We’ve all heard of nightmare scenarios that could happen while travelling overseas. The most common (and terrifying) of these have got to be losing your passport. Unfortunately, if you ever find yourself in this predicament, there’s not much information online as to what Malaysians should do.
I can attest to this as I recently went on a hiking trip with my friends to East Java, Indonesia, when my passport suddenly went MIA and I found conflicting information online regarding the process needed to get an emergency passport. Good thing I didn’t panic!
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
Hence, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, chill lah! I’m here to share in-detail the entire process of how you can (legally) return to Malaysia safe and sound as well as certain things to know about losing your passport overseas that no one ever tells you.
The process of getting an emergency passport
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
Lo and behold, this little piece of document may seem trivial but it holds the power to get you across the border and back to your beloved tanah air if you are ever faced with any of the situations below:
- When you lose your Malaysian passport.
- When your passport validity expired.
- When your passport validity is less than six months.
However, do note that this emergency document is NOT applicable should you lose your passport in any of these countries: Brunei, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Holland, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey, and U.A.E.
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
Known as an Emergency Certificate (EC), this emergency passport can only be used for a ONE-WAY trip and is the only way you’ll be able to get back home. So how do you get one? Just follow these steps below in chronological order:
1. Make a police report at the local police station
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
What you’ll need:
- You must have a photocopy or at the very least, a photo of your lost passport as the police report will require a printed copy of it.
- Other documents for identification purposes such as your IC, driver’s license and so on.
Things to take note:
- A foreigner losing their passport is not a common occurrence, so be patient if the police officer doesn’t know the proper procedures.
- For those who lose their passports in Indonesia, make sure to go straight to the district police station called Polres, instead of the smaller ones called Polsek as they do not handle lost passport cases.
- In my case, I had to visit three different police stations before finding the right one as I was given the wrong information.
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
2. Visit the nearest Malaysian Embassy or Consulate-General
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
What you’ll need:
- Two (2) passport-sized photos of yourself. Do note there are different specs for passport-sized photos so ask for Malaysia’s passport-size specs if you’re printing a new one okay!
- Fill in the required forms and elaborate on how you lost your passport.
- Wait for your turn and pay the processing fee in the respective country’s currency. The fee is usually around RM50.
- You will then be issued with the EC that is valid for a one-way trip back to Malaysia and a few other documents which you will need to submit to the Malaysian Immigration at the airport.
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
Things to take note:
- Get ready for a change of travel plans as not all major cities in the country you’re visiting has a Malaysian Embassy.
- For example, the only Malaysian Embassy on Java Island, Indonesia is in Jakarta, some 800km away from the city I was in.
- If you have travel insurance, you can claim for the travel expenses IF you lose your passport due to theft.
- For the whole list of Malaysian Embassies overseas along with their addresses and contact numbers, click here.
- And don’t worry, you can still board domestic flights by showing your police report and a photo of your lost passport.
- Malaysian Embassies and Consulate-Generals follow the public holidays of both the respective countries they’re situated in AND Malaysia’s as well, so plan your trip accordingly!
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
3. Go to the country’s immigration office
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
What you need to do:
- Pass them all the documents and a copy of your boarding pass or any documents showing how you entered the country. If you lost your boarding pass, a softcopy of it also suffices.
- The Immigration will then stamp your EC and extend your visa based on their discretion (usually one month).
- Only with the EC stamped can you leave the country and return to Malaysia!
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
4. At the Malaysian airport, go straight to the immigration office
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
That’s it! With your EC stamped by the Immigration, you can now board an international flight (or other forms of transportation) back to Malaysian soil as per usual. Once you arrive at the Malaysian airport or border, don’t go through the Autogate but go straight to the Immigration office.
There, submit your EC and all the documents from the Embassy and you’re free to return home after they record your statement!
5. You have to wait around one month for a new passport
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
The journey doesn’t end there though, as you need to get a new passport for future travels, right? Here’s everything you need to know about the process:
- You can only make a new passport ONE MONTH after you’ve submitted the form at Immigration.
- Exactly 30 days after submission, go to the Malaysian Immigration offices at Putrajaya.
- Fill in the forms for them to investigate the cause of the missing passport.
- It would take another five working days for them to investigate further. This can be expedited if you have valid reasons such as having to work overseas, etc.
- You may also request for the case to be transferred to an Immigration office that is nearer to you.
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
Source: Saiful Ridzaimi
If the investigation concludes that you lost your passport due to your own negligence, you will have to pay a fine anywhere between RM200 and RM1,000 depending on how many times you’ve lost your passport.
You won’t be fined for loss of passport due to theft or natural disasters. However, you will have to pay the usual RM200 to renew your passport.
If you need further clarifications on what to do or something specific to the country where you may lose your passport at, you can always get in contact with the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry helpline through the channels below:
MFA EMERGENCY HELPLINE
- Office hours: 8.30am – 5.30pm
- Contact number: +603 8000 8000
- Contact number for after office hours: +603 8887 4570
- Email: dutyofficer@kln.gov.my
Hopefully, this article helps you if you’re ever stuck in the same situation I was in! My final advice to all of you travellers out there is:
Don’t lose your passports!
Also read: M’sians Forced To Pay RM1,000 To Thai Customs For Not Travelling With Old Passports
