If you're planning a trip to Malaysia soon, there's one important document you shouldn't forget to complete: the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC). This form is required before you go through immigration in Malaysia.
The MDAC is an electronic declaration introduced by the Malaysian government to replace the traditional physical arrival card. It's designed to streamline the immigration process for travelers entering the country.
In this article, I'll guide you through everything you need to know about the MDAC and provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to fill it out. Hopefully, this helps make your vacation to Malaysia a little easier!
All international travelers, including both adults and children, must complete the MDAC before arriving in Malaysia. If children can't fill it out themselves, their parents or guardians are responsible for doing it on their behalf.
However, if you're just transiting through Malaysia and won’t be leaving the airport or immigration area, you don't need to fill out the MDAC. It's only necessary for those officially entering the country.
But if you're planning to leave the airport during your layover, maybe to explore the city or stay at a hotel, you'll still need to complete the MDAC. In short, anyone going through Malaysian immigration must fill out this form.
You can fill out the MDAC online, starting from 3 days before your arrival in Malaysia. It's recommended to complete it before your flight to avoid any last-minute stress, as you'll have plenty of time.
The latest you can fill it out is before you reach the immigration counter. Although you technically can fill it out after landing, I strongly recommend doing it beforehand.
The reason is that you'll need an internet connection to complete the form, and if your connection is unstable, it can cause a lot of trouble. Plus, you'll likely be in a rush, making it easier to make mistakes when entering your details.
Now, let's go over how to fill out the MDAC step by step. Before you begin, have all your documents ready, such as your passport, flight ticket, and hotel booking confirmation.
Once you have everything, follow these steps to fill out the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC):
Start by visiting the official MDAC website using this link. You’ll find guidelines and more details about the MDAC on the site. Once you're ready, click the "Register" button to begin the process.
Now, you'll be taken to a page with a form to fill out your personal and travel details. The first section is about your personal information, which includes:
Next, you'll need to provide details about your trip to Malaysia. Here's what you'll need to fill in:
Once you've entered all the information, take a moment to double-check everything to ensure there are no mistakes. Pay close attention to details like your passport number and arrival date. When you're ready, hit the "Submit" button to complete the process.
After submitting, you’ll get a notification confirming that your data has been successfully registered. You’ll also be prompted to check the email address you provided in the form.
Finally, check your email for a message from MDAC. This email will contain a summary of all the information you entered in the form.
At the bottom of the email, you’ll find a PIN – a unique code used for verification and to access your arrival information later if needed. This PIN will also be helpful during the immigration process when you arrive in Malaysia.
When you reach the airport, an immigration officer may ask you to show proof that you’ve filled out the MDAC form. This PIN will allow them to quickly verify your details.
To avoid any issues, make sure to keep this email easily accessible. You can also take a screenshot of the email to make it quicker and easier to show at the immigration counter.
Mistakes happen, and that includes while filling out the MDAC form. Unfortunately, once the form is submitted, you can’t go back and edit the data.
If you realize you’ve entered something incorrectly, the best solution is to fill out a new MDAC form with the correct information. You can do this using the same email, just make sure everything is accurate the second time around.
In some cases, immigration officers might be able to assist you when you arrive in Malaysia, but it’s always better to fix any issues before departure to avoid any delays or problems upon arrival.
So, that’s how you fill out the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) before entering Malaysia. Overall, the process is pretty simple, and we didn’t face any issues while going through immigration.