PUTRAJAYA - The Malaysian passport renewal service through the MyOnline Passport system will offer a choice of five- or 10-year validity periods starting today.
The Immigration Department (JIM) said in a Facebook post that the new facility allows applicants to choose the validity period of their passports.
“This initiative provides more flexibility and convenience for Malaysians to choose the validity period of their passports according to their individual needs,” according to JIM.
Until now, applicants wanting the longer-validity passport had to apply in person at a passport-issuing office, as the online platform supported only the five-year version.
The 10-year option was introduced on Jul 1 together with a redesigned passport. Malaysians aged 18 and above can choose between a five-year passport priced at RM200 and a 10-year passport priced at RM350. The redesigned passport comes with enhanced security features. Apart from validity and price, the two versions are the same.
The new passport is being rolled out in stages across Immigration offices nationwide and at selected offices overseas.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban reportedly said that the online application facility would be expanded gradually to cover 10-year passports. He said 915,248 passports were issued between Jul 1 and Sep 30, of which 517,117 had 10-year validity and 398,131 had five-year validity.
The move to a longer validity period had been in the pipeline for more than two years. JIM said in February 2024 that it was looking into extending passport validity from five to 10 years. In July 2024, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the study had been completed and the department was ready to issue the passport.
In August, JIM capped the maximum validity of the Malaysian international passport at 10 years after reports of travellers being barred from boarding flights.
The problem arose when early renewals led to the remaining months of the old passport being added to the new one, resulting in validity of 10 years and several months. Holders of such passports are eligible for a free replacement.
The Home Ministry has said the 10-year passport is meant to reduce the frequency of renewals and make travel planning more convenient.
Passports generally need to be renewed at least six months before expiry for those intending to travel overseas