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 For outdated folks, you cannot renew your passport via post anymore.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***
*** 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!)
***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
Public Holidays: Malaysian & Australian National
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 09:30am- 5:00pm
Thx for the info...idoes it have biometrics, micro chip,so can use auto gate
ReplyDeleteHi Spring! Thanks for your comment.
DeleteThe passport definitely comes with the microchip! I went back to Malaysia after the renewal, and it works perfectly at the autogate! :)
Hi Mesha, I thought that it would take 5 months to process!! Hopefully the one in Perth will be just as fast as Melbourne! :)
DeleteHi Debra! With regards to the Perth passport process, I am unfamiliar with their process. When I was living in Perth, I always ended up back home to renew it. But, if you go down to Melbourne, it's a one-day process: apply, pay, and you can get yours (if you are lucky like me) within an hour +!
DeleteHi Mesha, is that true that I can get my photos done at the Melb consulate on the same day for A$10? Will it delay the passport processing? As I need to pick up my passport on the same day of lodgment. If I get my photos done in the local post office, what is the right size that required? Are you sure that white colour background is acceptable? Many thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Apple,
DeleteBased on my experience, you can definitely rock up with a standard passport sized photo (white background) that you can instantly get at your local post office (remember to bring 2 to hand in at the consulate).
What happened to me, was that I assumed they had the photo facility at the Consulate, however, their machine was broken (or for some reason they didn't do it at the time), so they directed me to the nearest post office, which is walking distance from the Consulate (like across the street). Keep in mind, this all happened after I took a number and spoke to a lady.
When I came back with the photos (x2), she said I could just hand it over to her and she advised that it'll only take just over an hour for my passport to be issued. Sure enough, just after an hour, my passport was ready for collection.
Having said that, please keep in mind that maybe I might have been lucky with such a short processing time. On their website, it does state that collection is normally between 3-5pm on the same day of application. Nevertheless, you should expect your new passport on the same day.
Hope this helps and good luck with everything! :)
Hi Mesha, I am flying in from Brisbane and will only arrive in Melbourne airport at 8.30am before making my way to the embassy. Will that allow sufficient time from them to accept my application or would be I have fly in the night before to secure an early ticket number ?
ReplyDeleteHi Rajeev,
DeleteAs per stated, they are open from 09:30AM, and they accept applications up all the way to 12:00PM. If you could go straight to the embassy from the airport, you should be fine? The worst case scenario, if they are busy, is that you'll just have to collect your passport between 03:00 - 05:00PM on the same day.
If you do not want to feel pushed for time, then maybe I would suggest flying in the day before. I took this as a small opportunity to have a mini getaway, spending 2 nights in Melbourne. So, it's up to you :)
Also, if you're planning to have a mini-getaway, I highly recommend the Crown Metropol!
Good luck and should you have any further questions, feel free to write a comment or send me an email, which is listed in the "..this is more of me" link, to the left of the screen, under "About Mesha".
I recently had to renew my passport at the Malaysian Consulate in Melbourne.
ReplyDeleteSome additional information that may be useful for others:
The cost, payable in cash, is AUD$80, not $110 as shown on the consulate's website.
In order to submit the application, you need to get a ticket from the queue machine at the door, and the machine stops generating new queue numbers after 12PM, so as long as you get your queue ticket before 12PM, you will be fine to submit your application when your turn comes up. I got my ticket at 11:45AM and was served at 12:30PM. I returned at 4PM to collect my new passport, and there was no queue at that time.
If you drove to the consulate, be mindful of the parking time restrictions, otherwise you might get a parking ticket. So bring along a heap of coins as the parking ticket machine does not accept a credit card. The maximum time is 2 hours on St Kilda Road in most parts, and the cost is around $3.30 an hour, and the machine does not give any change.
There is no need to take a passport photo with your application, because the consulate has incorporated a digital camera to take your photo right at the counter itself when you are submitting your paperwork to the officer. So don't waste time and effort getting photos at the pharmacy.
