The New Malaysian Passports With 10-Year Validity Aren’t Invalid. So Why Is Immigration Replacing Them?

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Malaysia has now capped passport validity at 10 years after reports that some travellers faced airline check-in issues

The Immigration Department has temporarily stopped issuing Malaysian international passports with more than 10 years' validity after some travellers encountered problems checking in for flights overseas.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban was reported by local media as saying that the decision was made after several Malaysian passport holders faced difficulties with airlines over passports whose validity extended beyond 10 years.

The move comes shortly after Malaysia introduced a new international passport with a 10-year validity option for Malaysians aged 18 and above from 1 July 2026.

However, the issue is not that Malaysia had introduced a separate passport category with a validity period longer than 10 years.

Instead, some passports were issued with more than 10 years' validity because of how early renewals were previously handled.

Why were some Malaysian passports issued with more than 10 years' validity?

Under the previous renewal arrangement, remaining validity could be carried over when a passport was renewed before its expiry.

That meant a Malaysian who renewed a passport six months before it expired could receive a new passport with a standard 10-year validity plus the remaining six months.

The resulting passport would therefore be valid for more than 10 years from its date of issue.

This appears to be what happened to some Malaysian travellers who subsequently encountered problems with airlines overseas.

Zakaria said the Immigration Department had referred the matter to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which confirmed that there was no prohibition against passports having a validity period exceeding 10 years.

"However, confusion arose when several holders of Malaysian international passports with validity periods exceeding 10 years encountered problems during check-in with several airlines overseas," he said in a statement today, 12 August.

The problem involved the six-month passport validity requirement

According to Zakaria, the confusion stemmed from requirements imposed for international travel that can require travellers to have at least six months of passport validity remaining.

Different interpretations of these requirements by airlines created problems for some Malaysian passport holders during check-in recently.

The Immigration Department has therefore decided to standardise the maximum validity period at 10 years while it works to resolve the matter with airlines and ICAO.

"Effective immediately, Immigration will suspend the issuance of passports with validity periods exceeding 10 years until the issue is resolved," Zakaria said.

Importantly, ICAO's feedback did not indicate that passports valid for more than 10 years were internationally prohibited.

The Immigration Department's own information states that ICAO sets international passport standards and specifications for member countries.

Existing passports with more than 10 years' validity will be replaced for free

Malaysians who already hold passports with validity periods exceeding 10 years will not have to pay for a replacement.

Zakaria said they will be issued new passports with a maximum validity of 10 years.

Affected passport holders will also be given priority when applying for their replacement passports.

The Immigration Department will issue notification letters to airlines to help facilitate travel for Malaysians who are currently overseas and affected by the issue.

What if you already have a 10-year passport?

If your Malaysian passport has a normal 10-year validity period, there is no indication from the Immigration Department's announcement that you need to replace it simply because it is a 10-year passport.

The issue concerns passports whose validity period extends beyond 10 years.

Zakaria also advised Malaysians holding 10-year passports who are planning to travel overseas and encounter problems purchasing tickets online to buy their tickets directly at an airline service counter.

This will allow airline staff to verify the passport's validity directly.

He said the Immigration Department does not issue separate supporting documents to certify that individual 10-year passports are valid travel documents.

The department's latest move is therefore less about Malaysia's 10-year passport itself being invalid and more about eliminating the unusual situation in which an early renewal could produce a passport with a total validity exceeding 10 years.

The suspension will remain in place until the matter is resolved with airlines and ICAO.