Malaysian passport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Malaysian passport (Malay: Pasport Malaysia) is the passport issued to citizens of Malaysia by the Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia). They were formerly designated Paspot Malaysia, but the spelling was changed to Pasport in the 1980s.

The main legislation governing the production of passports and travel documents, their possession by persons entering and leaving Malaysia, and related matters is the Passport Act 1966.

Contents 1 Types of Malaysian passport 1.1 Regular international passport 1.2 Official passport 1.3 Diplomatic passport 1.4 Hajj passport 1.5 Restricted passport 2 Biometric passport 3 Passport note 4 Languages 5 Identity information page 5.1 Naming scheme 5.2 Identity number 6 Visa-free access 6.1 Africa 6.2 Americas 6.3 Asia 6.4 Europe 6.4.1 European Union 6.4.2 Non-EU 6.5 Oceania 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Types of Malaysian passport

There are five types of Malaysian passport:

[edit] Regular international passport

The passport contains 8kB microchip, which is also a machine-readable passport and ICAO compliant. The biometric passport is developed by a Malaysian technology firm, IRIS Corporation.

Malaysian passport holders are not permitted to enter Israel (likewise, Israeli passport holders are not permitted to enter Malaysia without clearance from the Ministry of Internal Security).

[edit] Official passport

The Official Passport is issued exclusively to Malaysian government officials travelling on official business. It is issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia upon request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra).

[edit] Diplomatic passport

The diplomatic passport entitles the bearer to receive extraordinary treatment at airports and they are covered by diplomatic immunity.

[edit] Hajj passport

A special Hajj passport issued to those making a hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. This passport is issued by Tabung Haji instead of Immigrations Department.

[edit] Restricted passport

The Malaysian Restricted Passport was a travel document for restricted to travel between Malaysia and certain adjacent territories:

• between East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) and Brunei; or
• between Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore

Malaysia stopped issuing and renewing Restricted Passports as of 1 January 2006, and announced that they would no longer be valid for travel from 31 December 2006.^[1]

[edit] Biometric passport

Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in March 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology.^[2] In December 2002, thumbprint data was added to the biometric data on the passport chip. Similar technology is used in the Malaysian identity card, MyKad.

The biometric data included on the Malaysian passport is a digital photograph of the bearer's face, and images of their two thumbprints. Malaysian immigration checkpoints were the only ones with the technology to read and authenticate the data from the RFID chip using a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition technology, but widespread adoption of ePassport technology around the world has seen the technology installed in international airports in the USA, the UK and other countries.

In addition to biometric data and the personal information stored on the information page, the chip also records the bearer's travel history of the last ten entry and exits at Malaysia border control points.

Concern about possible "cloning" of the data from the passport chip for the purposes of identity theft prompted IRIS to issue a press release in 2006, stating that the chip and data had never been successfully cloned, and that digital keys stored on each chip made such duplication and forgery impossible.^[3]

[edit] Passport note

The passports contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside Malaysian passports states:

These are to request and require in the name of the Supreme Head of Malaysia all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.

[edit] Languages

The data page/information page are printed in Malay and English.

[edit] Identity information page

The Malaysian passport includes the following data:

• Type ('P' for Passport)
• Country code ('MYS' for Malaysia)
• Passport number
• Name of bearer (see below for details of the naming scheme)
• Nationality ('Malaysian')
• Identity number (see below for more information)
• Place of birth (usually State of birth, not city or town)
• Date of birth (in DD-MMM-YYYY format, such as 24-JUN-1988)
• Sex ('M' or 'F')
• Date of issue (in DD-MMM-YYYY format)
• Date of expiry (in DD-MMM-YYYY format, five years from date of issue)
• Issuing office
• Height (in centimetres)

[edit] Naming scheme

Due to Malaysia's heterogeneous ethnic demographic, including substantial Chinese and Indian minorities as well as Malays, the name of the bearer on the Malaysian passport is displayed using that person's customary naming practice as it is on the person's identity card (MyKad) or birth certificate. Surname and given name fields are not differentiated on the passport, and this can cause difficulties or confusion in some countries as the placement of the surname is not consistent.

• Chinese names: can be listed in three ways according to the individual's preference: surname first as is customary (surname first, then Chinese given names: "WONG Kim Siong"), surname between given names (non-Chinese derived name, surname, Chinese given names: "David WONG Kim Siong"), or in the Western style of surname last (David WONG)

• Malay names: Generally in the format "X BIN/BINTI Y", where 'BIN' means 'son of' and 'BINTI' means 'daughter of', similar to the Arabic name system. This practice is not limited to Muslim Malays however, and can also be found in Christian indigenous Sabahans and Melanaus of Sarawak.

