For long-term residents in Singapore, holding onto a Malaysian passport and are currently unable to renew the passport in Malaysia... Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Take a passport size photo of yourself
- Dark colored top, with sleeves and covering chest & shoulder area
- No glasses/colored contact lenses or any other accessories (except hijab - dark colored for the Muslims)
- Background of the photo MUST be WHITE, the website will be able to detect it if it is not white & you will not be able to proceed with the application
- Passport photo size must be 50mm x 35mm, leaving an approx. 10mm gap from your head to the top border - application website will show you an example of the correct passport photo size
- I read that for passport photo, if you do want to smile when taking the photo, please do not show your teeth (Not joking...)
Apps that I had used to take the passport photo for myself:
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zmobileapps.passportphoto&hl=en_SG&gl=US
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.vsmedia.biometricpassportphoto
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.handycloset.android.eraser&hl=en_SG&gl=US
The 3rd link is a background remover app to ensure that my background is white but I am pretty sure the ID photo apps are able to help you detect the background and let you edit to the color you require.
Tips: I used my phone to take a photo of myself (for better quality) against a white wall (or a full solid color background) then edited it using the apps above. Solid color background allows the app to detect and remove the background to replace it with white.
Step 2: Submit your details & photo online and make payment
- Visit this link for online application: https://eservices.imi.gov.my/myimms/myPassport?lang=en
- If you are lucky, you will enter the website without any hiccups but if you are unlucky & this appears:
- Just click on "advanced" or "show advanced" (first red box) and the link on second red box will appear. Click on the link and it will bring you to the site.
- The website will ask you to key in your personal details & to upload the photo. Passport details will then be auto-generated by the system & if your photo is successfully uploaded, it will show a black & white copy by the side.
- Next, they will ask you to make a payment online via FPX - which could only be done if you have a Malaysian registered bank account.
- When payment is successfully made, they will provide you with a RESIT RASMI with the details & proof that payment is received.
Sample for the resit rasmi after payment is made
Note: Point #2, do not bother going down the next day as stated on the resit rasmi.
It is inaccurate & is auto-generated from the system.
Step 3: Make an appointment for passport collection
- Send an email to singapore@imi.gov.my or visit http://sto.imi.gov.my/atase/singapura/
- Email content to include your full name, myKad (IC) no., passport no., passport expiry & attach the resit rasmi
- Then, wait for approx. one month to receive a reply for them (I will share my timeline for the whole process in the later part of this post).
- If you are trying to make an appointment online via the link above & if your attempt is successful (which I could not secure a date at all previously), I guess... You just need to show the appointment date/email/details given from the website & head down on the date that you've chosen.
I've just revisited the website to book an appointment and now, they allow you to book two months in advance (previously it was only one month & all the dates were unavailable)... That being said, I checked the latest date available (08/06) and it is indeed a pleasant surprise that the slot is available for booking! Good luck to those trying to renew passport now and in the future!
That is all you need to do to renew your passport online, sounds pretty easy eh? This is just the start for the arduous journey of renewing your passport... The wait is horrendous.
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My timeline:
28 Feb 2021: Renewed online successfully, with payment made via a Malaysia bank. Received the receipt (Resit Rasmi).
1 Mar 2021: Emailed in to singapore@imi.gov.my to get an appointment date, but no response for a month. Tried calling in throughout the same week but to no avail - so don't bother. Also, tried making an appointment online via a gov website and ALL THE SLOTS are full even with the latest date available to make appointment (As of 08/04, I think the website now has available dates to book an appointment)
1st two weeks of Mar: Sent multiple SAME email (about 4 - 5 times) to singapore@imi.gov.my for appointment date but did not get any response, so I gave up, suck thumb and just wait to see if they will get back within 4 weeks (approx. 1 month, accordingly to the info I found online)
Read news about the embassy and the head of the embassy said in the news that they were sending in 8 more staff to the embassy to facilitate this passport renewal process in Singapore and to get a technician enter SGP from MY to fix the apparently broke down passport printer. Also, the important thing that he mentioned are:
1 Mar 2021: Emailed in to singapore@imi.gov.my to get an appointment date, but no response for a month. Tried calling in throughout the same week but to no avail - so don't bother. Also, tried making an appointment online via a gov website and ALL THE SLOTS are full even with the latest date available to make appointment (As of 08/04, I think the website now has available dates to book an appointment)
1st two weeks of Mar: Sent multiple SAME email (about 4 - 5 times) to singapore@imi.gov.my for appointment date but did not get any response, so I gave up, suck thumb and just wait to see if they will get back within 4 weeks (approx. 1 month, accordingly to the info I found online)
Read news about the embassy and the head of the embassy said in the news that they were sending in 8 more staff to the embassy to facilitate this passport renewal process in Singapore and to get a technician enter SGP from MY to fix the apparently broke down passport printer. Also, the important thing that he mentioned are:
1) Online application process takes 4 - 5 weeks
2) As of the latest news published on straits time, no walk-in is allowed anymore
Article link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/congestion-high-commission-singapore-will-be-resolved-malaysia-14451416 & https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/malaysian-mission-in-spore-stops-walk-ins-for-passport-applications-after-complaints-of
28 Mar 2021: I received an email from noreply@imi.gov.my - all in bahasa, stating that my application has passed - additional period (which I had no idea what do they mean cos I google translated it) and it also said "Pejabat Pungutan Singapura akan menghubungi pihak Tuan/ Puan dalam tempoh 14 hari bekerja selepas tarikh email diterima untuk temujanji pungutan passport." which upon translating, "The Singapore Collection Office will contact you within 14 working days after the date the email is received for the passport collection appointment.".
