I had to renew my passport a few days back because there was less than 6 months validity and I could not travel outside Malaysia. The rush was induced because I was supposed to go to Singapore for an interview today.
Anyway, being the Internet person I am, I just need to Google for information on renewing my passport. I hopped on to the Malaysian Immigration Department website. It’s ugly I know, but I got some rather useful information that surprised me.
First I found out that students intending to go overseas to study can apply/renew their passports for half the usual rates. A normal Malaysian passport renewal will cost RM300 but if you can prove you are going overseas to further your studies, you need to pay only RM150. Click here to read the details yourself from the Immigration website.
I called up the Immigration Department to confirm this and checked on the things I need to bring. All I need is the Acceptance Letter from the overseas university. I had 2 letters - 1 from Berkeley and 1 from UCL though it’s an conditional offer letter.
I decided to use my UCL Conditional Offer Letter to apply for the special rate. I brought along my Singapore-GCE A-Level results to verify that I have met the university’s criteria and have been confirmed a spot in UCL. (I’ve yet to receive my Unconditional Offer Letter, God knows why UCL’s taking such a long time to change the Conditional to Unconditional though my results had been on UCAS for quite some time already)
Talked to the officer and after verifying the documents (you need to bring photocopies of the Offer Letter and results if it’s conditional), I was allowed the student rate. Note: just bring the all the documents including the envelope the university sent to you cause the officer might be skeptical. Did a few extra documentations - nothing additional to fill up, merely questions by the officers and many thumbprints on the thumbprint reader. After an additional 15 minutes or so, I paid my RM150 instead of RM300 for my new passport. What a bargain!
Now for the 2nd surprise. I called up Immigration Department to check what I need to bring to renew my passport (just 2 passport photos, old passport, photocopy of IC, RM150, Uni Offer Letter, Results if applicable) and asked them which department is the fastest. My family normally go to the old Subang airport for passport application/renewal purposes and was simply told by the officer that the branch in Subang is the smallest one in Klang Valley!
I should go to Shah Alam or Pusat Bandar Damansara instead. There are more counters there. And the surprising part is THEY OPEN ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS!!! From 8am to 1pm! WOW. Our immigration departments (though only several) are open on weekends! I’m so proud of this.
It was real easy. I do not need to take leave from office. Dad don’t need to take leave from work. Sis don’t need to ponteng school. We all renewed our passport in Pusat Bandar Damansara on Sundays where they have 40 counters! We collected our passport 3 hours after paying our money. Just spent the whole morning and we sorted our documents to travel again! (Note: the counters stop giving out numbers by 11am)
Also, do not go to Putrajaya to renew your passport. The department there is mainly for Diplomatic passports. They produce only 40 normal passports per day ONLY though the officer told me there are plans to make it open for public in the future.
Tags: Half-Price, Immigration, Malaysia, Passport, Pusat Bandar Damansara
Hi, I'm Bobby Ong and I'm 21 years old. I'm currently studying Economics at University College London. I lead the typical, interesting college life and am having the time of my life touring Europe every holiday. Pardon me for the not-so-frequent update here. I'm just too absorbed having fun to even spend time in front of the computer. Read more about me 
April 30th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
thanks for sharing!
useful info! =D
April 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
np…my pleasure
May 11th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
thanks for this useful info
May 12th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
AHHHH..went to renew my passport today. Brought my sydney uni offer letter coz when i called,they said that was all i need. So,went to get my number and double checked with the officer there,after verifying and all,he said the letter was ENOUGH. Number was called,went to the counter and this officer said offer letter TAK CUKUP. WTF. Apparently i need to show the receipt of my fees payment. After arguing with him,he still insisted i come back with the receipt or else pay RM300. Bloody hell,its a firm offer letter la. Wad the..i should have brought my anu,nus,ntu,unsw,and usyd offer letters and ask him “So you still think im gonna turn down all 5 offers and stay at home cook kari ayam all my life??” Isnt it like quite DUH im a studenttttttttt aaaaaaah. Crap this country has no hope.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:27 am
serious shit the fella din let u get the rm150 discount? gah that sux….i guess the immigration dept ppl are just not satisfied with 1 piece of paper. i showed them my UCL conditional offer letter..then the fella wasn’t really convinced. then showed him the whole package of documents UCL sent to me in the envelope….n my A-level result slip which showed i met their criteria. then the fella bought my story. so i guess a tip for any other student who want to renew passport for rm150 is to bring all uni documents - the more the better - to prove to the immigration officer that u r being genuine.
btw i plan to go UC Berkeley instead of UCL (which i showed the immigration officer) lol….
May 17th, 2009 at 3:52 am
So, Pusat Bandar Damansara coonfirm THEY OPEN ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, because I need to renew it as well as I’m flight back to KL. thanks man!
