Malaysian passport Pasport Malaysia | |
---|---|
Type | Passport |
Issued by | Immigration Department of Malaysia |
First issued | 1 March 1961 (first version) [1] March 1998 (biometric passport) 2 February 2010 (ICAO Compliant ) 15 November 2017 (current update) [2] |
Purpose | Identification |
Eligibility | Malaysian citizenship |
Expiration |
|
Cost | International Passport:
Restricted Passport:
Border Pass:
|
The Malaysian passport (Malay : Pasport Malaysia; Jawi: ڤسڤورت مليسيا; Chinese :马来西亚护照; Tamil : மலேசிய கடவுச்சீட்டு) is the passport issued to citizens of Malaysia by the Immigration Department of Malaysia. The main legislation governing the production of passports and travel documents, their possession by persons entering and leaving Malaysia, and related matters is the Passport Act 1966.
Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in March 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology. [3] In December 2002, thumbprint data was added to the biometric data on the passport chip. Similar technology is used in the Malaysian identity card, MyKad.
The biometric data included on the Malaysian passport is a digital photograph of the bearer's face, and images of their two thumbprints. Malaysian immigration checkpoints were the only ones with the technology to read and authenticate the data from the RFID chip using a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition technology, but widespread adoption of ePassport technology around the world has seen the technology installed in international airports in the US, the UK and other countries.
In addition to biometric data and the personal information stored on the information page, the chip also records the bearer's travel history of the last ten entry and exits at Malaysia border control points.
Concern about possible "cloning" of the data from the passport chip for the purposes of identity theft prompted IRIS to issue a press release in 2006, stating that the chip and data had never been successfully cloned, and that digital keys stored on each chip made such duplication and forgery impossible. [4]
On 2 February 2010, Malaysia started issuing ICAO compliant e-Passports, valid for five years or two years. It was the 75th nation in the world to adopt the ICAO standard. The implementation of the new passport began at offices across Klang Valley, Johor and Pahang before expanding nationwide between March and May 2010 and to foreign missions abroad between July and August 2010.
In Malay language, the name were formerly designated 'Paspot Malaysia', but the spelling was changed to 'PasportMalaysia' in the 1980s.
The regular international passport (Malay: pasport antarabangsa) is the ordinary passport issued to Malaysian citizens for international travel. It features a red cover.
The regular international passport has incorporated biometric features since 1998. The biometric passport contains an 8 kB microchip which was developed by a Malaysian technology firm, IRIS Corporation. In February 2010, the passport was updated to comply with the ICAO standard on biometric and machine-readable passports, while the pages in a 32-page passport was increased to 48 pages. Beginning April 2013, the passport underwent another round of updating by introducing a polycarbonate sheet that holds the passport bearer's information. The information is laser engraved into the polycarbonate sheet for added security, including a hologram mini-photo of the passport bearer. With this the passport now holds 50 pages instead of 48 pages. There is no more 64 pages option since 2011. A redesign of the passport's interior pages along with new security features was launched on 15 November 2017. [5]
A 50-page ICAO e-passport valid for five years costs RM200. Senior citizens, children below 12 years old, Hajj pilgrims, and students below 21 years old with proof to study abroad are entitled to half price from normal price. Disabled people are entitled to have their passports issued free of charge.
Previously, a 50-page ICAO e-passport valid for two years was available for RM100. On 15 January 2015, the two-year passport option was scrapped in conjunction with the announcement that reduced the normal five-year passport issuance fee from RM300 to RM200. [6]
The passport is also used by citizens from Peninsular Malaysia to enter the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, as these two states have autonomy in immigration affairs. However, citizens travelling directly from Peninsular Malaysia may produce a Malaysian identity card, or birth certificate for children below 12 years, obtain a special immigration printout form (Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document, IMM.114) at immigration counters for social/business visits up to 3 months, and keep the form until departure. [7]
As of September 2023, Malaysian passports were ranked 11th in the Henley Passport Index.
The restricted passport (pasport terhad) is issued to Malaysian citizens for travel to a specific country only. They have blue covers.
