Malaysia: Electronic Renewal Process to be Introduced for Expatriate Services Division
November 23, 2022
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At a Glance
- Starting December 1, 2022, applicants filing Employment Pass and Dependents’ Employment Pass renewal applications with the Expatriate Services Division will be able to obtain an electronic pass (ePass).
- The ePass will replace the endorsement sticker that is currently affixed to the applicant’s passport.
- As a result of this change, eligible applicants will benefit from the ability to download their ePass on the ESD portal within one business day of the submission of their application (instead of the one week it takes to obtain the endorsement sticker by mail); not having to be in Malaysia when renewing their applications; and not having to submit their passport when they renew their passes.
The situation
Starting December 1, 2022, applicants filing Employment Pass (EP) and Dependents’ Employment Pass renewal applications with the Expatriate Services Division will be able to obtain an electronic pass (ePass).
A closer look
- Eligibility. The ePass is only applicable to foreign nationals renewing their EP and related passes in Malaysia who are still holding the same passport they originally used when applying for their current pass.
- Non-eligible applicants. The following applicants will still need to have a sticker endorsed on their passports and will not be eligible for the ePass:
- Applicants with passports without a previous pass endorsement;
- New EP applications and their accompanying dependents’ passes; and
- New and renewal Professional Visit Pass applications.
Impact
Applicants will be benefit from:
- The ability to download their ePass on the ESD portal within one business day of the submission of their application (instead of the one week it takes to obtain the endorsement sticker by mail);
- Not having to be in Malaysia when renewing their applications; and
- Not having to submit their passport when they renew their passes.
Background
This change is part of Malaysia’s digital improvements in the immigration space. In October 2022, Malaysia introduced a digital nomad visa and the PLS@XPATS.
Looking ahead
It is not clear whether the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation will apply this digital improvement. We will report on related developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
