Wednesday 16 March 2016

Renewal of Malaysian Passport in Singapore - No More Fanfare!

Last week, I found out that my passport was due for renewal.

Unlike renewing a Singapore passport, doing a renewal for a Malaysian passport has always been a stressful event for me.

I remember it as the need to go to the Malaysian High Commission by 8am and join the long queue just to wait for your turn to enter the High Commission. If you got to join the queue and were given a queue number, that meant you were in time, within the first 100 people of the day. If you didn't, you would have to go home disappointed and try again another day.

Then you would be given an A4-sized form with tonnes of Malay words on it. No English version or translation. So for the Malay illiterate, you would need to pay a sum of money to have a man in a van parked outside the embassy to fill it up for you. I recall keeping a copy at home so that I could fill it up myself next time.

And even though you had your own passport photo taken with a blue background, the man in the van would advise you that it was not the right shade of blue and you would need to have another picture taken, and of course another sum of money paid, to have the correct blue background for your passport photo.

I remember the renewal process as a complicated and stressful event that I have to trudge through every five years.

So, after my last ordeal, I googled for the procedure again.

I found one of the blog posts really helpful and decided to document it for myself. An updated one no less.

Important documents to bring:

- Singapore IC and a photocopy of it on both sides
- Malaysia IC and a photocopy of it on both sides
- Passport due for renewal
- An extra photo ID eg. driving license or any ID with your picture and name on it

Address:

High Commission of Malaysia
301 Jervois Road
Singapore 249077

Getting there by public transport:

Take a train to Orchard MRT and take Bus 14 or 65 from opposite Orchard Parksuites.
Alight at the 4th stop in front of Valley Point Condominium /Mall. The building is recognisable by the Starbucks Cafe at the frontage.

Taking a cab there from Orchard MRT cost between $5 to $10 depending on the time of the day.

When to submit your documents:

Monday – Thursday: 8am – 12pm
- Friday: 8am – 11:30am
- The embassy is closed during both Malaysian and Singaporean holidays.
There is now no limit on the number of submission per day. They will accept any submission done before 12pm. Phew!

Procedure:

1. Go to the guard house to exchange a photo ID for a pass. Tell the guard you are renewing your passport.
2. He will give you a pass and a simple form with English translation on it with which you need to fill up.
As simple as it can get - even if the amount stated on the form and the amount required at the counter differ!

3. Go to the Immigration Section and queue up at counter 10 to get your documents (form, old passport, original and photocopies of your Malaysian and Singapore ICs) checked.
4. If everything is in order, a number will be given to you and the waiting game begins.


There is a man minding a photocopying machine so there is no issue if you did not have photocopies of your ICs.

5. When it is your turn, the lady at the counter will take a picture of you at the counter itself and collect the renewal fee of S$67 from you.

6. A receipt will be given to you to inform you of the day of collection. Usually, one working day is required for the passport to be renewed and given to you.

I reached the High Commission at about 10.30am and I was out of the place 11.45am. I had read that it is better to reach the place just 30 minutes before 12pm so that you don't have to wait that long.

As you leave the High Commission, remember to go to the guard house to exchange the visiting pass for your driving license or photo ID.

Collection:

1. Return to the High Commission between 2.30pm and 4pm and exchange your photo ID at the guard house for a visiting pass.
2. A man in the Immigration Section will call for numbers held by people with yellow passes first, followed by those holding the blue passes.
3. Join the queue when your number is called.
4. Check your particulars on the new passport.
5. Your old and new passports will be returned to you.

After Renewal:

After renewing your passport, it is important that you go online to transfer your re-entry permit to the new passport.

You will need a Singpass and its password to complete the process. My password had expired and account locked so I went to a CPF office building to acquire one on the spot.

Go to the right-hand column and click on 'Apply for/Renew Re-entry Permit (e-REP)'
Click 'Login with Singpass'
Click on 'Transfer of Re-entry Permit' and follow the instructions to key in your new passport number.

Print the transferred re-entry permit out and save a soft copy in your computer.

It will take a week or two before the transfer is completed in the system, so if you need to travel right after the transfer, it is better to go through the manned immigration counter instead of the self-service counter.

23 comments:

Peter Tan said...

Thanks for this. I need to renew my passport in the new year, and was toying with the idea of going to Johore Bahru, where you can get the passport issued on the same day. But I don't think I'll bother and go to the High Comm instead.

Sky Kew said...

Hi thanks for your post it's really helpful! Was trying to renew it back in Malaysia itself and the queue was ridiculous. Just wanna ask if it's possible to do it without the new version of mykad? Because today when I went to the kelana jaya branch the person at the counter said IF my card can't be read I can't renew my passport but he apparently has NO way of telling on the spot if that might happen or if I should just go renew my mykad first and there were like 200+ ppl in front of me! Needless to say I didn't stay for that and was trying to see the option of renewing it back in sg itself when I return. Would love it if you could shed some light on this!