May 18th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
yea it’s open alex…u can always call them up to double check
June 20th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Bobby really great that I found out about the Immigration Dept being open on weekends through your site! Wow that’s an vast improvement .. chuckle. I have to renew my daughters’ passports - thank you thank you - these comments are useful input too!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
glad to hear that joy.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Hi Bobby,
How long did it take you to get your new passport? I was told by my mom that it takes only 2 hours in Putrajaya, but from your post, looks like they don’t even renew passports there.
Where do you think is the fastes to get passport renewed? Cos I’m flying in from overseas to KL, on a Wed night, then need to get me passport renewed, and submit visa application to Dutch embassy before I head back to Penang.
Thanks.
July 20th, 2009 at 11:32 am
hey GX
officially they dun renew passports for the public in putrajaya. but if u do show up there, they will just process for u. putrajaya’s mainly for diplomatic passports. at least that’s what the immigration official told me.
i would say go to pusat bandar damansara to renew ur passport. it’s pretty efficient there with many counters. the immigration official told me shah alam is pretty fast too but i did not go there.
July 22nd, 2009 at 1:33 am
hey, im about to go and renew my passport, but through the kiosk machines at KIPPAS, how will i be able to get my half price? lol. or am i only allowed to get the half price off doin it the normal way?
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:48 am
RE: ‘Malaysian Immigration Office opened on Sunday’. Bobby’s writeup was a godsend. I had run out of pages in my passport, and I need to travel soon. I did not want to tangle with all the traffic and carpark problems on weekdays. After reading Bobby’s writeup, I dashed to the Passport Office at Pusat Bandar Damansara on Sunday, by 8.30 a.m. I had my NEW 32-page passport (I find the 64-page too clumsy) in hand by 10.30 a.m.! Syabas Immigration Department (IG)! Thank you Bobby! I should like to add a few more tips for unsuspecting applicants. Bring along your original IC/MyKad; 2 passport photos, old passport, RM300 (for 32-page passport), and a photocopy of your MyKad/IC: remember to copy both front and back onto ONE page. Mine was rejected as it was copied front/back as if it was an original MyKad. If you forget, all is not lost. There is a photocopier on the ground floor of Building I (where the IG is located); they charge 40 sen for the sheet. If you are a first-time applicant, you should also bring your birth certificate. I did not park in the building parking lots. Parking outside was idyllic as parking lot was empty, and I could park near to the staircase that links the carpark to the buildings. I paid RM6 for the 2 hours. Altogether a very good experience! BTW: Please do not forget to thank all the officers who helped you—they are human, and appreciate a good word for a job well done!
July 29th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
nadia>> u cant use the kiosk to get the half price. must join the queue at the counter coz the official needs to certify ur uni documents n all.
siew mun>>
August 13th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Hi, I was just wondering if the department that renews Social Visas is also open on Sats/Sun? I normally go the Immigration Department in Shah Alam on weekdays to extend my monthly social visa. Thanks!
August 26th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Hi Bobby,
Can you please give me the URL of Malaysian Immigration Department?
Thank you!
August 26th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
amanda>> here’s the website address http://www.imi.gov.my/
shu>> i’m not so sure about social visas. you might want to check with the immigration department before going on a sat/sun
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Hi Bobby Tks for your info Much appreciated you sharing your experiences with the others. I went to the Immigration website and read about the procedure for renewal there ……noted that there is a form IM42-pin 1/97 that requires to be filled up
Is this required in your case for renewal tks
January 20th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Hey Bobby,
your blog got more info than the Immigration Department site. Thanks Man!
March 8th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Such a nice blog. Good luck kfor your study! All the best Bobby!
March 12th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Dear bobby,
Thanks for your valuable information abt the immigration office opening on the weekends!
Wish u all the best in ur studies.
March 26th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I’d like to share my experience here, if you don’t mind. After reading so many sites I became sceptical about renewing my passport.
Today Friday, (March 26, 2010) I wanted to go renew my passport at Putrajaya. I should have left at 6.30am but woke up late…very late, at 10.30am. Thank goodness I took leave from work!
That’s because I slept at 4am after going through so many websites and blogs that provided feedback about passport renewal in Malaysia and also using the KIPPAS at Pusat Bandar Damansara. Unfortunately there were more negative comments and it made me worry a lot. Why worry? Because I have to take time off work and its not like I can get leave anytime ok.
I couldn’t make up my mind if it was better to go to Pusat Bandar Damansara or Putrajaya. At 2.30pm, I finally got a hold of myself and left for Putrajaya. My decision was so abrupt and instantaneous that I even left my half-eaten lunch and drink on the table…
On the way, (while waiting for traffic lights and in jam in KL) I called the Immigration Office (03-8880 1070) to enquire and to confirm the location. A sweet, polite voice answered my call at the other end. She asked me where I’m coming from and whether I’d like to go to the nearest office. I told her I’m going to Putrajaya and so she directed me to Putrajaya Precint 15. It is a new branch and you can get the info from the Immigration Office online. The address is at:
Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia,
Cawangan Presint 15,
Bangunan Chancery Place, Presint 15,
W.P Putrajaya.
