Being on dialysis does not mean you can never take a holiday, go back to your hometown or visit family. People on haemodialysis can be treated as a visiting patient at a dialysis centre near their destination, for just a few sessions. People on peritoneal dialysis (PD) can take their supplies with them or arrange for them to be delivered.
The key is to plan early. This guide explains the usual steps. Every centre has its own requirements, and your nephrologist needs to agree that you are stable enough to travel.
Plan and book your slot early
- Tell your dialysis team as early as you can. They will need to prepare documents and may need to run extra blood tests.
- Find a centre at your destination. Browse our directory by state, for example dialysis centres in Kelantan, or open the dialysis centre map.
- Contact the centre several weeks ahead for trips within Malaysia, and even earlier for festive seasons or travel abroad. Places for visiting patients are limited.
Questions to ask the centre:
- Is there a free slot on the dates and shifts you need?
- How much is each session, what does it include, and how do you pay?
- If you have hepatitis B or C, can the centre take you?
- Which documents do they need, and by when?
Get the booking confirmed in writing, by email or WhatsApp, including the dates, times and the name of the person you spoke to.
If your treatment is funded by PERKESO (SOCSO), zakat, insurance or another agency, contact them or your centre before you travel. Ask whether sessions at another centre are covered and what paperwork is needed. For PERKESO patients, choosing a PERKESO panel centre at your destination may make things easier, but check first.
Documents centres usually ask for
Each centre has its own list, but dialysis centres typically ask for:
- recent blood test results, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV screening. Many centres only accept results from the last few months, so ask what they accept.
- your dialysis prescription, such as session length, dialyser type, blood flow rate, dry weight and blood thinner (heparin)
- a medical report or referral letter from your nephrologist
- a list of your current medicines and any allergies
- records of your last few dialysis sessions
- a copy of your MyKad, and a guarantee letter from your funding agency or insurer, if relevant
Send documents in advance if asked. Also carry printed copies in your hand luggage and keep photos of them on your phone.
Going home for the festive season
Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Gawai, Kaamatan and Christmas are the busiest times. Many patients want to go home in the same week, so slots in small towns fill up quickly.
- Book as soon as you know your holiday dates.
- Plan the journey between two sessions, for example leaving the day after dialysis.
- Your own centre and the centre at your destination may change their schedules around public holidays. Check both.
- On long drives, stop to stretch your legs. Do not load your fistula arm with heavy bags, and avoid sleeping on that arm.
- Measure your drinks allowance into a bottle so it is easy to keep track on the road.
- Save the phone numbers of your own centre and the centre at your destination, and know where the nearest hospital is.
Festive seasons are also feasting seasons. Read our diet and fluids guide for tips on celebrating safely.
Get urgent help at the nearest hospital or call 999 if you are short of breath or have chest pain, if your fistula bleeds and will not stop, or if you can no longer feel the buzz (thrill) in your fistula.
Flying and travelling abroad
Flying
- Try to have dialysis the day before your flight, and book your first session at your destination soon after you arrive.
- Pack all your medicines, including phosphate binders, in your hand luggage, with a few days' extra supply in case of delays.
- Carry a letter from your doctor explaining your condition and medicines.
- Do not lift heavy bags with your fistula arm. Ask the airline for a wheelchair or other assistance if you need it.
- Drinks on the plane count towards your fluid allowance.
- Move your legs and walk around a little on long flights.
Travelling abroad
- Start planning several months ahead. Centres overseas may ask for extra tests or documents.
- Dialysis abroad is usually paid for out of your own pocket. Check whether your travel insurance covers pre-existing conditions.
- When you come back, your home centre may ask for repeat blood tests and may place you on a separate machine or shift for a period as an infection-control measure. Ask about their policy before you go.
- For the hajj, the Saudi health requirements introduced from the 1447H/2026M season list chronic kidney failure, including patients on dialysis, among the conditions that make pilgrims ineligible. Check the requirements for your season with Lembaga Tabung Haji. For umrah, talk to your nephrologist and travel agency early.
If you are on peritoneal dialysis (PD)
- Contact your PD unit and fluid supplier several weeks ahead. Ask whether supplies can be delivered straight to your destination address.
- Take a few days' extra supplies in case of delays. Store fluid bags somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sunlight and hot cars.
- If you use an automated PD (APD) machine, ask your airline how to carry it as medical equipment.
- Make sure you have a clean, private space for exchanges, and bring hand-washing supplies.
- Get urgent help if the fluid you drain out looks cloudy, or you have tummy pain or a fever. These can be signs of an infection of the abdominal lining (peritonitis).
Tip: List every PD item you use in a day, multiply by the number of days you will be away, then add a little extra as a buffer.
Next steps
- Find a dialysis centre at your destination or browse the dialysis centre map.
- Check the list of PERKESO panel centres by state.
- Before contacting a new centre, read how to choose a dialysis centre.
- Understand dialysis costs and the financial aid you may qualify for.