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Independent guide - not a government website. The MDAC is free.

verified_user Verified against JIM Portal v2.4 (September 2026)
edit_note Step-by-Step Field Reference lock No Data Collected • Read-Only Guide

Official MDAC Form Walkthrough

A plain-language, field-by-field dissection of the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card immigration portal. Review exact character formats, tricky territorial dropdowns, and verified workarounds for common validation lockouts.

Form Fee 100% Free Never pay third parties
Window Limit 3 Days Prior Strict calendar restriction
Total Fields 18 Inputs Approx. 4-6 minutes
Format Target MRZ Aligned Matches passport bottom line
1

Personal & Passport Profile

Official government system validates these exact fields against international ICAO standard passport readers upon entry.

NAME (AS IN PASSPORT) Mandatory
Official Portal Field Preview:
ANDERSON, SARAH JANE
Max 80 characters. Uppercase recommended.
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MRZ Match Rule: Type your name exactly as shown in the 2-line machine-readable strip at the base of your passport biographical page.
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Trap: Exclude Honorifics: Do not add "MR", "MRS", "DR", or "PROF" unless it explicitly forms your passport primary legal given name.
PASSPORT NO. & EXPIRY Strict Check
E84920119 No spaces
EXP: 14/11/2031 DD/MM/YYYY
Passport must hold at least 6 months validity from entry.
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Zero Punctuation: Never insert hyphens, whitespace, slashes, or symbols into the passport string. Characters like "O" (letter) vs "0" (zero) must match your biographical data exactly.
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Validity Safeguard: If your passport expires within 179 days of your planned arrival, the immigration portal will reject the submission outright with code EXP_FAIL.
NATIONALITY / CITIZENSHIP Dropdown
Official Dropdown Nomenclature:
UNITED KINGDOM (BRITISH CITIZEN) arrow_drop_down
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Dropdown Search Quirk: The Malaysian portal uses ISO standard state listings. If looking for "England", search for UNITED KINGDOM. If looking for "Taiwan", select TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA. South Korea is listed under KOREA, REPUBLIC OF.
EMAIL ADDRESS & CONFIRMATION Critical
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PDF Dispatch Destination: Your MDAC registration PDF and reference PIN are dispatched here. Avoid corporate domains with aggressive spam filters. Standard Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, and Outlook deliver consistently within 60 seconds.
2

Arrival, Departure & Transport Mode

Specify exact border mechanics. Remember: arrival dates outside the official 3-day buffer will be rejected by the calendar selector.

DATE OF ARRIVAL / DEPARTURE
ARRIVAL: 18/09/2026 Within 72h window
DEPARTURE: 28/09/2026 Max 30-90 days
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Strict Calendar Logic: The official portal runs on Malaysian Standard Time (UTC+8). You can only pick Today, Tomorrow, or The Day After Tomorrow. Calendar boxes prior to or past this window are permanently greyed out.
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Return Ticket Required: Departure date must match your outbound flight reservation. Immigration automated checks verify you have not exceeded your allowable visa exemption duration (typically 30 or 90 days depending on your passport).
MODE OF TRAVEL & EMBARKATION PORT
MODE: AIR AIR / LAND / SEA
LAST PORT: SIN (SINGAPORE) flight
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The "Last Port" Misconception: If you fly from London → Doha → Kuala Lumpur, your last port is DOHA (DOH), NOT London! Always indicate the specific airport where you physically boarded the direct leg into Malaysia.
TRANSPORT NUMBER (FLIGHT / CAR / BUS)
FLIGHT: MH0001 Airline Code + No
LAND BUS: CW2 Causeway Link
LAND CAR: SLA1234B Plate Number
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Public Bus & Train Travelers: When crossing via Singapore Woodlands or Tuas checkpoints by public transit, enter PUBLIC BUS or the bus service code (e.g., CW1, CW2, 170). For KTM Shuttle Tebrau train, type SHUTTLE TEBRAU.
3

Accommodation & Geographic Classifications

This is where 64% of travelers encounter validation halts. Malaysia's administrative breakdown divides into Federal Territories and States.

