On its Sipadan fact sheet, revised on May 5, 2025, the Sabah tourism office sets the quota at 252 diving permits per day. Each permit is valid for a single day and up to two dives.
Our old page mentioned 120 divers and twelve centers. These figures date back to the 2006 reopening. So we have completely rewritten the article, using our usual framework: level, current, season, supervision, and fallback plan.
Another reference weighs on your decision. On September 15, 2026, France Diplomatie updated its Malaysia fact sheet, and the islands off the east coast of Sabah are listed among the formally discouraged areas.
How many divers can enter Sipadan each day?
At most 252 per day, according to the Sabah tourism office (fact sheet revised in May 2025). The permit covers only one day and a maximum of two dives. It requires at least Advanced Open Water level and can only be obtained from operators registered with Sabah Parks, the authority managing the park.
This quota has often changed. In 2006, at the island’s reopening, Sabah Parks issued 120 permits per day divided among twelve operators, according to the New Straits Times of May 19, 2019. That same article announced an increase to 176 permits. The number of operators has also risen, as Sabah Parks’ booking page lists 42 (accessed October 3, 2026). The copied guides still repeating “120 divers” describe a park that no longer exists.
Keep in mind especially that your Sipadan date is booked months in advance.
Sabah Parks informs operators of a six-month booking lead time, with a 50% deposit. Your center cannot sell you a day it has not yet secured. So ask them in writing if your permit is confirmed, for which exact day, and what your package provides if the Sipadan day is canceled due to the quota or rough seas.
Can you still sleep on Sipadan Island?
No. Sabah Parks states that Sipadan was designated a marine park in 2004 and all its accommodation facilities were then closed. Divers stay on neighboring islands like Mabul or Kapalai, or in Semporna on the coast. They then reach Sipadan by speedboat, about 45 minutes in calm seas.
These 45 minutes come from Sabah Parks and assume flat seas. Wind extends the time. Our previous version described a flight to Tawau, then the road to Semporna and a speedboat to Mabul or Kapalai, but no official source consulted gives the road travel time. So we do not specify it. Overwater bungalows and price ranges have also disappeared, as we do not quote a rate without having read it from the operator.
Include the crossing in your day’s fatigue, especially if you chain two dives on a wall.
And keep in mind a detail from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cited below. Its fact sheet advises avoiding overnight stays on the islands of this coast, which directly affects your accommodation choice.
What does France Diplomatie say about eastern Sabah in 2026?
In its fact sheet updated on September 15, 2026, France Diplomatie writes that “to the north and east of the State of Sabah, the islands and all maritime areas surrounding the north and east coasts of the State of Sabah are formally discouraged.” Sipadan, Mabul, and Kapalai lie off this east coast.
The fact sheet mentions acts of piracy committed by groups pledging allegiance to Daesh, and considers that the risk of kidnapping “cannot be ignored.” It recalls that the region falls under ESSCOM, the Eastern Sabah Security Command. A curfew is in place there. It also advises diving with caution. In certain isolated areas, search and rescue resources are described as limited and slow to respond.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its fact sheet updated April 21, 2026, classifies the districts of the east coast, including Semporna and Tawau, as medium-risk areas. It notes that no kidnappings have occurred there for over a decade. However, it advises using local agencies and avoiding solo travel.
Before booking, ask your insurer in writing if they cover a stay in an area formally discouraged by the Quai d’Orsay.
Barracuda Point and the Drop-off: for which level?
The permit sets the minimum: Advanced Open Water, according to the Sabah tourism office. This certification opens the park’s door and does not measure your comfort in currents. Barracuda Point and the Drop-off are the two sites highlighted on the official fact sheet, among the 12 dive points it lists around the island.
The Drop-off starts almost from the beach. According to the same sheet, a few meters of sand separate the shore from the drop-off. Sabah Parks describes an island rising about 600 meters from the bottom, made of living corals resting on an ancient volcanic cone. You therefore follow a wall with no visible bottom, where your computer and buoyancy control matter much more than the scenery. Keep the depth planned in the briefing.