• Ethnic Indian and Thai names: Generally in the format "X AL/AP Y" where 'AL' stands for 'anak lelaki' (Malay for 'son of') and 'AP' stands for 'anak perempuan' (Malay for 'daughter of'). 'Anak' means 'child of', and can appear in indigenous Sarawakian names ("X ANAK Y").

• Western/European names: Eurasian Malaysians, or those descended from British, Portuguese or Dutch settlers, have the person's hereditary surname last ("Robert SMITH").

[edit] Identity number

The Malaysian identity number is a unique ID number allocated to each Malaysian, and the same number is used on the MyKad identity card. The number is in the following format:

YYMMDD-SS-###G

• The first six digits (YYMMDD) are the date of birth of the holder, so for example 24 June 1988 would be represented as 880624.
• The next two digits (SS) are the state in which the person was born from 01 (Johor) to 13 (Sarawak). See States of Malaysia for the codes for each state. The digits 14 to 16 are used for the Federal Territory areas of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya respectively. The codes '71' and '91' are used for those born outside Malaysia.
• The last four digits are a serial number, and the last digit (represented above by 'G') is a gender indicator: an odd number for males and an even number for females.

[edit] Visa-free access

Malaysia is ranked 9th in the study in terms of international travel freedom under the Henley and Partners research. Malaysia has a score of 120 on the Henley Visa Restrictions Index, standing at the same rank as Iceland, Greece and Australia. The given score, 120 points also represents there are 120 countries and territories which can be entered without a visa by Malaysian Citizens.^[4]

It is estimated that 177 countries and territories granted visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to Malaysian passport holders, while 149 countries and territories are visa free accessible.(visa on arrival for free counted). Visa issued prior to arrival or pre-arrangement required for countries or territories not mentioned below.^[5]

Where visa-free access is permitted, such access is not necessarily a right, and admission may technically be at the discretion of border enforcement officers. Visitors engaging in activities other than tourism may require a visa or work permit.

[edit] Africa

Countries and Territories	Conditions of access
Algeria	3 months [1]
Botswana	90 days [2]
Burundi	visa can be obtain upon arrival at Bujumbura Airport [3]
Cape Verde	visa issued upon arrival [4]
Comoros	visa issued upon arrival [5]
Djibouti	1-month visa can be obtain upon arrival for DJF5,000 [6]
Egypt	15 days [7][8]
Ethiopia	visa can be issued on arrival [9]
Gambia	visa issued upon arrival [10]
Kenya	30 days [11]
Lesotho	14 days [12][13]
Madagascar	90-day visa issued upon arrival for MGA28,000 [14]
Malawi	90 days [15]
Mauritius	6 months in a year (tourist), 90 days in a year (business) [16]
Mayotte	90 days [17]
Mozambique	visa issued upon arrival for US$25 [18]
Namibia	3 months [19]
Niger	1-month visa issued upon arrival for XOF20,000 [20]
Réunion	90 days [21]
Saint Helena	visa-free access
Senegal	3 months [22]
Seychelles	1 month [23]
South Africa	30 days [24]
Sudan	visa issued upon arrival (applicable for arrivals directly from Malaysia) [25]
Swaziland	60 days [26]
Tanzania	visa free access [27]
Togo	7-day visa issued upon arrival for XOF10,000 ~ XOF35,000 [28]
Tunisia	3 months [29]
Uganda	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [30]
Zambia	90 days in a year [31]
Zimbabwe	3 months [32]

[edit] Americas

Countries and Territories	Conditions of access
Anguilla	3 months [33]
Antigua and Barbuda	1 month [34]
Argentina	30 days (tourist) 90 days (business) [35]
Aruba	30 days [36]
Bahamas	visa-free access [37]
Barbados	6 months [38][39]
Belize	1 month [40]
Bermuda	6 months [41][42]
Brazil	90 days [43]
Cayman Islands	30 days [44]
Chile	30 days [45]
Colombia	90 days [46][47]
Cuba	90 days [48]
Dominica	21 days [49]
Dominican Republic	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$10 [50]
Ecuador	90 days [51]
El Salvador	3 months [52][53]
French Guiana	90 days [54]
Greenland	3 months [55]
Grenada	3 months [56][57]
Guadeloupe	90 days [58]
Guatemala	90 days [59]
Haiti	3 months [60][61]
Honduras	3 months [][62]
Jamaica	visa-free access [63][64]
Martinique	90 days [65]
Montserrat	3 months [66]
Netherlands Antilles	14 days [67]
Nicaragua	90 days [68]
Peru	90 days [69]
Saint Barthélemy	90 days [70]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	3 months [71][72]
Saint Lucia	6 weeks [73]
Saint Martin	90 days [74]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	3 months [75]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1 month [76]
Suriname	30 days [77][78]
Trinidad and Tobago	visa-free access [79]
Turks and Caicos Islands	30 days [80]
Uruguay	30 days [81]
Venezuela	90 days [82]
British Virgin Islands	30 days [83]

