Here's Everything You Need To Know About Driving In Malaysia As A Foreigner

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To clarify the rules, SAYS reached out to a Road Transport Department (JPJ) official to understand the requirements and procedures for foreign nationals who wish to drive legally in the country.

Currently, Malaysia allows the conversion of foreign driving licences for specific categories:

- Malaysians with a foreign driving licence — regardless of the country
- Foreigners married to Malaysians
- Diplomatic cardholders or embassy staff
- Participants in the Malaysia My Second Home (MMH2) — where a full driver's licence is converted to a Malaysian 'P' probationary licence

If you don't fall under one of the four categories above, you'll need to obtain a Malaysian driving licence the same way locals do — by enrolling in a registered driving school.

The fees for individual driving schools vary, typically ranging from RM700 to RM3,000. The process includes passing both theoretical and practical examinations and can be completed within a couple of months.

While there's a fifth category for expatriates, this is currently on hold and is expected to be terminated soon, according to Rosmini Kadir from JPJ's Licensing Unit, who spoke to SAYS recently.

She also shared that the conversion qualifications change from time to time, so foreigners should check with the JPJ office for their eligibility.

This is due to the Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences signed on 9 July, 1985, which allows citizens of ASEAN countries to drive within member nations using their domestic driving licences.

"Malaysians can drive in ASEAN countries with a valid Malaysian driver's licence as long as the licences are in English," Rosmini told us, emphasising that all ASEAN countries' driving licences are issued in English.

For foreigners from non-ASEAN countries, the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 apply. Under these two conventions, citizens from more than 120 signatory countries are permitted to drive in Malaysia with their domestic driving licences, provided they also carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) in the approved format.

Some of these countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.

For Indian nationals, the IDP is issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in India to those who hold a valid Indian driving licence and are residents of India. The only way to obtain the IDP is to apply for it prior to your travel, specifying the countries to be visited and the duration of stay, among other details.

The same applies to foreigners from other non-ASEAN countries. They are required to obtain the IDP before travelling to Malaysia, where an IDP is valid for one year from the date of issue.

However, Maldivian nationals are exempted from requiring an IDP due to a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Malaysia and the Maldives, allowing citizens of both countries to drive freely in each other's countries.

For those eligible for conversion, the process takes about 30 working days.

The validity period will follow the Malaysian system.

"Conversions can only be done at the JPJ state office, not the branches," Rosmini told SAYS.

"There are two kinds of fees depending on the country. For some countries, you can do it right away, but for others, you'll need to go through a driver education program, which includes a six-hour class and a computer test. If you don't need the classes, it's just a RM20 fee for those countries."

According to Rosmini, only the three specific agreements — ASEAN, Geneva/Vienna, and the MRA with the Maldives — allow foreigners to drive in Malaysia using their domestic driver's licence.