The current decides more than the photo.
For Barracuda Point, the official sheet mentions the chance to find yourself in the middle of a whirlpool of barracudas, without promising anything. No official page consulted describes the site’s current. Impossible to decide from here. Thus, the only reliable information on the day itself will come from your guide’s briefing, who must say if the group goes drifting, how the boat recovers the divers, and what signal stops the dive. A well-mastered safety sausage is part of this plan.
Sipadan is known for its green and hawksbill turtles, which come there to mate and lay eggs according to the tourism office. As with the marine turtles of the Seychelles, keep your distance and do not touch anything (the reasons for never touching marine life apply here as well).
What season and fallback plan should you consider?
The only firm date found is a closure. The Sabah tourism office announces that Sipadan closes to visitors every December since 2020, to give the reef a month of rest. For the rest, no official source consulted links a month to visibility or current. The “March to May” from our old page have therefore disappeared.
Check it. Your fallback plan starts before departure. If the permit is not confirmed, what dives are offered instead, and at what price? If the sea forbids crossing, is your day postponed or lost? And if you give up because of the France Diplomatie advisory, does your cancellation contract apply?
However, if this sheet makes you give up, other Southeast Asian reefs prepare with the same checklist, such as the Surin Islands in Thailand or Padang Bai in Bali.
On the money side, Sabah Parks displays for a foreign diver 350 ringgits diving fee and 100 ringgits conservation fee (consulted on October 3, 2026). Add the night on site, the boat transfer, and the risk of losing the entire day if the permit or weather fails. Also think about your sunscreen, since sunscreen can damage marine environments. Would you book it like this?
FAQ
How many diving permits are issued each day at Sipadan?
The Sabah tourism office indicates 252 permits per day (sheet revised May 5, 2025). Each permit is valid for one day and up to two dives. The figure of 120 divers, still often cited, dates back to the 2006 reopening.
What level is required to dive at Sipadan?
The permit requires at least Advanced Open Water level, according to the Sabah tourism office. This certification says nothing about your comfort in the current. On site, the guide’s briefing sets the depth and recovery procedure.
Can you stay on Sipadan Island?
No. Sabah Parks indicates that all accommodations on the island closed in 2004. Divers stay on neighboring islands or in Semporna, about 45 minutes by boat in calm seas.
Is Sipadan discouraged for French travelers?
In its updated sheet on September 15, 2026, France Diplomatie classifies the islands and maritime areas off the north and east coasts of Sabah as formally discouraged zones. Sipadan is located off this east coast. Reread the sheet just before departure and check what your insurance covers.
Sources
- Sipadan Island (Sabah Tourism Board, Sabah tourism office, fact sheet revised on May 5, 2025)
- Malaysia, Security (France Diplomacy, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, updated on September 15, 2026)
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Combien de permis de plongée sont délivrés chaque jour à Sipadan ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”L’office du tourisme du Sabah indique 252 permis par jour (fiche révisée le 5 mai 2025). Chaque permis vaut pour une journée et deux plongées au plus. Le chiffre de 120 plongeurs, encore très cité, date de la réouverture de 2006.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Quel niveau faut-il pour plonger à Sipadan ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Le permis exige au minimum le niveau Advanced Open Water, selon l’office du tourisme du Sabah. Ce brevet ne dit rien de ton aisance dans le courant. Sur place, le briefing du guide fixe la profondeur et la procédure de récupération.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Peut-on loger sur l’île de Sipadan ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Non. Sabah Parks indique que tous les hébergements de l’île ont fermé en 2004. Les plongeurs logent sur les îles voisines ou à Semporna, à environ 45 minutes de bateau par mer calme.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Sipadan est-elle déconseillée aux voyageurs français ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Dans sa fiche mise à jour le 15 septembre 2026, France Diplomatie classe les îles et les espaces maritimes des côtes nord et est du Sabah en zone formellement déconseillée. Sipadan se trouve au large de cette côte est. Relis la fiche juste avant le départ et vérifie ce que couvre ton assurance.”}}]}
