๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ Kuala Lumpur ยท First days

First 48 hours in Kuala Lumpur

The first two days in Kuala Lumpur, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.

For Kuala Lumpur
How long you are staying

Must do

  • Maxis, CelcomDigi, U Mobile and others sell prepaid SIMs at the airport and in malls; bring your passport for registration.
  • From convenience stores, petrol stations and stations. It covers trains, buses, tolls and parking; top it up through the eWallet or in cash.
  • 999 from any phone for police, ambulance and fire; 112 also connects from a mobile. Private hospitals have their own emergency lines too.
  • Do the last five hundred metres yourself. Many stations sit across a highway from the condos they serve, without a crossing or shade.

Should do

  • Grab for rides and food, Waze for traffic before you leave for anything.
  • Tap your Touch 'n Go card and ride from your shortlisted area to work at rush hour. The My50 pass is for Malaysians, so expect to pay per trip.
  • If your Employment Pass needs a medical screening, book the clinic now; the endorsement and i-Kad follow it, and the bank account follows the pass.
  • With your passport, endorsed pass or i-Kad and an employer letter. Ask your employer which bank it pays salaries into.
  • If your employer's insurance uses a panel of GP clinics, find the one nearest home before you need it.

Nice to do

  • Roti canai and teh tarik at a mamak stall, open late and often all night, is the shared meal across every community.
  • Install an air-quality app for the haze months and expect hard afternoon rain; Grab prices surge the moment it starts.
  • Many embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals in Malaysia, useful in floods or if a passport is lost.
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  • Nice to do0/3
Emergency999
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