Malaysia Digital Arrival Card and Autogates

[serfty]

Malaysia has added to the countries that passport holders of which can enrol to use their Auto gates at KLIA 1 KLIA 2 and Johor Baru. Since March this has included Australia and New Zealand.

I first noticed this on a trip in June where while queued I saw a banner promoting the Autogates and the flags of several counties, including Australia. I left the queue and gave it a go - without success. I re-joined the queue and asked about it on the way out. Unfortunately it was too late. Not to worry, I had a day trip to Singapore coming up so planned to try it then.

First you need to fill out the Digital Arrival Card online. Most have to do this anyway. Note it cannot be done until within three calendar days of arrival. Like Singapore, it means you need to wait until Monday (for example) before you can fill out for arrival the coming Wednesday.

Malaysia Digital Arrival Card - MDAC

imigresen-online.imi.gov.my

Enrolment is a little quirky. You won't be able to use the autogate on your first visit doing this. You queue up for a regular manual counter and tell them you wish to enrol for the autogate. They should then do this after verifying your biometrics.

After that you'll then be able to use the autogates for departure on your current trip and both departure and arrival on subsequent trips (when using the same passport).

I did the counter enrolment on my return from Singapore. On departure the autogate worked very quickly. I was through in about 8 seconds after scanning my passport.

I'm back there is a few weeks and intend to now use it both ways.

 

[SYD]

Sounds a bit like the HKG system but probably worth it if you’re expecting multiple visits.

 

[cwd]

Interesting that you had success with this @serfty. I tried this in April - I did the MDAC before flying, and asked at the usual manual immigration counter if they could register me. But the officer wasn't interested in dealing with it (can't remember if he said he couldn't, or just fobbed me off) and said I had to register at some office, which I'd seen referenced as the process on another forum (but doesn't match the process on their website). The relevant office was of course shut since it's only open for limited hours during the week and this was a weekend.

I wonder if they've changed the process since then, or perhaps I was unlucky enough to get an immigration officer who couldn't be bothered (which wouldn't be too surprising). Given the awful queues at KLIA I really hope I can get it sorted next time - it seems like a queue of over an hour is pretty normal now.

I just tried the "Check Egates Eligibility Status" on the MDAC site, giving a date well in the future and sure enough it says I'm not eligible.

 

[serfty]

I asked on arrival at the counter - the officer looked confused, so I showed them a Web Site information page* on my Smartphone. They realised what I was after and did whatever they needed to do. On departure the gate worked fine.



Looking at the check Registration Info link, it shows my most recent arrival and departure but not earlier ones on the same passport.

Malaysia Digital Arrival Card - MDAC

imigresen-online.imi.gov.my

*Strangely I cannot find the page that I showed them.

 

[serfty]

....

I'm back there is a few weeks and intend to now use it both ways.

I used Singapore's system today outwards and inwards and that took about 45 seconds for the two steps each time with a 5 minute queue outwards.

At KLIA it worked fine tonight inbound.

I walked past about 200 queued up in standard and a dozen or so in the Business/APEC queue. The autogates had no queue.

The Malaysian system took less than 10 seconds all up.

 

[PERLHR]

Bit of a silly question probably, but if you are flying from Australia to Malaysia via a quick transit (two hours) at Singapore do you put Singapore as your port of embarkation rather than Australia for the electronic entry card for Malaysia?

 

[serfty]

Bit of a silly question probably, but if you are flying from Australia to Malaysia via a quick transit (two hours) at Singapore do you put Singapore as your port of embarkation rather than Australia for the electronic entry card for Malaysia?

Presumably if you don't clear immigration at SIN then it would be the Australian port where you departed.

 

[inzi]

A quick question guys, i made some mistakes when doing the MDAC registration and online and did multiple registrations for the same journey, would this be an issue at immigration?

 

[AIRwin]

A quick question guys, i made some mistakes when doing the MDAC registration and online and did multiple registrations for the same journey, would this be an issue at immigration?

Does "View Registration" show all or just the latest?

https://imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/register?viewRegistration

 

[Austman]

At the moment it will NOT work at KLIA1 if you arrive internationally and transit to a domestic flight.