Currently only a restricted passport for travel to Brunei is issued. [8] Malaysian citizens residing in the East Malaysian areas of Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan are eligible to apply for the restricted passport. The passport is valid for five years and costs RM50.
The official passport (pasport rasmi) is issued exclusively to Malaysian government officials travelling on official business. It is issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia upon request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra).
The diplomatic passport (pasport diplomatik) is issued to diplomatic officers.
Malaysia also issues a few travel documents that has similar but more limited purpose than those of passports, for internal or external usage related with the border control of the country.
Border passes are similar to restricted passports, in terms of limited applicable citizens, limited country access and also its appearance (a passport book with a blue cover) however compared to restricted passports or other passports, they can only be used for short visits and are not valid for other purposes. They also have a shorter validity period. [9]
Border Pass (Pas Sempadan) for Thailand is limited to citizens living in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and the Hulu Perak District of Perak for land entry into Thailand and applicable only when travelling into its 5 southern provinces by sea or land: Songkhla, Satun, Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani for 30 days of each entry. It has a validity of 1 year and costs RM10 each time. [10]
Border Crossing Pass (Pas Lintas Sempadan) is another border pass issued only for citizens in East Malaysian districts that has close proximity to Indonesian land borders: Kuching, Bau, Lundu Serian, Simanggang and Lubuk Antu in Sarawak and Pensiangan, Tawau, Tenom and Sipitang in Sabah and limited for short visits via land or sea entry in the Indonesian Kalimantan provinces (mainly the checkpoints in West and North Kalimantan). It also has a validity of 1 year and cost RM10 each. [11]
A group travel document is issued as a singular replacement for international passport for groups in 5 to 20 members for land travels to Thailand and Singapore. It is only valid for single entry up to 9 months prior to its issuance and costs RM200 for each copy.
Due to unique circumstances of Sabah and Sarawak in terms of immigration control, internal documents has been issued for domestic travellers in Malaysia when going in or out these two states without using regular international passport.
Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document, IMM.114 (Dokumen Gantian Perjalanan) is a printout document issued by the Immigration at Sabah and Sarawak entry checkpoints for citizens out of their respective states when the Malaysian identity card is used on entry. This document, allow visitors a 90-days social visit pass, and is valid for single entry. This printout need to be kept by its holders until their departure from each of those states, where it will be returned on clearance.
For visitors who intended to stay for a longer period, or are working instead in these states, a document called Restricted Travel Document (Dokumen Perjalanan Terhad) is used instead. It is a passport book with a blue cover which records arrival and departure record of entering Sabah and/or Sarawak and stores any type of visa information given by the two states when applicable. It costs RM5 for each application and can be applied beforehand in selected issuing offices in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, with validity is for multiple entries up to 5 years, extendable to another 5 years. [12]
Sabah and Sarawak citizens who are entering their respective state are not required to use or keep these documents otherwise on checkpoint (identity card is sufficient), nor they are needed to apply for any if they are staying or working in Peninsular Malaysia.
An Emergency Certificate (Sijil Perakuan Cemas) is a type of travel document issued by selected embassies, high commissions or consulates of Malaysia in other countries in case of its citizens losing their passports outside of Malaysia, for them to be able to have a proper document while still staying in those countries and going back to Malaysia.
It is only valid for a single journey to Malaysia, with valid countries follows the departing countries, transiting countries (if any), and Malaysia immigration only.
Previously, a restricted passport was issued for travel to Singapore. From 1 January 2005, the Immigration Department stopped issuing and renewing the restricted passport to Singapore, with existing passports to remain valid until 31 December 2006. However, as Singapore requires travel documents to be valid for a minimum of six months, Singapore announced it would stop accepting Malaysian restricted passports from 1 July 2006. Following a meeting between the home affairs ministers of both countries, Singapore agreed to extend the deadline to 1 November 2006. [13] Malaysian citizens travelling to Singapore now use the regular international passport.