–Weekdays only (not opened on Sat/Sun)–
**If you use a GPS, you can find “Chancery Place”**
I finally found the location and building at 3.15pm. Parking was free (I don’t think its free for long since I see barriers being erected in the underground car park) and there were plenty of empty parking spaces. The building is like a horse-shoe (U shaped) and the immigration office is on one end of it. It is not a big office. There’s around 60-70 seats; 1 ticket counter; 4 Permohonan counters; 1 Pembayaran counter; 1 collection counter.
After I parked the car, arranged my documents, searched for the lift, waited for the lift and got out of the lift to Aras 1, it was already 3.30pm.
BTW, I already downloaded the form IM.42 from the immigration website last night, completed it and stuck my pictures onto it, too (one pic in front, one at the back). If you’re printing the form out, heed the advice from people to print out on 1 page front and back - not 2 pages. You only need to bring the completed form IM.42 (no need birth cert and no need to insert birth cert no. if you’re renewing like me), 2 recent photographs (3.5cm x 5cm) and photocopy of NRIC (back and front on the same side of a page). Naturally, if you’ve had problems with the law/immigration before, then don’t expect smooth sailing lah. However, if you have no problems then its VERY smooth sailing as what I’ve experienced, which you’ll find out more reading below.
I happend to alight from the other end of the U-shaped building, and had to ask around before arriving outside the Immigration Office at 3.45pm. I walked straight up to the Ticketing counter. The Officer at the counter checked my documents and the gave me a ticket. He was really friendly and chatty. After I got my ticket, I thought, “Ok, here goes…the clock has started ticking!”. I looked around and there were 2 families and 2 individuals waiting; one family at payment counter and one family receiving their passports.
At 3.51pm my number was called and I went up to one of the “Permohonan Kaunter” counters. The Officer checked my form, I passed him my NRIC and then the old passport. He asked for my thumbprint (using ink) and proceeded to ask me for my digital print. There was a minute of silence as I anxiously wiped the ink off my right thumb before I could put it on the biometric finger scanner. Of course, the Officer provided me with tissues.
At 4.02pm I was called to the payment counter. I paid and sat down again. At 4.16pm the collection counter prompted my number and I collected my passport. Now, THAT’s what I call service! Wow! Superb! All done in 31 minutes.
I was soooo relieved after having read so many negative comments from the websites. Maybe the new office had few people, but c’mon Friday afternoon 3.30pm??…I didn’t have any expectations but the reality of actually being able to renew my passport on a late Friday afternoon in 30mins was really beyond me.
I arrived back in my condo at 4.50pm (its faster getting back since already know the way) and prepared for the evening. I made a damn good decision going to Putrajaya. And I have to say a hearty SYABAS and thanks to the local immigration service! You are doing very good, doing well and keep up the factastic service lah!
Five Stars and Aces!
March 27th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
hahha….this is what i want. Have browse through lots of webs n comment n already decided where to go! tq bobby n chew for the info sharing.
April 19th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Thank you Bobby (and all others who commented). This post has been very helpful!
June 26th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Thanks Bobby, and every one share the experience, this is very helpful and warm.
July 15th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
i heard there is passport valid for only 2 years, but only for RM100. anyone know any student half price for it?
July 24th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
can i now shah alam where??
July 25th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
i just went yesterday to Damansara Imigresen, can’t use the online downlaod form. So guys, if you are going to Damansara forget about printing the form online. They know implement the Green Form with barcode printed. U can either get it from the ticket numbering counter or there are ppl selling for RM5 with filling up service. I went on saturday 24 July. 5 of us (4 adult and 1 baby below 2 years old). We reach there 7.30 am, and get everything done by 11am. For those above 55 years and with children please got to special counter. that will be a lot faster than the normal counter.
There were a little hick-ups in between, my little gal was below 2 years and i am apply passport for her and myself. At first, they dont allow me to queue at the special counter for my personal passport. so my girl’s application will be at special counter and i have to queue again at the normal counter. I decided to give up, i think i should have come another day just to get mine done. But, when the counter office processing my daughter’s passport, he asked me do I wanna process mine, he ask me for my documents and he processed all at once for me. I really appreciate it very much.
My dad & my mum & my mother in law all above 55 years old, so they also in the special counter for senior citizen and kids, so we get everything pretty fast. After the counter processing, we waited for another 30mins to pay at the payment counter. After payment, we wait for another 1 hour plus to collect our passport.
It was tiring, coz i am carrying my little gal here and there, but i really appreciate the kind hearted office who help to process my passport together with my little one. or else, it’s another long day for me.
It’ always good for you to call up the immigration office before you go there. The rule and procedure will change sometime. The very last time i went, they do not accept my passport picture, because they said the reserve side of the image has to be in white base, cannot be blue based. So this time i took picture at the shop outside the damansara immigration office.