We file your Malaysia Digital Arrival Card for you.

What is the MDAC?

The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, almost always shortened to MDAC, is an online pre-arrival registration that most foreign travelers complete before entering Malaysia. Rather than filling in a paper landing card on the plane or queuing to hand-write your details at the border, you submit the same core information electronically in advance. The system then has a record of who is arriving, when, how, and where they intend to stay.

It is important to understand what the MDAC is — and what it is not. It is a declaration that helps immigration process your arrival smoothly. It is not a visa, not an entry permit, and not a guarantee of admission. A border officer still inspects your passport and makes the final decision when you land. Think of the MDAC as the digital equivalent of the arrival card most countries require, moved online and submitted before you fly.

What you can and can’t do with it

A completed MDAC lets you arrive at a Malaysian port of entry having already declared your trip, which generally means a faster, smoother processing experience. It records your passport details, your travel dates, your mode of arrival, and your address in Malaysia so that officers are not capturing all of that from scratch at the counter.

What the MDAC does not do is just as important. It does not replace a visa if your nationality requires one, it does not extend or define how long you are allowed to remain in the country, and it does not override the judgment of the immigration officer. If you are refused entry, having an MDAC on file does not change that outcome. Treat it as one mandatory step among several, not as a standalone travel authorization.

Who must complete it?

As a general rule, foreign nationals traveling to Malaysia are expected to complete the MDAC before arrival. This applies across the common purposes of travel — tourism, visiting family and friends, and short business trips — and across the usual ways of arriving, whether by air, land, or sea.

Because immigration policy can be adjusted by the Malaysian authorities, the precise scope of who must register can change over time, and specific nationalities or traveler categories may be handled differently. The safe approach is simple: assume you need to complete the MDAC unless you have confirmed, from current official guidance, that your particular situation is exempt.

Who is exempt?

Malaysian citizens and permanent residents are generally not required to submit the MDAC. Beyond that, the authorities may exempt other specific categories of traveler, and the list of exemptions is something they set and can revise.

Because exemptions are defined by rule rather than by personal preference, never assume one applies to you without checking. If you believe you fall into an exempt group, confirm it against the official guidance for your nationality and entry point before you travel, so you are not caught out at the border.

Do children and minors need it?

Yes. The MDAC is tied to the individual traveler and their passport, so a separate submission is normally required for each person who is not otherwise exempt — including infants and minors. There is no single combined family entry; every passport holder is registered in their own right.

A parent or legal guardian completes the form on a child’s behalf, using the child’s own passport details rather than the parent’s. When you travel as a family, the simplest method is to prepare each person’s passport and complete one MDAC submission per traveler so that nobody is missed.

How long can you stay, and how long is the MDAC valid?

The MDAC is an arrival registration for a specific trip, not a long-term permit. It relates to the journey you declare — the dates and details you enter — rather than granting you an open-ended right to be in the country.

How long you may actually remain in Malaysia is a separate matter, determined by your nationality, the purpose of your visit, and the decision of the immigration officer at the border. The MDAC neither sets nor extends your permitted length of stay. If your travel plans change after you submit, you may need to update your details or resubmit so that the record reflects your actual trip.

Requirements and documentation

The MDAC asks for a focused set of details, and having them ready makes the process quick and accurate. Before you begin, gather the following:

• A valid passport with sufficient remaining validity for your travel.
• Your travel dates and your flight, vehicle, or vessel details.
• Your mode of arrival — air, land, or sea — and the port of entry.
• The full address where you will be staying in Malaysia.
• Your onward or return ticket, in case it is requested.

Accuracy matters here. The details on your MDAC should match your passport and your actual travel plans, because mismatches can cause questions or delays at the border. Double-check the spelling of your name, your passport number, and your dates before submitting.

How to apply, in three steps

You can also complete the MDAC yourself directly on the official government portal at no charge. Our service exists for travelers who would rather have their details reviewed for accuracy and the submission handled for them, with confirmation that it is done.

Costs and processing

The MDAC itself is provided free of charge by the Government of Malaysia on the official portal. We want to be completely clear about that. If you complete it yourself on the government site, you pay nothing for the form.

Malaysia Travel Card charges a service fee for assisted completion — reviewing your information for accuracy, preparing the entry correctly, and submitting it on your behalf. That fee is for our service, not for the government form, and it is displayed clearly at checkout before you pay so there are no surprises. Because the MDAC should be submitted close to your travel date, we recommend preparing your details in good time and completing the process within the accepted pre-arrival window.

Transit

Travelers passing through Malaysia in transit sometimes wonder whether they need the MDAC. The answer depends on the nature of your transit — in particular, whether you remain airside in the international transit area or actually clear immigration and enter the country, for example to change terminals, collect baggage, or stay overnight.

Because transit handling varies by airport and itinerary, do not guess. Check the current requirements for your specific routing, and if there is any chance you will pass through immigration control, plan to complete the MDAC just as an arriving passenger would.

Malaysia entry requirements and restrictions

The MDAC is one piece of a wider set of entry requirements. Alongside your arrival card, you should travel with a valid passport, any visa your nationality requires, and supporting documents that an officer may ask to see — commonly proof of onward or return travel and confirmation of where you will be staying. Having enough funds for your visit and a clear, truthful account of your purpose of travel all help your arrival go smoothly.

Malaysia, like every country, also enforces customs and prohibited-goods rules, and these are taken seriously. Requirements and restrictions can be updated by the authorities, so the final word always rests with current official guidance and the officer at the border. The MDAC helps your arrival, but it is your overall preparation — correct documents, honest declarations, and compliance with the rules in force — that determines a trouble-free entry.