Featured photo credit: Agus Dietrich onUnsplash
Scrambling to renew your passport for your first overseas trip in two years but all the information on the Internet has you scratching your head? Fret not, we’ve got you covered, fam. The Malaysian Immigration Department has announced that starting May 11 2022 you can only renew your passport online and collect it at any office of your choice in person. We’ve rounded up all the things you need to know before renewing your passport online.
1. Walk-ins are not allowed unless you fall in these categories:
- Senior citizens aged 60 and above
- Citizens going for Haji
- OKU
- First-time applications
- Children aged below 13
- Individuals who have lost their passports
- Students who are below 21 years old and studying abroad
2. Take your own photo
Sounds easy, but it’s one of the most stressful steps. If your photo does not fit the criteria, your application will be rejected. So, be sure to wear dark colour clothing. For hijabis, it's recommended to wear a dark colour hijab. Do take the photo in bright lighting against a plain white background with no shadows. Make sure your hair doesn’t cover your face and forehead. If you wear glasses, you’ll have to remove them.
You could also use photo editing apps to remove the shadows or resize the photo to meet the sizing standards. The photo size must be 50mm x 35mm. We highly recommend going to a photo studio to get your photo taken professionally to avoid disappointment.
3. Step-by-step to renew passport Malaysia online
- Head over to Immigration’s website and click ‘Setuju.’
- Fill in your information in the MyOnline Passport form
- Under ‘No Dokumen,’ fill in your passport number
- Under ‘No Pengenalan Semasa,’ fill in your Identification Card Number. You can change the type of ID number under ‘Kategori.’
- Select the immigration office that is convenient for you to pick up your new passport under ‘Pejabat Pungutan.’
- The other options in the form include added information of the guardian if you’re filling the form for someone under 18.
- Once that’s all done, you’ll be taken to a page that tells you to confirm that your passport is still in good condition (not lost, not drawn on, not ripped or wet).
- Upload your current photo according to the specifications set.
- Verify your information. Make sure your personal details such as your home address and email are correct.
4. Payment and fees
Current passport renewal rates (five-year validity): RM200 for applicants aged 13 - 59 years old and RM100 for applicants aged 60 years and above. Payment can be made using credit card or direct debit (FPX).
5. Picking up your passport
Credit: The Malaysia Immigration Department
Do note that you might need to go to the immigration office in person if your fingerprints don’t match up with their database system. Despite renewing the passport online, the process to pick up your passport might still take a few hours as there is a long queue now that people are travelling again. So, bring a book, listen to some music or start planning your itineraries while you wait.
Make sure to bring your existing passport, IC and printed payment receipt for a successful collection. You’ll have to head over yourself as you need to sign the back of the passport in front of the immigration officer. Applicants under the age of 18 have to collect their passports with a guardian. You’ll have to bring your birth certificate too!
So, how long will the passport online renewal process take? Typically, you’ll receive an approval for passport collection via email within three days. If you have not received an email in three days, you could go straight to the office to check up on the status. Usually, they’ll already have your passport ready by then! If not, just hand over your receipt to get it done.
With 67 pickup points in the country, be sure to double-check the collection date, time and location as you don’t want to pick up your passport in a different city or state. You can check out the opening hours of the immigration offices here.
Now that your passport has been renewed, it’s time to check off your bucket list. Here are some inspirations for your wanderlust:
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