Malaysian Passport Renewal (Melbourne Australia)

http://www.meldmagazine.com.au/2012/03/renew-malaysia-passports-melbourne/

For those unlucky Malaysians, who is facing (or in my case, did face) the dilemma of needing their passport renewed, here is just some quick tips of what to expect. To those living in either Canberra, Melbourne or Perth, lucky you, there are offices nearby without having to travel! Living in Brisbane though, meant that I had two options: Fly back to Malaysia or find the nearest High Commission of Malaysia in Australia. For outdated folks, you cannot renew your passport via post anymore.

In the past, I have always allowed enough time to fly back home to renew my passport during our annual trip anyways, but as I approached adulthood, this meant no more annual trips home. At first, Canberra seemed like a good option as it was close to Brisbane and I had never been to Canberra before. Soon, I realised that the only airlines to Canberra from Brisbane is with Qantas and it ain't cheap flying down, just for my passport (perks of being a travel consultant, is finding your own flights). Melbourne, a larger, more popular destination, meant more airlines flying there and hence, the cheaper prices. So, Melbourne it was.

Just remember to bring:

- Existing/Current passport

- Malaysian MyKad/IC

- Filled Passport Application Form on a single sheet (which is completely in Bahasa Malaysia and NOT in English)

- A valid Australian resident visa documentation (VEVO, etc.,) 1 x original 1 x copy

- 2 Passport sized photo (white background is fine and can be taken at your local post office)

- A fee of $110.00AUD (payable by cash, money order or bank cheque, payable to the Malaysian High Commission)
*** UPDATE: The fee has dropped down to $80AUD / $40AUD for Seniors. Cash Only. Please refer to http://www.kln.gov.my/web/aus_melbourne/passport_renewal***

Also, no appointments needed to be made - just rock up between 09:30am - 12:00pm and take a number slip when you arrive. Most official sites state that you have to come back between 3:00pm-5:00pm (maybe on busier days), but the lady told me to wait for an hour and it will be ready for collection (Yep, you heard me, AN HOUR!). Good news! I pretty much got everything sorted within two hours maximum (including waiting time for my number to be called, running to the post office for my photo to be taken and the hour taken to process a new passport). 

Some links for the necessary documents:

- Checklist (for those who still like to have a hard copy as a reminder, like me!)

- Passport Application Form 

***UPDATE***

 Please note that there might have been some changes made since I wrote this entry. I would also highly recommend double-checking the information at: http://www.kln.gov.my/web/aus_melbourne/passport_renewal 

Where is it in Melbourne?

Level 1| No. 432 St. Kilda Road,

Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia

(P): 03 9573 5400

(F): 9866 6204

(E): malmelbourne@kln.gov.my

Public Holidays: Malaysian & Australian National 

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 09:30am- 5:00pm