If you are travelling from interstate and you drove, you might want to submit your passport application in the morning, then drive to nearby Chapel Street in South Yarra/Prahran area for lunch/shop browsing and then come back to the consulate to pick up your documents later on, say at 4PM to avoid the queue at 3PM. Chapel street has lots of food and fashion. If you like Greek style lamb or chicken, try "Lamb on Chapel". If you want alternative clothes, go to Greville Street in Prahran.
Make the most of your day whilst you are waiting for your passport! :)
That's very helpful information Lawrance, thank you so much for sharing !
DeleteHi Lawrence, trying to help my parents renew their passport, because the application form is in Malay do you happened to know if there is someone who can help fill out the forms for us in the Malaysian Consulate, Melbourne?
DeleteHi Jess,
DeleteSorry, for the delayed response, as I did not receive a notification of your comment - I just happened to look up this site again, to refresh my memory for another family member. As far as I recall, there was no one at the consulate who could help with providing translation services. You will just need to have a look at the form and get some help. The form can be downloaded from http://www.malaysia.org.au/forms/Immig/Form_IM.42.pdf.
And for those of you who are Australian permanent residents, don't forget to check the expiry date of your Resident Return Visa (115) on your old passport. If it is current, you will need to carry both your old and new passport when travelling in and out of Australia. But if it is expired, you'll need to apply for a new one for your new passport, if you plan on using it to travel outside the country. Application is done online (costs $345 payable via credit card online) and there is no longer a need to attach a visa sticker in your new passport, unless you are travelling to a country that doesn't have the technology to read your passport's chip. In which case, you'll need to go into the immigration department regional office to get a sticker after you've completed the application online and paid for the new Resident Return Visa. The sticker will cost you an additional $150.
ReplyDeleteIf you travel to Malaysia with your passport, I don't expect that the Visa sticker will be required but I can't comment on other country destinations. It may be worth the $150 to avoid any travel hassles when globe trotting around frequently.
Hey Lawrance,
DeleteThanks for your input! It's nice to hear that they have finally fixed the issue with regards to having to bring a photo along! :) Thanks again for sharing your recent experience!
If they have really dropped the cost from $110 AUD to $80, that's even better news (although I feel like I had been ripped off now haha).
Cheers
Hi Meisa, my current RRV has expired and my passport also need to be renew soon. Am I applying for the RRV first or renew my passport first? Thanks for advice.
ReplyDeleteHey there! Sorry for not responding as I have currently relocated. Unfortunately, I have little or no experience regarding the Resident Return Visa, so I have no comment. I would recommend contacting the immigration department for further action.
DeleteIts always better to apply for passport first and then the Australian RRV. RRV is required if you need to travel and its very expensive.
Deletethanks for sharing this very useful info!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
Deletehi..if i renew my passport how long will the passport valid..
ReplyDeleteHey, uh.. sorry for the late response :O 5 years for mine
DeleteHi,may I ask my passport expired at April 2017,how many month before expired I can renew it? 6month before or can more early? Thanks
ReplyDeleteIf you're planning on any travel, I would advise for you to renew as soon as possible. Most countries want to see that you have at least 6 month validity on your passport, and can refuse entry. So 6 months prior to the expiration date shown.
Deletehi
ReplyDeletemy passport expired end of this year.in december.can i renew with bridging visa c?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late response. I am not too sure. Please give your nearest consulate a call for the appropriate information!
DeleteHi, great guideline here for Malaysian who want to renew passport in Australia.
ReplyDeleteAnd I got few question here to post.
From the latest update website, they stated :
1. PASSPORT APPLICATION FORM (IM.42) Print as single sheet
http://malaysia.org.au/forms/passport.pdf
2. CURRENT PASSPORT (original)
3. MYKAD WITH CHIP (original)
4. VALID AUSTRALIAN’S RESIDENT VISA (original and 1 photocopy)
Seems like the only document required photocopy is the resident visa- for my case - the VEVO.
But i only got the softcopy of VEVO which is downloadable from Australia immigration website. Is that considered as original as I will just print 2 of them one is original and the other one as photocopy.
