Foreign nationals traveling to Malaysia will now be required to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online at least three days before their scheduled arrival. Additionally, citizens from ten specified countries will have the advantage of utilizing autogates for immigration clearance at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), provided they meet specific conditions outlined by the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
This development was officially announced via the department’s official Facebook page, with the new requirement taking effect as of December 1.
As per the Immigration Department’s MDAC online registration portal, the obligation to submit the MDAC prior to entering Malaysia applies to all travelers, except for individuals falling into three distinct categories.
The first category includes travelers who are transiting or transferring through Singapore without requiring immigration clearance in Malaysia. Malaysian permanent residents constitute the second category exempt from this requirement, as do holders of the Malaysian Automated Clearance System (MACS).
To complete the MDAC registration process, travelers must access the Immigration Department’s website, where they will be prompted to provide various details, including their name, nationality, passport number, passport expiry date, email address, and mobile phone number.
Within the MDAC form, travelers are explicitly informed that their visit to Malaysia must occur within three days, encompassing the date of their MDAC submission. Furthermore, they must furnish information regarding their date of arrival, date of departure, mode of transportation (air, land, or sea), and the last port of embarkation.
Upon arrival in Malaysia, visitors must present both their passports and the completed MDAC to the immigration officer on duty, in accordance with the country’s entry requirements.
According to information obtained from an infographic on the Immigration Department’s MDAC website, nationals from ten specific countries, including Australia, Brunei, Germany, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom, are eligible to use autogates when arriving at or departing from KLIA’s Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.
To gain access to the autogates for immigration clearance at KLIA, visitors from these countries must ensure that their passports are valid for a minimum of six months. Additionally, they are required to have submitted their MDAC at least three days before their scheduled arrival, with the exception of permanent residents and long-term pass holders.
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