur
For countries without representation in Sabah, the full embassy or high commission in KL handles passport replacement, emergency travel documents, and consular protection.
| Country | Phone (KL) | 24hr Emergency |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | See the US Embassy website | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | See gov.uk | Online contact form |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 03-2146 5555 | 1800 808 449 (free call within Malaysia) |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 03-2718 3333 | Emergency consular help available 24/7 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 03-2027 8998 | +64 99 20 20 20 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 03-4026 9797 (consular, passport and visa) | WhatsApp message only: +60 12 602 0360 |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 03-2148 8222 (consular section) | Not listed |
Sources, all checked 6 October 2026: US Embassy, British High Commission, Australian High Commission, High Commission of Canada, New Zealand High Commission, High Commission of India, Royal Thai Embassy. For other countries, including Singapore and the Netherlands, get the current number from the mission's own website.
If you can't reach your embassy in KL after hours, use the emergency line listed above where there is one.
Emergency Procedures for Foreigners
Step-by-step guidance for the most common emergencies foreign nationals face in Sabah.
Lost or Stolen Passport
Go to the nearest police station immediately. You'll need the report number for all subsequent steps.
If your country has a consulate in KK, visit in person. Otherwise, call your embassy in KL. They can issue a new passport or an Emergency Travel Document (ETD).
Report to the Enforcement Division of the Immigration Department of Malaysia. Bring the originals and copies of your police report, your new passport or travel document, the lost passport's number or a copy, and your ticket out. A Special Pass costs RM100 (Immigration Department of Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026).
You may need to visit your embassy in KL for a full replacement passport.
Keep a photo of your passport data page on your phone and in cloud storage (email it to yourself). Also carry a photocopy separately from the original. This speeds up replacement dramatically.
Arrested or Detained
Under the Vienna Convention, you have the right to contact your consulate/embassy. Tell the arresting officer: "I wish to have my consulate/embassy notified of my arrest."
Visit you in detention, ensure you are treated humanely, provide a list of English-speaking lawyers, contact your family, and monitor your case.
Get you released from custody, pay bail or fines, provide legal advice, or interfere with Malaysian legal proceedings.
Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Malaysia. See the drug law section of our safety tips for the sourced detail. Your embassy cannot override Malaysian law.
Hospitalised Abroad
Malaysian hospitals will treat you regardless of nationality. Go to the nearest A&E; see our Hospitals & Clinics page.
Call your insurer's emergency line and ask whether the hospital can bill them directly. Keep all receipts for claims.
They can assist with contacting family, liaising with hospital administration, helping arrange medical evacuation if needed, and confirming insurance coverage.
Death of a Citizen Abroad
In the event of a death, the relevant consulate or embassy assists the family with repatriation of remains, death certificates, and local formalities. Contact the embassy immediately — they have dedicated officers for this situation. Malaysian authorities require a police report for any unnatural death.
Visa & Entry Information
The Immigration Department of Malaysia lists the nationalities that must apply for a visa before entering Malaysia. The pass you are given on arrival sets how long you may stay, so check the date on it. The department's rules (Visa Requirement by Country, checked 6 October 2026):
| Rule | Nationalities |
|---|---|
| Visa required | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Liberia, Mali, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda, Serbia, Sri Lanka |
| Entry by air only | Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda |
| Visa-exempt until 31 December 2026 | India |
| Visa approval letter needed first | Afghanistan (for social visits) |
| No visa for stays under one month | ASEAN nationals except Myanmar; a visa is needed for longer stays, except for Brunei and Singapore nationals |
Sabah and Sarawak keep their own immigration control, so expect an immigration check when you fly in from Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysians from the Peninsula enter with a passport, a Restricted Travel Document (for stays over three months), or a free single-journey document issued at Sabah airport arrival counters on showing their identity card (a birth certificate for children under 12), valid for a stay of up to three months (Immigration Department of Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026). Foreign visitors should check the rules for their nationality on imi.gov.my and keep to the date on the pass they are given.
Tips for Foreign Nationals
Use your country's travel registration (STEP, Smartraveller, etc.) so your embassy can reach you in emergencies.
Keep a photocopy of your passport data page and visa separate from the originals. Store a photo in your cloud email.
Save your embassy's KL number and 24-hour emergency line in your phone before you travel.
Minimum RM400,000 (USD $100,000) medical coverage recommended. Ensure it covers medical evacuation.
Frequently asked questions
Q What should I do if I lose my passport in Sabah?
Step 1: File a police report at the nearest police station. You will need it for all the next steps.
Step 2: Contact your country's consulate in KK (if available) or embassy in Kuala Lumpur. They can issue an Emergency Travel Document (ETD).
Step 3: Report to the Enforcement Division of the Immigration Department of Malaysia with your police report, your new passport or travel document, the lost passport's number or a copy, and your ticket out. A Special Pass costs RM100 (Immigration Department of Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026).
Q Can an honorary consul issue me a new passport?
No. Honorary consuls have very limited powers. They can provide emergency referrals, help you contact your embassy, attest documents, and offer general guidance — but they cannot issue passports, visas, or emergency travel documents.
For passport replacement, you must contact your country's full embassy or high commission, which for most countries is in Kuala Lumpur.
Q Which countries have visa-free entry to Malaysia?
The Immigration Department of Malaysia publishes the list of nationalities that must apply for a visa, among them Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and a number of African countries. Indian citizens are visa-exempt until 31 December 2026, and ASEAN nationals except Myanmar need no visa for a stay of less than one month. The pass you receive on arrival sets how long you may stay. Check your nationality on the department's Visa Requirement by Country page (checked 6 October 2026).
Q Is there a consulate for US/UK/Australian citizens in Sabah?
There is no US consulate in Sabah. For the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, check the current phone and after-hours line on the US Embassy website. For the British High Commission in KL, in an emergency the UK asks you to use its online contact form (GOV.UK, checked 6 October 2026).
Australia has an Honorary Consul in Kota Kinabalu (088-267 151) who accepts Australian passport applications and gives limited consular help. The Australian High Commission in KL is on 03-2146 5555, and after hours Australians can call 1800 808 449 free within Malaysia to reach the Consular Emergency Centre (Australian High Commission, checked 6 October 2026).
Q What if I'm arrested in Sabah as a foreigner?
Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, you have the right to contact your country's consulate or embassy. Malaysian authorities are required to inform the relevant embassy if you request it.
What your embassy can do: Visit you, ensure fair treatment, provide a list of local lawyers, and contact family.
What they cannot do: Get you released, pay fines or bail, provide legal advice, or interfere with Malaysian legal proceedings.
Always ask the arresting officer to notify your embassy immediately.
Q Do I need to register with my embassy when visiting Sabah?
Recommended but not required. Many countries offer voluntary travel registration programmes:
- US: STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) — step.state.gov
- UK: FCDO travel registration
- Australia: Smartraveller — smartraveller.gov.au
- Canada: Registration of Canadians Abroad
Registration means your embassy can contact you in an emergency (natural disaster, political unrest) and provide faster assistance.
Sources & References 9 sources
Last verified: March 2026