The Malaysian Immigration Department suspended the issuance of Malaysian International Passports (PMA) with validity longer than 10 years starting August 12, 2026, following reports of travel difficulties by some Malaysians holding such passports overseas [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Existing passport holders with more than 10 years of validity will receive free replacement passports capped at 10 years, according to Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, who said, "Existing PMA holders with a validity period exceeding 10 years will be given free replacement passports with a maximum validity of 10 years" [1].
The suspension was driven by problems experienced by Malaysians during airline check-in abroad where some airlines' systems failed to recognize passports valid over 10 years, causing confusion and disruptions [1, 5, 8, 9, 7]. Datuk Zakaria said the Immigration Department referred these issues to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which confirmed there is no international restriction on passports valid beyond 10 years. "From the ICAO perspective and aviation standards, there is no issue... but the airlines have a problem," he explained [1, 8].
Before the halt, renewal policies allowed an additional validity of up to six months beyond 10 years if the passport was renewed early, resulting in passports valid up to 10 years and 6 months. Under the new policy, renewals will be strictly capped at 10 years to prevent further issues [3, 8, 10, 9]. Malaysia initially implemented the 10-year maximum validity for new passports on July 1, 2026 [3, 5, 9].
About 38,000 new passports with a 10-year validity have been issued since the July 1 rollout, with approximately 26,000 exceeding 10 years in validity due to prior renewal rules [8, 9]. Passport holders with 10-year validity passports are advised to buy airline tickets directly at service counters for on-the-spot verification, as online systems may still reject them [11, 12]. Datuk Zakaria noted, "We do not issue supporting documents to verify individual 10-year passports as valid travel documents. Travellers only need to purchase their tickets at the counter so direct verification can be completed there" [12].
The Immigration Department is sending notification letters to airlines to aid affected travelers overseas [1, 4, 5, 8, 6, 7]. The department has dismissed viral claims that 10-year passports breach international rules or cause border control problems [11, 4, 12].
The department continues to monitor the situation while enforcing the 10-year validity ceiling. Travelers are encouraged to replace passports exceeding 10 years validity as freely offered by the department.
