visayes

What is the  Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC)?

A free online registration every foreign visitor completes within 3 days before arriving in Malaysia. It is not a visa. Seven groups are exempt — and Malaysia’s Immigration Department publishes that list itself.

Written by the visayes team · Checked against the official portal on 12 Aug 2026

What is it?

Malaysia’s online replacement for the paper arrival card.

  • All foreign citizens traveling to Malaysia must complete it
  • At the counter you show your MDAC registration and your passport

Who needs one?

Required

  • All foreign citizens traveling to Malaysia

Not required

  • Citizens of Singapore
  • Diplomatic and official passport holders
  • Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders
  • Brunei General Certificate of Identity (GCI) holders
  • Brunei–Malaysia Frequent Traveller Facility holders
  • Thailand Border Pass holders
  • Indonesia Cross-Border Travel Document (PLB) holders

That list is the Immigration Department’s own, in force since 1 January 2024. If you are not on it, you register — visa-free or not.

When to file

3 days

Complete and submit the MDAC within 3 days before you arrive in Malaysia.

One registration per traveler: the official form takes a single person at a time, so everyone in your party needs their own.

How to file

  1. Open imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main
  2. Choose Registration and enter passport and trip details
  3. Submit — keep the confirmation
  4. Show the registration and your passport at the immigration counter

The same portal also lets you check a registration, check a visit pass, and check e-gate eligibility.

Rather not type it all out, once per traveler? visayes fills in the official form under your supervision — you review it, submit it yourself, and pay only after the official government site confirms it has your submission.

Fix a mistake

Not sure it went through
Use “Check Registration” on the official portal
A detail was wrong
Immigration publishes no edit route — ask them directly through their official inquiry system

Never pay a third party to “fix” it.

Spot the official site

imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main

Only .gov.my domains are Malaysian government sites. There is no separate official guide page — the Immigration Department publishes the MDAC rules as two infographics on the portal itself.

Questions go to the Immigration Department’s own inquiry system at eapp.imi.gov.my.

FAQ

Is it free?
Yes — the official portal charges nothing.
Is it a visa?
No. It is an entry registration; visa rules depend on your passport.
Who is exempt?
Seven groups, listed above — Singapore citizens and Malaysian PRs among them.
Family trip?
Everyone registers separately. The official form has no group flow.
What do I show on arrival?
Your MDAC registration and your passport.

Does your passport need the MDAC?