[edit] Asia

Countries and Territories	Conditions of access
Armenia	21-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [84]
Azerbaijan	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$100 [85]
Bahrain	14-day visa issued upon arrival for BHD5 [86][87]
Brunei Darussalam	30 days [88]
Cambodia	30 days [89]
Republic of China (Taiwan)	30 days [90]
Hong Kong	90 days [91]
Indonesia	30 days [92]
Iran	14-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge)[93]
Iraq	visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [94]
Jordan	visa issued upon arrival for JOD10 [95][96]
South Korea	3 months [97][98]
Kuwait	3-month visa issued upon arrival for KWD5 [99][100]
Kyrgyzstan	3 months [101]
Laos	30 days [102]
Lebanon	1-month visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [103][104]
Macau	30 days [105]
Maldives	30 days [106]
Mongolia	30 days [107]
Nepal	60-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [108]
Oman	visa issued upon arrival : 1 month (OMR 6), 1 year multiple entries stay up to 3-week per visit (OMR 10) [109]
Philippines	21 days [110]
Qatar	21-day visa issued upon arrival for QAR 55 [111][112]
Singapore	14/30 Days [113]
Syria	15-day visa issued upon arrival [114]
Sri Lanka	30 days [115]
Thailand	30 days [116]
Timor-Leste	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [117]
Turkey	90 days [118]
United Arab Emirates	60 days [119]
Vietnam	30 days [120]
Yemen	3-month visa issued upon arrival (free of charge)[121]

[edit] Europe

Countries and Territories	Conditions of access
[edit] European Union
Austria	3 months in a half year [122][123]
Belgium	3 months in a half year [124][125]
Bulgaria	3 months in a half year [126][127]
Cyprus	3 months in a half year [128][129]
Czech Republic	3 months in a half year [130][131]
Denmark	3 months in a half year [132][133]
Estonia	3 months in a half year [134][135]
Finland	3 months in a half year [136][137]
France	3 months in a half year [138][139]
Germany	3 months in a half year [140][141]
Greece	3 months in a half year [142][143]
Hungary	3 months in a half year [144][145]
Republic of Ireland	3 months in a half year [146][147]
Italy	3 months in a half year [148][149]
Latvia	3 months in a half year [150][151]
Lithuania	3 months in a half year [152][153]
Luxembourg	3 months in a half year [154][155]
Malta	3 months in a half year [156][157]
Netherlands	3 months in a half year [158][159]
Poland	3 months in a half year [160][161]
Portugal	3 months in a half year [162][163]
Romania	3 months in a half year [164][165]
Slovakia	3 months in a half year [166][167]
Slovenia	3 months in a half year [168][169]
Spain	3 months in a half year [170][171]
Sweden	3 months in a half year [172][173]
United Kingdom	6 months [174]
[edit] Non-EU
Albania	1 month with entry tax : €10 [175]
Andorra	3 months [176]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	90 days [177]
Croatia	90 days [178][179]
Faroe Islands	3 months [180]
Georgia	visa issued upon arrival [181][182]
Gibraltar	visa-free access [183]
Guernsey	visa-free access [184]
Iceland	3 months [185]
Isle of Man	visa-free access[186]
Jersey	6 months [187]
Kosovo	90 days [188]
Liechtenstein	3 months in half a year (same as Switzerland) [189]
Macedonia	1 month [190]
Monaco	3 months (same as France and Spain) [191]
Norway	3 months in half a year [192]
San Marino	90 days (same as Italy) [193]
Switzerland	3 months in half a year [194]
Vatican City	3 months in half a year (same as Italy) [195]

[edit] Oceania

Countries and Territories	Conditions of access
Cook Islands	31 days [196]
Fiji	4 months [197]
Guam	15 days [198]
Kiribati	visa-free access [199]
Federated States of Micronesia	30 days [200]
Nauru	30-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [201]
New Caledonia	90 days [202]
New Zealand	3 months [203]
Niue	30 days [204]
Palau	30 days [205]
Papua New Guinea	60-day visa issued upon arrival for PGK100 (tourist), PGK500 (business) [206]
French Polynesia	90 days [207]
Samoa	60 days [208]
Solomon Islands	3-month visitor permit issued upon arrival [209]
Tokelau	free cruising permit can be obtain in Apia, Samoa [210]
Tonga	31-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [211]
Tuvalu	1 month issued upon arrival (free of charge) [212]
Vanuatu	30 days [213][214]
Wallis and Futuna	90 days [215]
Australia	pre-arrival Electronic Travel Authority required [216]
Norfolk Island	pre-arrival Electronic Travel Authority required [217]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Immigration Department of Malaysia: Malaysian Passports (in English)
• Security Document World: Technical specifications for the Malaysian biometric passport
• Wikivisa: Malaysia

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