There’s a separate path you take at KLIA1. The machines there will not work. When I then went to the desk, that was confirmed. It’s only the main arrival area where it will work.

The separate international to domestic path is rarely crowded IME. In fact this time is was just me! But the stamp can be a nuisance if your passport fills quickly.

 

[auriga]

I used Singapore's system today outwards and inwards and that took about 45 seconds for the two steps each time with a 5 minute queue outwards.

At KLIA it worked fine tonight inbound.

I walked past about 200 queued up in standard and a dozen or so in the Business/APEC queue. The autogates had no queue.

The Malaysian system took less than 10 seconds all up.

curious whether you have used autogate to enter Malaysia by land through JB?

 

[serfty]

curious whether you have used autogate to enter Malaysia by land through JB?

No, only landing at KLIA.

'm intending to use it twice in the next week.

 

[Jenjarom603]

When flying out of KLIA, does the airline check in counter ask for the MDAC to verify or arrival and departure dates?

 

[serfty]

When flying out of KLIA, does the airline check in counter ask for the MDAC to verify or arrival and departure dates?

Staff at the airline check in counter normally ask no questions in this regard. Nor is one asked such when using OLCI with no bags whereupon you can bypass the counters altogether.

Everything that is needed is done in the back ground. (One note is that sometimes you need to wait a couple of minutes for the systems to update after completing check in before trying to proceed airside.)

BTW, Welcome to AFF @Jenjarom603

 

[auriga]

No, only landing at KLIA.

'm intending to use it twice in the next week.

ok. the articles I have read seem to suggest JB autogates are only for Singaporeans

 

[Jenjarom603]

Staff at the airline check in counter normally ask no questions in this regard. Nor is one asked such when using OLCI with no bags whereupon you can bypass the counters altogether.

Everything that is needed is done in the background. (One note is that sometimes you need to wait a couple of minutes for the systems to update after completing check in before trying to proceed airside.)

BTW, Welcome to AFF @Jenjarom603

Thank you !!

 

[yachty]

I tried this in April - I did the MDAC before flying, and asked at the usual manual immigration counter if they could register me. But the officer wasn't interested in dealing with it (can't remember if he said he couldn't, or just fobbed me off) and said I had to register at some office, which I'd seen referenced as the process on another forum (but doesn't match the process on their website). The relevant office was of course shut since it's only open for limited hours during the week and this was a weekend.

Same thing happened to me earlier this year. I'd submitted my MDAC before travelling and enquired on arrival, but was told the registration office was closed so I went through inbound and outbound immigration normally.

Good news on this trip though. After submitting my arrival card for a trip today, my e-gate eligibility status changed to eligible (was showing ineligible last week). On arrival, passed through the egate without any issues.

So it would seem you no longer need to request to be registered.

 

[serfty]

The Malaysian system took less than 10 seconds all up.

Maybe 8 seconds today as I am "<experienced>".

It was the most crowded I have seen with inbound PAX queued up as far back as the SIM sellers.

Walked past them and strait to the autogates.

On Espres 25 minutes after landing at the Satellite ... I am beginning to hate C5

One thing I noticed is the online MDAC seems far more streamlined with less questions.

 

[QFFHntrGthr]

Just an update for those about to register. The immigratiom counters at KLIA to finalise the autogate registerimg for the 1st time are counters 53 & 54. These have biometric readers to complete the registration. I was asked to show my online registration (I did from my phone). The details on it cross checked to my passport, then instructed to placed my index fingers for the biometric read. After a few keystokes on their screen, my passport was returned and I was directed to use the autogate. All done in a few minutes. Easy peasy.

 

[kpc]

Just an update for those about to register. The immigratiom counters at KLIA to finalise the autogate registerimg for the 1st time are counters 53 & 54. These have biometric readers to complete the registration. I was asked to show my online registration (I did from my phone). The details on it cross checked to my passport, then instructed to placed my index fingers for the biometric read. After a few keystokes on their screen, my passport was returned and I was directed to use the autogate. All done in a few minutes. Easy peasy.

Will check it out on Monday