28 Mar 2021: I received an email from noreply@imi.gov.my - all in bahasa, stating that my application has passed - additional period (which I had no idea what do they mean cos I google translated it) and it also said "Pejabat Pungutan Singapura akan menghubungi pihak Tuan/ Puan dalam tempoh 14 hari bekerja selepas tarikh email diterima untuk temujanji pungutan passport." which upon translating, "The Singapore Collection Office will contact you within 14 working days after the date the email is received for the passport collection appointment.".
Email from noreply@imi.gov.my
To play it safe, I emailed (again) to singapore@imi.gov.my with my details to get an appointment date for collection, citing that I received the email regarding it. I've no idea if the mentioned "after the date the email is received for the passport collection appointment" refers to the email I was gonna send to them or from this particular email they sent to me. So yes, I just sent another email to them. No harm trying.
07 Apr 2021: Received an email from singapore@imi.gov.my to inform me that my passport will be ready for collection on 19 April 2021, the email was mass sent to 10 people including myself as there are 10 names appeared in the email content. This email was indeed sent to me within 14 days from the first email I received.
Email for passport collection
Even though the email stated to bring only our current passport and My Kad IC for collection, I had read previously that we also need to bring along photocopied Singapore Blue IC (if you are a PR), work permit (If you are working here), a copy of the resit rasmi. To make the trip worthwhile, my two cents worth of opinion would be... Bring all of the above to avoid a wasted trip.
As of now, I am waiting to collect my passport on the 19 April 2021 and hopefully, it will be a smoooooth journey. Once my passport is collected, I probably will post again to update you guys on the collection process at the HiCom of Malaysia in SGP so you can have a piece of your mind when renewing your passport online while residing in Singapore.
Also, for latest SOP on passport renewal... HiCom of Malaysia stated on their Facebook page (17 Mar 2021) that they have introduced a "Dropbox" system for people who are unable to renew their passport online for whatsoever reasons or unable to secure an appointment date for passport collection online. For more info, visit the link: https://www.facebook.com/MalaysianHighCommissionSingapore/posts/5157936207610147
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UPDATES - 19 APRIL 2021
PASSPORT COLLECTION DAY
Hello, guys! Today is the day that I was scheduled for my passport collection. Appointment time stated between 10am to 3pm for the collection. My timeline as below: -
10.10am: Reached the embassy and there was already a queue outside, waiting to enter the main building. Flash your appointment email on your phone or printout to the security guard outside and he will usher you in. 95% of the people there were all for passport collection.
Once I got in, I started to join the snaking queue - the queue was looooooong and it was outdoor. Weather was mercy enough, thunders heard but it was windy and did not rain at all. Totally recommend you guys to bring along an umbrella just in case of bad weather (super sunny/rainy) and I was hoping it would not rain cos I had nothing to shield me.
All you need to do is to queue. There will be one to two security guards inside, one Indian lady & one Malay guy. They were there to ensure the people are in the correct queue and no one makes any mistake in "accidentally" cutting the queue cos there would be some point where the queue breaks. Also, the Indian security told the person who asked for estimated time to collect, she said about 4 hours and I can attest to that.
12.30pm: I was still queuing but already at the area where you can see the office and I thought I would be able to enter soon. Lo & behold... The door was not the entrance and it was yet another snaking queue at the pavilion areas. At this point, there will be seats available for you and you can finally sit and queue.
1.00pm: Finally at the last stretch, no more turns to make. Once you see the "huts" or the fountain with no water, you are near but still need to wait. By the time you are there, the officer will come out and collect your IC (MyKad) so they could go back and retrieve your new passport for collection.
1.40pm: Stepped foot into the office - where the counters are. During this time, your wait is gonna be probably 5 to 10 minutes before your turn to collect. There are two queues, one for those who have to take queue number (they seemed like they were there to collect passports but I am unsure why they need to collect queue number), one for those (me) who received email for collection.
1.45pm: It was my turn. Scan thumbprint, sign and ink your thumbprint on the paper. Check passport details, sign on the passport and off you go. This collection process at the counter took only 1 minute. Also, my new passport indicated that issuing office is in JB so I think it is true that they print the passports in JB and send it over to SG.
I literally queued 3.5 hours to collect my passport at the counter which only took one single minute. There were only two counters for us - one for senior citizens/pregnant ladies (Priority Q), one for normal people like us. Senior citizens above 60yo (I think) could just inform the Indian security guard and she will inform you to go to Counter 2 - You do not have to queue outside with the rest at all.
The collection process was really straightforward but it was the queuing & waiting game that marred the whole experience. I am just glad that I received the email reply from the immigration and had a date scheduled by them for my passport collection with no hiccups in between. Just that the whole process from the start (online renewal) to the end (passport collection) took very long - 7 weeks & 2 days.
Oh, lastly, you only need your old passport & IC (MyKad) to collect your passport. They did not ask me to show my Singapore NRIC or my REP to them during the collection.
Good luck to my fellow Malaysians!
Hope this post helps!
TTFN!
Oh hello, there!