Jacques said...

Invaluable info. Because of your posting my stress level over the whole ordeal was minimised. I arrived n 930 left before 10. One minor correction the fee now is S$64. Thank you very much.

Rain said...

Jacques,

Wow! I am glad my post helped. I myself was helped by another blog on Malaysian passport renewal but thought it would be helpful to blog it down for future reference (5 years later!). I also find it very stressful to renew my passport based on my previous experiences. I remember having to fill up a form totally in Malay! It would have been a totally different story if it had been a Singapore passport though :)

Rain said...

Sky,

I am sorry for the late reply. I am sure you would have figured everything out by now but to reply you, I can't remember if getting the new mykad is necessary before renewing our passport, although I remember my parents urging me to go make a new mykad. Whether it had to do with passport renewal, I am afraid I really can't remember. But I am sure a call to the Malaysia High Comm would do the trick.

mulberry said...

Hi Jacques, is collection the next working day or is it after 2 working days? On their website it states collection is after 2 working days. I wondering whether the info is correct. Thanks in advance.

Anonymous said...

Hi, can I check will they hold on to your old passport or you can have it back and exchange it when you collect your new passport?

Unknown said...

Thanks for the info. Fortunately things have improved a lot and it's not such a stressful process anymore. No more long forms to fill in except for the simple form mentioned earlier. Don't even need to waste money on photos coz it has to be done with the booth provided in front of the counter. Paid S$63 and collection is the following afternoon.

Aloysius said...

Thanks for this blogpost. Used to be a stressful time renewing - not knowing what to expect, but your post helped tremendously. Just renewed on Thursday 18/5, and collected on Friday 19/5. I used my old MyKad. Renewal cost $63 now. Photo is taken on the spot at the counter. Thanks very much again.

Unknown said...

Hi, would like to ask if it's possible to renew my passport despite having 8-9 months before expiry? Thanks!

Blood Roses said...

Does it take a Long time to collect? I heard need to wait for a week? Is that true?

Unknown said...

For adults you can now apply online. But if you can't, will need to go to high commission personally.

For minors, you will need original and photocopy :
1. Child's borang W.
2. Child's Singapore birth certificate
3. Child's MyKad if above 12
4. Parent's Malaysia IC
5. Parent's Singapore IC or passes.


Unknown said...

Extra information: You can now apply online for passport renewal and choose Malaysia High Com as collection venue. For those who cannot do so for whatever reasons will still need to go in physically.

For parents renewing passport for their child below 18 years old, the following will be required (original and photocopy):
1. Child's Singapore birth certificate
2. Child's "Borang W"
3. Child's MyKad if above 12. If you have MyKid, will be good to have that too.
4. Parent's M'sia IC (Mum or Dad is sufficient)
5. Parent's S'pore IC or "whatever" pass.

Cost for Adult/Child above 12 years on 16 Oct 2017 is S$64. Child below 12 years old is S$32.

Ickes said...

Hi I am now reside in Singapore and would like to renew my Malaysian Passport.
Would have no time to go Embassy. Is there a way that we can renew my passport online and then to go there to collect the next day?

Thanks.

KJ said...

Excellent information, thank you very much. Still very much relevant today :) Most important thing is to photocopy your NRIC (M'sia and S'pore) as this will save a lot of time. Some people (more than 10) that queued in front of me didn't have that done and end up having to wait for the photocopy person to turn up (15 minutes later). I went in at 8am and out by 8.20am this morning. And the cost now is $67.

Unknown said...

Hi Rain, is the fee standard at $67 ? How about senior which was charged at 100 RM instead of 300 RM ?
Thanks from grace

Syaoron said...

May I know how long Is the renewal?

ddff said...

can my passport be renewed? my passport expiry date is more than one year from now.

also i dont have driving licence or any photo ID!

can i collect my new passport a few days later after renewal application?

Unknown said...

Hi, may I know what's the expiration period of the passport if I renew in SG? Is it 5 years?

left-right said...

Rain,
Thank You very much on the sharing; want you and others to know that everything you shared here is still very much valide in 2019. Thanks

Nomi said...

Thanks for your helpful and informative blog. I was contemplating to go to JB but it looks like the Malaysian High Commissioner is convenient enough for me to have my passport renewed. Heading there tomorrow morning!

Aaron, Iceman said...

Info still relevant as of 28 Jan 2020

Update on Collection. It's just a long snake queue in the office starting at 2:30PM. The process is quick though. Other than that, all the process are the same.

Side note: get all your photocopies of documents ready and have a pen with you. It helps shorten the process. The morning queue was at the photocopier machine.

Price: SGD 66.00 (accurate as of 28 Jan 2020).

Fifi said...

Just recently i went there to renew my mum passport...however there no staff mending the photocopy machine maybe because covid-19, but you can pay $0.80 over the counter if you forget to bring photocopy's of your documents, senior 60 and above will only pay $33.00 for the passport...