Immigration in Sabah

A Malay Immigration officer was speaking fluently in English, without making eye contact, and it turned out that he was insisting me to purchase the passport cover worth RM5 each. 

He claimed that the cover managed to prevent damage to the new system of passport with installed chip.  

The man added that it is best to keep the document away from heat of source- left in the car or avoid from any corrosive agent or fluid.

In Sabah’s mini Putrajaya (next to UMS), first floor at Block B building, I took about five hours to renew passport during last year of mid-December. The queue was exceptionally long beginning from the registration counter; document processing, payment and retrieval.

For renewal, an adult Malaysian needs to bring the old passport, a passport-sized passport picture with white background and original Malaysian IC, as well as RM300 for 5 years term (or RM100 for two years).

There are counters of photography taking and documents photocopies services. But it may delay your process as many would use them as well.

It is best to settle everything before come to the place.

It costs about RM10 for the passport picture.

As for new registration, it is better to print the application form from Immigration’s website and follow the checklist.