MDAC: Malaysia Digital Arrival Card Guide for 2026

What is the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC)?

The MDAC is Malaysia’s online arrival card. Foreign visitors submit it on the Immigration Department’s portal before arriving, then show the registration and have their passport verified at the immigration counter. It is not a visa: visa-free entry, eVisas and permitted stay lengths are separate questions to check for your passport.

Imigresen Malaysia’s how-to-register infographic sets out two steps: complete and submit the MDAC within three days before arrival, then show your MDAC registration and verify your passport at the immigration counter. Its eligibility infographic says completing the MDAC has been mandatory for foreign citizens since 1 January 2024, apart from listed exemptions.

Because the MDAC is not a visa, check entry permission separately. The UK FCDO says British tourists are normally allowed to stay 90 days on arrival and need a passport with at least six months’ validity from the arrival date. Imigresen’s visa requirement by country page lists the nationalities that need a visa, notes a stay of under one month without a visa for ASEAN nationals except Myanmar, and says Indian citizens are visa-exempt until 31 December 2026 (all checked 14 October 2026).

For visa-free bands, eVisas and longer stays, see our Malaysia visa rules guide, then plan your first days with our Kuala Lumpur destination guide.

Who needs to fill in the MDAC, and who is exempt?

All foreign citizens travelling to Malaysia must submit the MDAC unless they fall into one of seven exempt groups on Imigresen’s list. Singapore citizens are exempt. Singapore permanent residents are not named, so they should submit unless another category, such as holding a Malaysian long-term pass, applies to them.

Imigresen’s MDAC eligibility infographic, prepared by its Security and Passport Division in Putrajaya, lists the exemptions below (checked 14 October 2026). The card is for foreign visitors, so Malaysian citizens do not submit it.

Visa-free status is not an exemption: a British, Australian or American visitor who needs no visa still submits the MDAC. The UK FCDO entry page notes that you do not need one if you will not pass through immigration, so if you are only connecting at KLIA, ask your airline whether your itinerary keeps you airside.

• Citizens of Singapore
• Diplomatic and official passport holders
• Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders
• Holders of Brunei Darussalam’s General Certificate of Identity (GCI)
• Brunei–Malaysia Frequent Traveller Facility holders
• Thailand border pass holders
• Holders of Indonesia’s cross-border travel document (PLB)

When should you submit the MDAC before arriving in Malaysia?

Submit it within the three days before you arrive. Imigresen’s form says your trip must fall within three days, counting the date of submission, so you cannot file weeks ahead. Doing it the day before travel is a sensible habit, because the UK FCDO warns that airlines may ask for it at check-in.

The MDAC registration form carries the note that your trip must be within three days, including the date of submission (checked 14 October 2026). Set a reminder for the start of that window rather than leaving it to the departure lounge or the immigration queue.

The UK FCDO tells travellers to submit before they travel because airlines may ask for it at check-in. Each submission records one arrival date and one departure date, so treat every entry to Malaysia as a new MDAC, including a return after a side trip to Singapore or Thailand.

What is the official MDAC website, and does it cost anything?

Use only imigresen-online.imi.gov.my, the Immigration Department’s portal. Its registration form asks for no payment, so any site charging an MDAC fee is a third party, not the government. Imigresen has publicly warned about a fraudulent MDAC website, so check the address before typing in passport details.

Start from the Imigresen MDAC portal or the MDAC link on Imigresen’s main website. When checked on 14 October 2026, the registration form had no payment step and ended with a drag-to-verify slider before submission.

In January 2025 Bernama reported that the Immigration Department had flagged a fake MDAC registration website and urged foreign tourists to use only the official site to avoid scams and protect their personal information. A paid “MDAC service” fills in the same free form, so you gain nothing but a fee and one more company holding your passport data.

• Check the address bar shows imigresen-online.imi.gov.my before entering details
• Never pay a card fee to “process” an MDAC
• Do not email passport scans to anyone offering MDAC help
• Save your registration details; the portal has a Check Registration page if you need them again

What information do you need to fill in the MDAC form?

