Malaysia arrival card: the MDAC, and when to file it

The free online arrival card, the 3-day window, and the registration to keep on your phone.

By the Local SIM Malaysia team, checked October 2, 2026

Illustration: a passport and a phone showing a plain form with a green tick on a tray table by an aircraft window, a coastline below.

The short answer

Malaysia's arrival card is digital: the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, MDAC, filed free on the Immigration Department's portal at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main within the 3 days before you arrive. Foreign visitors file one, with a short list of exemptions, and each trip needs a new card. It is not a visa.

MDAC: imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main, filed within the 3 days before you arrive.
Free on the official portal; the Immigration Department has warned about look-alike sites that charge a fee for the same form.
Foreign visitors file one, except the exempt groups: Singapore citizens, diplomatic and official passport holders, Malaysian permanent residents and long-term pass holders, and holders of certain border documents.
Each trip needs a new card: the MDAC is filed per visit, not once per passport.
Not a visa: whether you need a visa depends on your nationality and is checked separately.
Airlines may ask for the arrival card at check-in, so file it before you fly.

Checked October 2, 2026

The card, and the sites around it

	Where	What it costs
The MDAC	imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main, within the 3 days before arrival	Free
A second visit	A new card, filed again before the return	Free
A visa, if your passport needs one	A separate application on official pages	Not part of the card
Look-alike sites	Copy the form and ask for a card payment	Not official; the department warns against them

The MDAC
Where
imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main, within the 3 days before arrival
What it costs
Free
A second visit
Where
A new card, filed again before the return
What it costs
Free
A visa, if your passport needs one
Where
A separate application on official pages
What it costs
Not part of the card
Look-alike sites
Where
Copy the form and ask for a card payment
What it costs
Not official; the department warns against them

Good to know (Before you go)

The three days
Filing opens 3 days before the arrival date, so a trip further out cannot be registered yet; the last days before the flight are the natural moment.
At the counter
On arrival, show the MDAC registration with your passport at the immigration counter; the portal's Check Registration page can look a submission up again.
Keep it on the phone
The registration lives on the phone, with a screenshot as a backup that opens without a connection.

The bottom line

Illustration: a hand holds a phone showing a QR code beside a red hibiscus and a small globe.

7 days · 3 GB · US$4.88

The passport and the registration both live in hand luggage: keep the card on the phone, and land with the data you need for anything after the counter.

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Questions

Is there a Malaysia arrival card?

Yes, and it is digital: the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, MDAC, filed free at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main within the 3 days before you arrive.

Is the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card free?

Yes. Filing is free on the official portal, and the Immigration Department has warned about look-alike sites that charge a fee for the same form.

Where do I file the MDAC?

On the Immigration Department's portal at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main, within the 3 days before you arrive; the department has also announced that the form can be filled in its MyNIISe app.

Do I need a Malaysia visa, or is the MDAC enough?

The MDAC is a registration, not a visa and cannot replace one; whether you need a visa depends on your nationality, checked on official Malaysian pages before you book.