The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) has immediately capped the validity of Malaysian International Passports (PMA) at 10 years following cases of Malaysians facing problems with certain airlines when travelling overseas.
The department said the move was made to standardise passport validity requirements and prevent further confusion during international travel.
Passports valid for more than 10 years no longer issued
JIM said it will temporarily stop issuing PMAs with a validity period of more than 10 years until the issue is resolved with the relevant airlines and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The issue came to light after several Malaysians holding passports valid for more than 10 years reportedly encountered difficulties during check-in with certain foreign airlines.
The confusion was linked to how some airlines interpreted the requirement that passports must have at least six months of remaining validity when travelling.
Existing holders can replace passports for free
Malaysians who already hold PMAs with more than 10 years of validity will be allowed to replace them free of charge. Their replacement passports will have a maximum validity of 10 years.
JIM said affected passport holders will also be given priority when applying for replacements.
Airlines to be notified
To help prevent further issues, the Immigration Department will issue notification letters to airlines regarding the change and the affected passport holders.
JIM said it remains committed to improving the implementation of Malaysian passport requirements and ensuring Malaysians can travel overseas more smoothly.
So, if your Malaysian passport currently has more than 10 years of validity, you don’t need to panic, the department has said affected holders can replace it for free.
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