The green cover Hajj passport (pasport haji) was formerly issued to Malaysian Muslim citizens for a Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Applications were made through Tabung Haji, the Malaysian Hajj pilgrims fund board. Hajj passports were discontinued in 2009 and pilgrims now use the regular international passport.
The British-era Federation of Malaya passports were issued when Malaysia was Malaya and under British rule.
The passports contain a note, written in Malay and English, from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. In Malay, the note inside Malaysian passports reads:
Bahawasanya atas nama Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Malaysia, diminta semua yang berkaitan supaya membenarkan pembawa pasport ini melalui negara berkenaan dengan bebas tanpa halangan atau sekatan dan memberikan sebarang pertolongan dan perlindungan yang perlu kepadanya. |
and in English, the note reads:
This is to request and require in the name of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, all whom it may concern to allow the bearer of this passport to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary. |
The data page/information page are printed in Malay and English.
The Malaysian passport includes the following data:
The passport number is the serial number that uniquely identifies a passport. The passport number changes every time a person is issued a new passport, with the previous passport number noted in an endorsement on the last page of the new passport.
The passport number is alphanumeric, with a letter followed by an eight-digit number, e.g. A00000000. The letter prefix depends on the residency status of the bearer: "A" for Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan, "H" for Sabah and "K" for Sarawak. From 1964 to 1965, when Singapore was a part of Malaysia, Singapore citizens were issued Malaysian passports with the prefix "E". [14]
Due to Malaysia's heterogeneous ethnic demographic, including substantial Chinese and Indian minorities as well as Malays, the name of the bearer on the Malaysian passport is displayed using that person's customary naming practice as it is on the person's identity card (MyKad) or birth certificate (with exception of ethnic Indian and Thai names). Surname and given name fields are not differentiated on the passport, and this can cause difficulties or confusion in some countries as the placement of the surname is not consistent.
Technically speaking, every Malaysian name regardless of the ethnicity is of this type: SURNAME, FIRST NAME UNKNOWN (FNU) when only the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) area of the Passport Biodata Page is considered. There is no '<<' to isolate what is technically a 'Surname' from the 'Given Name' (Please note that ICAO standards require that the name that immediately follows the three-letters country code in the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) to be the surname of the passport holder). When swiped at international airports for border security purposes, for example: the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) for countries such as Australia, New Zealand and United States, the name of a Malaysian passport holder in its entirety will be captured in the 'Surname' field of the border security system, and this can sometimes cause a mismatch with how the passport holder's name is captured in the country of destination's visa system or electronic travel authority protocol. Examples of Malaysian names as printed on the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the passport:
As can be seen from the above examples, it's evident that a name in a Malaysian Passport technically does not contain 'Given Name(s)' because '<<' is not used at all to isolate Surname from Given Names.
Below is a comparison of how similar names are recorded in the Australian Passport:
The Australian Passport also does not explicitly differentiate 'Surname' from 'Given Name'. However, the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) is very clear as regards to the passport holder's Surnames. Examples of Australian names as printed on the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the passport:
Notes: 'P' stands for Passport. 'MYS' and 'AUS' stand for Malaysia and Australia respectively in the Machine Readable Zone. For clarity: Surnames in block letters and Given Names in title case for examples of Australian names.
The Malaysian identity number is a unique ID number allocated to each Malaysian, and is the same number on the bearer's MyKad, the Malaysian national identity card. The number is in the following format:
YYMMDD-BP-###G
On the passport information page, the identity number is written without hyphens, e.g. YYMMDD-BP-###G is written as YYMMDDBP###G.
