The requirement for all international arrivals into Malaysia, either by air or sea routes, to complete a new Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC), which must be done at least three days before arrival will now begin from January 1, 2024.

Published 5 months ago, updated 4 months ago

Updated:  December 21, 2023

The Malaysian Government has announced that beginning 1 January 2024 all foreign citizens travelling to Malaysia are required to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) three (3) days prior to arrival, except:

• i. Citizens of Singapore;
• ii. Diplomatic and Official Passport holders;
• iii. Malaysian Permanent Residents and Long Term-Pass holders;
• iv. General Certificate of Identity (GCI) Brunei Darussalam holders;
• v. Brunei Malaysia Frequent Traveller Facility holders; vi. Thailand Border Pass holders; and
• vii. Indonesia Cross-Border Travel Document (PLB) holders.

The MDAC must be submitted to this link: https://imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main. (currently not active)

For enquiries, please visit the Immigration Department of Malaysia’s Online Enquiry System (SPO) at https://eapp.imi.gov.my or official portal at https://www.imi.gov.my for more information.

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Previous Date for Implementation – (as reported by Noonsite December 4, 2023)

Malaysia’s Immigration Department said the new regulation, which would come into effect on December 1, 2023 required “All foreign tourists and visitors, except those on the exemption list, to submit the MDAC before arriving in the country.”

“The exemptions are for those transiting through Singapore who do not need immigration clearance, individuals with Permanent Resident (PR) status and holders of the Malaysia Automated Clearance System (MACS) card,” the department said in a Facebook post.

Travellers to Malaysia are required to provide their date of arrival, date of departure, mode of transport (air, land or sea) and last port of embarkation.  According to the entry requirements, visitors must show both their passports and the completed MDAC to the Immigration officer on duty upon arrival.

Visitors can fill in their data online as early as three days before arriving in. Malaysia through the link at Malaysia Digital Arrival Card.

Malaysia’s Immigration Department also said that “to ensure the smooth arrival of foreign nationals, flexibility in filling out the MDAC is granted until December 7, 2023.”

The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) is part of five main initiatives to improve the Immigration Department services in line with the implementation of the visa liberalisation plan, which also exempts a 30-day visa for tourists from China and India.

Currently, gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, and Iran, as well as all West Asian countries, including Turkey and Jordan, enjoy visa exemption facilities.

The same facility is also enjoyed by eight other Asean countries that allow visits for social, tourism, and business purposes for up to 30 days.
Other initiatives under the visa liberalisation plan include granting multiple-entry visa facilities for up to 30 days to all tourists wishing to enter the country.

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Related News:

• Malaysia Digital Arrival Card Now In Force For Foreigners (Star)
• Foreign Visitors Entering Malaysia Now Required to Fill Up Digital Arrival Card (New Straits Times)
• Foreigners entering Malaysia required to submit Digitial Arrival Cards from December (CNA)

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Related Links:

• Malaysia Digital Arrival Card
• Malaysia Immigration Department Facebook

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