Malaysians renewing their passports online will have the option of choosing either five- or 10-year validity periods starting Monday, the Immigration Department has announced.
The new option will be available through the MyOnline Passport system, giving applicants greater flexibility when deciding how long they want their travel documents to remain valid.
In a Facebook post today, the department said the initiative was introduced to make the renewal process more convenient and cater to the different needs of Malaysian citizens.
“This initiative provides more flexibility and convenience to Malaysian citizens in choosing the passport validity period according to their individual needs,” it said.
Previously, the department standardised the maximum validity period for Malaysian passports at 10 years following reports of travellers facing check-in difficulties with airlines overseas.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the move was also aimed at preventing different interpretations among airlines regarding the six-month passport validity requirement for international travel.