Visa requirements for Malaysian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Malaysia. As of December 2023, Malaysian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 181 countries and territories, ranking the Malaysian passport 12th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index. [15]
This makes it the 2nd highest-ranked passport in Southeast Asia after the Singaporean passport, the 4th highest-ranked in Asia [16] and the highest-ranked passport in the developing world and among Muslim-majority countries. Additionally, Arton Capital's Passport Index ranked the Malaysian passport 10th in the world in terms of travel freedom, with a visa-free score of 170 countries & territories as of December 2023. [17]
However, Malaysian citizens are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VVP) of the United States and requires a visa for Canada, both of which are available for Bruneian and Singaporean citizens. There has also been increasing cases of Malaysian citizens being specifically denied entry in countries whereby they are de jure permitted visa-free, such as in Australia and South Korea, due to high amounts of visa overstays and frivolous asylum claims among Malaysian citizens. [18] [19] [20] [21]
As Malaysia does not recognise nor have diplomatic relations with the state of Israel, [22] Malaysian passports bear the inscription: "This passport is valid for all countries except Israel". Additionally, Israeli passport holders are not permitted to enter Malaysia unless written permission from the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs is granted.
Officially, the Malaysian government allows Christians to visit Israel for religious purposes. In 2009, the government imposed a ban on visits to Israel, ostensibly due to heightened security risks posed by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. [23] The ban was lifted in 2011, albeit with restrictions such as a quota of 700 pilgrims per year with not more than 40 pilgrims per church group, and pilgrims must be at least 18 years old and not visiting Israel more than once every three years with each stay a maximum of 10 days. [24] On 20 December 2013, the government announced a relaxation of the ban, which lifted most of the restrictions while increasing the maximum duration of stay to 21 days, subject to the security situation in Israel. [24]
However, the restrictions imposed by the Malaysian government do not prevent Israel from issuing visa on a separate sheet of paper to Malaysian citizens for entering Israel, and Malaysians are known to have visited Israel with or without permission from the Malaysian government.[ citation needed ]
In September 2017, Malaysia announced a ban on all Malaysian citizens from travelling to North Korea, in the wake of strained Malaysia–North Korea relations following the assassination of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. [25]
Previously, Malaysian passports were not valid for travel to various communist countries, and South Africa due to its apartheid system. Following the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and improving ties with the remaining communist countries, as well as the end of apartheid in 1994, the countries were removed from the list.
A biometric passport is a traditional passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip, which contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity of the passport holder. It uses contactless smart card technology, including a microprocessor chip and antenna embedded in the front or back cover, or centre page, of the passport. The passport's critical information is printed on the data page of the passport, repeated on the machine readable lines and stored in the chip. Public key infrastructure (PKI) is used to authenticate the data stored electronically in the passport chip, supposedly making it expensive and difficult to forge when all security mechanisms are fully and correctly implemented.
A machine-readable passport (MRP) is a machine-readable travel document (MRTD) with the data on the identity page encoded in optical character recognition format. Many countries began to issue machine-readable travel documents in the 1980s. Most travel passports worldwide are MRPs. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires all ICAO member states to only issue MRPs as of April 1, 2010, and all non-MRP passports must expire by November 24, 2015.
The Israeli passport is the travel document issued to citizens of the State of Israel for the purpose of international travel. It grants the bearer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 170 countries and territories, where they are entitled to the protection of Israeli consular officials.
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the bearer may return to the issuing country, and are often issued in booklet form to allow other governments to place visas as well as entry and exit stamps into them.
The Singapore passport is a passport issued to citizens of the Republic of Singapore. It enables the bearer to exit and re-enter Singapore freely; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the process of securing assistance from Singapore consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.
An Indonesian passport is a travel document issued by the Government of Indonesia to Indonesian citizens residing in Indonesia or overseas. The main governing body with regards to the issuance of such passport(s), possession(s), withdrawal and related matters is the Directorate General of Immigration under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. Indonesia does not recognize multiple citizenship for its citizens and such citizens will automatically lose their Indonesian citizenship if another citizenship is acquired voluntarily. Special exceptions allow newly born citizens to hold dual nationalities until his/her eighteenth birthday after which a choice of either nationalities should be decided. The latest Indonesian passport has different national birds and sceneries on each page.
Argentine passport are issued to citizens of Argentina by the National Registry for People (ReNaPer). They were issued exclusively by the Argentine Federal Police up to 2011. Their primary use is to facilitate international travel.
