Malaysia’s passport issuance system is now ranked among the fastest globally, with some passports reportedly ready in as little as 1 hour after application.
Ranked among world’s fastest
According to the Malaysian Immigration Department, continuous digital transformation and system upgrades have drastically shortened processing times, allowing Malaysians to enjoy faster and smoother passport services.
The department said the efficiency of this service delivery reflects the ongoing commitment of the Malaysian Immigration Department in ensuring the affairs of the citizens are always simplified, fast and efficient.
Faster than many developed countries
In a comparison shared by the Immigration department, Malaysia’s passport processing speed outperforms several major countries.
- Malaysia: as fast as 1 hour
- Singapore: around 3 to 7 working days
- Canada: 10 to 20 working days
- India: 2 to 6 weeks
- United Kingdom: 3 to 10 weeks
- Australia: about 6 weeks
- United States: about 6 weeks
From weeks to hours: How Malaysia improved its system
In Malaysia, processing of passport applications used to take two to four weeks back in the 60’s to 80’s. By the 90’s, the timeline improved to around 7 to 14 days. The introduction of biometric passport technology between 1998 and 2009 further reduced waiting times to just 1 to 3 days.
A major breakthrough came on February 1, 2007, when the Immigration Department first launched its “1-Hour Passport” service in Wangsa Maju before expanding it nationwide in 2009.
The department said it will continue to strengthen the quality of service in order to provide the best experience to the citizens and the country.
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