Have your passport, travel dates, transport number and first address in Malaysia ready. The form asks for personal and passport details, an email address and mobile number, arrival and departure dates, mode of travel, your last port before Malaysia and where you are staying, including state, city and postcode.

These are the fields on the MDAC registration form as checked on 14 October 2026. Copy your name and numbers exactly as printed in your passport, and use the passport you will actually travel on.

The accommodation dropdown offers a hotel, motel or rest house; the residence of friends or relatives; or others. If you are touring, enter your first night’s address. The form asks for alphanumeric characters only in at least one field, so leave unusual symbols out of addresses.

• Name, passport number, date of birth, nationality, place of birth and sex
• Passport expiry date
• Email address (entered twice) and mobile number with country code
• Date of arrival and date of departure
• Flight, vessel or transport number, and mode of travel: air, land or sea
• Last port of embarkation before Malaysia
• Accommodation type, address in Malaysia, state, postcode and city

Can foreign visitors use Malaysia’s autogates after submitting the MDAC?

Some can. Imigresen’s e-gate page says eligible foreign business and social visitors come from 63 countries, must hold an e-passport and must have submitted the MDAC three days before arrival. Nationals of eight Southeast Asian countries can use the e-gates only when departing. The portal has an eligibility checker.

The MDAC e-gate eligibility page lists the conditions and lets you check your own status (checked 14 October 2026). It does not name the 63 countries on the page itself, so rely on the checker rather than a list copied from a blog.

Travellers from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and Timor-Leste are listed as eligible for departure only. Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders are excused from the MDAC condition. Even if you qualify, follow officers’ directions to the manual counters when gates are closed or busy.

Do you need an MDAC to cross from Singapore to Johor Bahru?

Yes, unless you are exempt. The MDAC form covers land arrivals as well as air and sea, so foreign visitors crossing by coach, car, train or on foot at the Johor Bahru checkpoints submit it too. Singapore citizens are exempt, but foreigners who live in Singapore generally are not.

The registration form offers air, land and sea as modes of travel, and Imigresen’s exemption list names citizens of Singapore, not Singapore permanent residents or pass holders. If you live in Singapore as a PR or on a work pass and pop over to Johor Bahru, submit an MDAC for each trip. Coach operators flag it too: Causeway Link tells passengers to submit the MDAC before boarding.

Coming back, Singapore has its own form. ICA requires the SG Arrival Card within three days before arrival, including the day of arrival, and says submission is free. Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders travelling through Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints are exempt from it.

For Singapore entry conditions beyond the arrival card, see our Singapore visa rules guide.

What should you do if your flight or arrival date changes after submitting the MDAC?

Submit a fresh MDAC with the correct details inside the three-day window for your new arrival date. The card records specific dates, transport and passport details, so an old submission may no longer match. Use the portal’s Check Registration page to see what you filed, and keep the latest confirmation.

The MDAC portal offers Check Registration and Check Visit Pass pages alongside registration. It does not publish an amendment process, so resubmitting with the right details is the cautious route; if something still looks wrong, use the enquiry form linked from the portal.

If you renew your passport before the trip, submit again with the new passport number, because officers verify the passport you present against your registration. Do the same if a delayed or rebooked flight moves your arrival outside the dates you entered.

How do you stay connected for MDAC emails and arrival in Malaysia?

Use an email address and mobile number you can reach abroad, because the MDAC form asks for both. An eSIM bought before you fly can have data working when you land, for maps, ride-hailing and booking confirmations. Check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked before you buy.

The MDAC form collects an email address, entered twice, and a mobile number with country code. Use details you will actually check while travelling rather than a work inbox you cannot open abroad.

Whether an eSIM, a local SIM bought on arrival or roaming suits you depends on your phone, trip length and data use. Our best eSIM for travel guide and eSIM setup guide explain compatibility and when to activate.