Japanese passports are issued to Japanese nationals to facilitate international travel. From 2018 to 2022, it was ranked first on the Henley Passport Index for visa-free travel, and second as of July 2024, with holders able to travel visa-free to 194 countries and territories.
Kazakh passports are issued to citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan to facilitate international travel. Within the Republic of Kazakhstan citizens are required to use internal Kazakh identity card which can also be used for travel to the Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan and Albania. The Kazakh Ministry of Justice started issuing biometric passports on 5 January 2009.
The Pakistani passport is an essential travel document granted by the Government of Pakistan to its citizens for international travel purposes. The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports holds the responsibility for passport issuance, under the regulation of the Ministry of Interior.
North Macedonian passport are issued to citizens of North Macedonia for the purpose of international travel. Responsibility for their issuance lies with the Ministry of the Interior. The validity of the passport is 5 years for persons 4 to 27 years of age and 10 years for those 27 years of age and older. For children ages four and under, the validity of the passport is limited to two years. The passports conform to the recommended standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and are biometric passports.
The Azerbaijani passport is issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan to the citizens of Azerbaijan for international travel. Ordinary passports are valid for 10 years from the date of issue and contain 34 visa pages. Passport content is printed both in Azerbaijani and in English.
The Lebanese passport is a passport issued to the citizens of the Republic of Lebanon to enable them to travel outside the Republic of Lebanon and entitles the bearer to the protection from the diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Lebanon if necessary. It is issued exclusively by the Lebanese Directorate General of General Security (DGGS), and can also be issued at various Lebanese diplomatic missions and/or consulates outside the Republic of Lebanon. It allows the bearer a freedom of living in the Republic of Lebanon without any immigration requirements, participate in the Lebanese political system, entry to and exit from the Republic of Lebanon through any port, travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements, facilitates the process of securing consular assistance abroad from the diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Lebanon if necessary, and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.
The Bangladeshi passport is an ICAO compliant, machine-readable and biometric e-passport issued for the purpose of travel to foreign countries by the passport holder. Bangladesh is the first country in South Asia to issue e-passports for all eligible citizens. The passport booklet is manufactured, printed and issued by the Department of Immigration & Passports of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This electronic microprocessor chip embedded e-passport has forty-one different security features, including holographic images embossed in thin-film laminate, which change colour under light and appear to move. Demographic and biometric information of the e-passport holder are stored on the chip inside the e-passport. This information includes the fingerprints of all ten fingers of the passport holder; the iris scan of both eyes; a color photograph of the face of the bearer; their digital signature; etc. Depending on the age of the applicant, the e-passport is valid for either five years or ten years and it is distributed by the Government of The People's Republic of Bangladesh, or by any of its overseas diplomatic missions, to eligible Bangladeshi nationals who are citizens by birth, by descent or through naturalization.
Maldivian passport is a proof of citizenship, issued by Maldives Immigration, to all the nationals of the Maldives for international travel. The current passport, the 2nd generation e-passport, was launched on 24 January 2016. This passport consists of a highly secured poly-carbonate data page with laser engraved photos and data. Each visa page of the passport has a different design, represented with numerous illustrations by the Maldivian local artist, Hussain Ali Manik. A Maldivian Passport can be issued to any Maldivian citizen who applies for a passport.
The passport of Kosovo is a travel document that is issued by the Interior Ministry of Kosovo to the citizens of Kosovo to enable them to travel abroad. The passports are also used as proof of identity within the country, along with the national identity card.
A Turkmen passport is issued to the citizens of Turkmenistan for the purposes of international travel, and entitles the bearer to the protection of Turkmenistan's consular officials overseas. It is issued by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan.
Visa requirements for Dutch citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Netherlands, the joint nationality of the four countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Mauritanian passport is an official travel document issued by the Agence Nationale Du Registre Des Populations Et Des Titres Sécurisés .. That grants citizens of Mauritania for international travel in accordance with visa requirements. It serves to provide identification and citizenship verification, allowing holders to travel worldwide and seek entry into other countries.
Passports of the EFTA member states are passports issued by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. EFTA is in this article used as a common name for these countries.