Illustration image
By: Nurul Fazliana Norman
KUALA LUMPUR: August 13, 2026 – The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) has with immediate effect set the maximum validity period of the Malaysian International Passport (PMA) at 10 years for all passport holders in Malaysia, in a bid to standardise the validity period and prevent confusion during check-in with foreign airlines.
Immigration Director-General Dato’ Zakaria bin Shaaban said the decision was made after several PMA holders with validity periods exceeding 10 years encountered difficulties travelling abroad.
“This standardisation aims to regularise the validity period of the PMA and avoid confusion regarding the additional six-month validity requirement, which has been interpreted differently by certain airlines,” he said in a media statement yesterday.
JIM has announced that the issuance of PMAs with validity exceeding 10 years will be halted until the matter is resolved with airlines and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Existing PMA holders whose passports currently have a validity period of more than 10 years will be provided with replacement passports free of charge, with a maximum validity of 10 years.
Affected PMA holders will also be given priority in passport replacement matters.
JIM will also issue a notification letter to all airlines to assist affected Malaysian travellers overseas.
The measure is part of JIM’s commitment to improving the implementation of the PMA, thereby ensuring that international travel arrangements for Malaysians can be carried out more smoothly and in an orderly manner.
Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia