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Crucial Dropdown Pitfall: Kuala Lumpur is NOT in Selangor

If your hotel is in central Kuala Lumpur (Bukit Bintang, KLCC, Chinatown), do not select "Selangor" in the State menu! You must select WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN KUALA LUMPUR. Selecting Selangor with a 50xxx postcode produces an automated database mismatch error.

ACCOMMODATION OF STAY
HOTEL / MOTEL / RESORT check
RESIDENCE OF RELATIVE / FRIEND home
OTHERS (AIRBNB / HOMESTAY) apartment
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Staying at Airbnb? If your condominium unit has a recognized commercial name (e.g. "The Face Suites", "Scarletz Suites"), select HOTEL / MOTEL / RESORT or OTHERS. Under Address, clearly write the condominium tower name, unit number, and street.
ADDRESS IN MALAYSIA
TRADERS HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTRE
PERSIARAN KLCC
Max 100 characters
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Multiple Destinations: If touring across multiple stops (e.g. KL → Penang → Langkawi), enter your first night's accommodation only. Malaysian border control does not require your full holiday itinerary in the single address line.
STATE, CITY & POSTCODE
STATE (NEGERI): WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN KUALA LUMPUR
CITY (BANDAR): KUALA LUMPUR
POSTCODE (POSKOD): 50088
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Exact 5-Digit Postcode: Malaysian postcodes consist of exactly 5 numeric digits (e.g., 50450, 10200). Never type country code prefixes (e.g., "MY-50450"). Consult our reference directory below if your booking voucher omits the postal index.
4

Common Form Traps & Instant Fixes

Hit a red error alert on the government site? Match your message below for the proven resolution.

ERROR: INVALID_PASSPORT error

"Invalid Passport Characters or Length"

The Culprit: Pasting your passport number with spaces, dashes, or spaces before/after the characters.

The Fix: Clear the input and type the number manually. Strictly alphanumeric characters without spacing (e.g. A1234567).

ERROR: DATE_OUT_OF_RANGE event_busy

"Arrival Date Not Selectable / Disabled"

The Culprit: Attempting to submit 4 or more days in advance of your Malaysian arrival date.

The Fix: Set a calendar reminder. Submissions only open 3 calendar days before your arrival date based on Kuala Lumpur time (UTC+8).

ERROR: GEOGRAPHIC_MISMATCH wrong_location

"Postcode Does Not Match Selected State"

The Culprit: Choosing "Selangor" for KL locations, or picking "Pulau Pinang" with an airport transit code.

The Fix: Check the first 2 digits of the postcode against the state table below. For 50xxx-60xxx postcodes, State MUST be "Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur".

NO CONFIRMATION EMAIL mark_email_unread

"Submitted Successfully But No Email Arrived"

The Culprit: Strict corporate spam filters or server congestion during peak UTC+8 arrival hours.

The Fix: You do NOT need the email. Visit the official portal, click "Check Registration", enter your passport number and nationality to directly retrieve your PDF receipt.

5

Malaysian State & Postal Index Directory

Quick verification lookup for tourist epicenters across Malaysia. Keep this table handy when filling out the official address block.

Top Destination Area Official Portal State Dropdown City (Bandar) Typical Postcode Range
Kuala Lumpur (KLCC / Bukit Bintang) WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN KUALA LUMPUR Kuala Lumpur 50000 – 60000
KLIA / KLIA2 / Petaling Jaya / Sunway SELANGOR Sepang / Petaling Jaya / Subang 40000 – 48000 / 64000
Penang Island (George Town / Batu Ferringhi) PULAU PINANG George Town 10000 – 11900
Johor Bahru (Causeway / Legoland) JOHOR Johor Bahru / Iskandar Puteri 79000 – 81300
Langkawi Archipelago KEDAH Langkawi / Kuah 07000 – 07100
Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) SABAH Kota Kinabalu 88000 – 89000
Kuching (Sarawak) SARAWAK Kuching 93000 – 94300
Malacca Historical City MELAKA Melaka 75000 – 76450
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Ready to Fill Out the Real Form?

You now have all format specifications, codes, and dropdown solutions. Click below to proceed directly to the Immigration Department of Malaysia portal.

Go to Official MDAC Portal north_east You will be transferred to imigresen-online.imi.gov.my. MDAC Guide is strictly independent and never requests payment or sensitive personal information.

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