Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has stated that the Immigration Department is now looking into extending the lifespan of Malaysian passports from a maximum of five years to a new maximum of 10 years.
According to a report from Malay Mail, Saifuddin told reporters after opening a new passport office at Skyfunnel Zone Shaftsbury Tower that the Immigration Department is running a survey on the viability of a 10-year passport validity period.
This follows the adoption of the 10-year passport policy adopted by several of Malaysia’s neighbouring countries, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore.
Saifuddin stated that the survey will be able to collect necessary information that will help them make a decision on whether to stick with the current five years passport validity period, or extend it to 10 years like our neighbouring countries.
The Philippines was the first in the region to extend their passport validity from five years to 10 years in 2018, while Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia followed suit in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Previously, tourism and business stakeholders such as the Inbound Tourism Alliance chairman Uzaidi Udanis has also stated that the extension of Malaysian passport’s validity from five years to 10 years makes sense, as it will align Malaysia with its ASEAN neighbours, while also reducing overcrowding at the passport renewal counters at passport offices.
During the opening of the new passport office, Saifuddin also told reporters that another new passport office will be opened at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah, which is expected to start operations in June.
Saifuddin added that the new office will be manned by transfers from the immigration headquarters, instead of new hires.
