Malaysia’s Immigration Department is halting the issuance of international passports with a validity period exceeding 10 years, effective immediately. The move comes several travellers reportedly faced issues during check-in with airlines overseas.
It should be noted that, as of this publication, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has confirmed that no international restrictions exist for passports with a validity greater than 10 years. That being said, some airlines overseas have expressed confusion with Malaysian passports that exceed the current 10-year validity period, which in turn has caused the owners of said passports to face problems at check-in.
As part of its process to alleviate the situation, the Immigration Department says that it is offering affected passport holders free replacement passports, which will have the current maximum validity of 10 years.
As a quick primer, the new 10-year passport comes with several changes, with the most obvious being its higher upfront cost compared to the previous five-year version. However, since Malaysians only need to renew their passports once every decade instead of every five years, the new option could prove more economical over the long term.
For comparison, the previous five-year Malaysian passport cost RM200 for standard applicants aged 13 to 59. Meanwhile, the five-year passport was available for RM100 to senior citizens aged 60 and above, children aged 12 and below, students aged 21 and below who were studying overseas, as well as Hajj pilgrims. As for registered OKU card holders, the passport fee exemption remains unchanged under the new structure.
Under the new structure, Malaysian citizens aged between 18 and 59 can obtain the passport for RM350.
(Source: Malay Mail, The Star)
