SINGAPORE – From January 1, 2024, most foreign travellers visiting Malaysia will be required to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC). The MDAC serves as an online pre-arrival form and must be completed up to three days before arriving in Malaysia.
This implementation is part of the control and enforcement measures under the country’s visa liberalization plan, which aims to attract foreign tourists and increase government revenue.
However, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution told Malaysian media on Tuesday (December 5) at Terminal 1 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport that the authorities would allow some flexibility in applying for this digital card until December 31.
Here are three points to note regarding the latest entry requirements for travelers to Malaysia:
1. Who is obliged to fill out the digital arrival card?
Citizens of Singapore, Malaysian long-term pass holders, Brunei joint ID holders and Thai border pass holders are not required to complete the MDAC.
All travellers who do not qualify for the above exemptions must complete and submit their digital forms three days before their arrival in Malaysia.
Initially, there was confusion over the validity of the card for all foreign travellers, especially those coming from Singapore or using the manual immigration counters at Malaysia’s land checkpoints. However, Saifuddin clarified during the press conference on Tuesday that frequent travellers to Malaysia do not need to fill out the MDAC.
“They tend to cross national borders regularly, so it is realistic to exempt them from the regulation due to their particular mobility pattern,” he said.
2. What is the submission process for the MDAC?
Any non-exempt foreign traveller must complete the MDAC form on the Immigration Department website within three days prior to their scheduled arrival in Malaysia.
This process must be completed each time you visit the country. There is no fee for submitting the form.
A grace period is in place until December 31, allowing foreign travellers to complete the form upon arrival at Malaysia’s international entry points, but from January 1, they will be required to complete the form before arrival.
The digital entry card was first introduced in January and is a requirement for Singapore passport holders to use the electronic gate facilities at Johor Bahru’s two border crossings. Malaysia’s immigration department introduced updated regulations on December 1 requiring all travellers to present their MDACs before entering the country.
3. What are the next steps after submitting the Arrival Card upon entry?
Upon arrival in Malaysia, foreign travellers must present a valid passport and a completed Digital Arrival Card for validation before passing through the immigration counter.
Tourists arriving from certain countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Singapore have the option to use Malaysia’s automated immigration system, known as Autogate.
To register for this system, first-time visitors must verify their passport at a manual immigration counter upon arrival before using the Autogate upon departure. Those who have already registered their passport on a previous visit can use the Autogate directly for entry and exit.
All arrivals must have a valid passport. For arrivals at Malaysian airports, the passport must be valid for at least six months, while for arrivals via land checkpoints, a passport with at least three months’ validity is required.
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