New 10-year Malaysian passport rolls out tomorrow

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will have the option of applying for a new international passport valid for up to 10 years starting tomorrow, the home ministry said today.

It said citizens aged 18 and above can choose between a five-year or 10-year passport, depending on their needs.

“The introduction of the 10-year passport is expected to reduce the frequency of passport renewals, save users time, and facilitate travel within and outside the country,” the ministry said in a statement after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim launched the passport today.

The 10-year passport will cost RM350, while the five-year version remains priced at RM200.

The home ministry said opting for the 10-year passport would save applicants RM50 compared with renewing a five-year passport twice over the same period.

It added that the new passport comes with 94 security features, up from 49 in the current version, including guilloche patterns, latent images, rainbow printing, line width modulation, holograms, and ultraviolet printing to prevent forgery and tampering.

The hibiscus icon will be replaced with the Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing butterfly, which the ministry said represents the country’s biodiversity and natural heritage.

The rollout will take place in phases at 71 passport offices nationwide, the home ministry said.

It advised the public not to rush to replace passports that remain valid, saying they can still be used up to six months before expiry.