What you need to know about Malaysia's digital arrival card
Singaporeans are among those exempt from filling in the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC).
Visitors and tourists waiting to clear immigration at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Most foreigners travelling to Malaysia are now required to submit a digital arrival form.
However, Singaporeans are among those exempt from filling in the document, known as the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC).
Here’s what you need to know about Malaysia's new immigration requirement.
IS THE DIGITAL ARRIVAL CARD REQUIRED FOR EVERYONE?
If you are Singaporean, you need not fill in the form.
Malaysia long-term pass holders, those with Brunei common identification certificates and holders of Thai border passes are also exempt.
Foreigners who do not fall under the exemption categories must submit their digital forms within three days prior to arrival.
There had earlier been confusion over whether the digital arrival card would apply to all travellers, including those driving from Singapore or those opting to use manual immigration counters at Malaysia's land checkpoints.
But Malaysia's Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution clarified on Dec 5 that the MDAC will not be compulsory for those who travel to the country frequently - and these include Singaporeans and Malaysia long-term pass holders.
HOW DO I SUBMIT THE DIGITAL ARRIVAL CARD?
You can fill out the form on the Immigration Department's website within three days before your scheduled arrival in Malaysia. You need to do this every time you visit the country.
Submitting the form is free of charge.
The digital arrival card was initially launched in January as a pre-requisite to allow Singapore passport holders to use electronic gate (e-gate) facilities at the two land entry points in Johor Bahru.
It made the news again when Malaysia's Immigration Department said on its website on Dec 1 that all travellers are required to submit their digital arrival card before entering the country.
A grace period is currently in effect until Dec 31, allowing foreigners to complete the form upon arrival at Malaysia's international entry points.
From Jan 1, the form must be completed within three days before arrival.
I’VE SUBMITTED THE ARRIVAL CARD. WHAT DO I DO UPON ARRIVAL?
Upon arrival, you must present a valid passport and a completed digital arrival card for validation before proceeding through the immigration counter.
Tourists arriving from Australia, Brunei, Germany, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom can also use Malaysia’s automated entry system, also known as an autogate.
First-time visitors will need to enrol and verify their passports at a manual counter upon arrival, after which they can use the autogate when they depart.
If you have already registered your passport on a previous visit, you can immediately use the autogate to enter and exit the country.
ARE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS I SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF?
A valid passport is required for all arrivals.
If you are arriving at one of Malaysia’s airports, your passport must be valid for at least six months. If you are arriving through one of the land checkpoints, your passport must be valid for at least three months.
WHY IS MALAYSIA DOING THIS?
Under its Visa Liberalisation Plan, Malaysia aims to “attract foreign tourists and generate national income”.
“This will ensure Malaysia remains a leader in key industries investment and tourism in the Asian region,” the Immigration Department of Malaysia said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Other initiatives were also introduced, including a visa exemption for Chinese and Indian citizens, a multiple entry visa facility, a graduate pass, an Umrah transit visa and an improvement on the validity and eligibility period of visas and social visit passes.