Just want to double confirm everything is alright. Thanks
Hi Troy,
DeleteApologies for the late response. In regards to the Australian Resident Visa / VEVO, I brought in the printed copy which I had downloaded from the VEVO site. They understand that not all residents have the hard-copy (aka visa sticker) in the passport. As with most of the other comments, I would highly suggest double-checking this with the consulate you plan to visit, just in case of any changes they've made since my visit.
Cheers!
Hello guys,
ReplyDeleteI just wondering if my Malaysian passport expired on 10 January 2017, I'm planning to visit Malaysia at the end of this year on 26 December 2016, so i was think to renew it at Malaysia. Am I allow to travel??
Hi Marcus,
DeleteSpeaking from experience as a past travel consultant, I highly recommend taking the time to try and renew your passport prior to your travel back to Malaysia. I used to advise clients to have at least 6 months validity on their passport. I am assuming you're a Malaysia citizen, therefore entering Malaysia you should not have an issue.
However, if you are planning on returning to Australia, you will have to inform the Australian Immigration with your new passport info for them to update into their system and I do not know how long it will take them to process that information (and you'll obviously do this before the return journey, so expect long distance international call for that one).
I personally would play it safe and visit a Malaysian consulate and have your passport renewed at their office prior to your travel. If not, please give them a call with an explanation of your situation and confirm with them the procedures and etc. Also give the Australian Immigration a call to ask if you're still planning on renewing the passport back in Malaysia for further info.
Sorry I cannot give you more advice on this, and hope that whatever I had mentioned helped.
Cheers!
Hi Mesha,
DeleteThanks for your awesome advice.
So, if I renew passport at Melbourne's Malaysia Consulate office, I don't have to inform the Australia immigration about my new passport details?
By the way, I'm based on Brisbane. Well, i reckon better flight to Melbourne to get it done and holidays as well :)
Thanks for your time and help!
Cheers
Hi Marcus,
DeleteAh! So you're like me then. Yes, I flew down from Brisbane to Melbourne specifically for that, plus normally you can get better fares flying down to Melbourne rather than Canberra.
You will still need to inform the Australian Immigration regardless (unless you'd like to be stuck in Customs on the way back whilst they try and figure out who you are and what visa you possess; I learned it the hard way when I forgot to update the info prior to my Bali). It's just going to make your international travel much easier, and at least once it's out of your way.
Yes, may as well make it a mini holiday! I did and so should you!
So long story short: Renew passport and update new passport info with the Australian Immigration.
No worries and good luck!
Hi Mesha,
DeleteThank you very much for your time and good advice.
Cheers
Hello guy,
DeleteI just got my passport renew today and got my new passport after an hour:)
Now they moved to level 1!
Do they use mykad reader at the malaysian consulate at melbourne?
ReplyDeleteDo they use mykad reader at the malaysian consulate at melbourne?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHey there. Sorry for the late response. I am not too sure. You might just have to give them a call regarding this.
DeleteHi, I am wondering if we can renew our Malaysian passport in Melbourne even after it has been expired? Or we must renew the passport before expiry date.
ReplyDeleteHey! Sorry for the late response. I am not too sure whether you are able to renew an expired passport. I am assuming you can, however saying that, it is always best to check. You could always just give them a call with your question!
DeleteHI, Im working in New Zealand with Visa Valid until Jan 2017, but my passport is about to expire in 2days (11 Nov 2016). So im traveling tonight from New Zealand(ZQN) to Melbourne with ETA visa to renew my passport. Will there be any issue to renew my passport with ETA?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeletePassport renewed!! And back to New Zealand with new Passport...!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Mesha, just submitted application for renewal of expired passport at the Melbourne Malaysian Consulate. All we need now is application form, NRIC, photocopy of visa. Photos will be taken by the consulate-free. Passport ready in an hour and cost AUD80/-. Very efficient overall and great customer service by Consulate staff.
ReplyDeleteHey (whoever you are)!
DeleteSorry for the delay in responding. I am glad that your experience went well and that you were able to take your photos as the consulate itself (the service was unavailable when I went).
I definitely agree that it is super efficient! It was worth the trip down to Melbourne!
Hi there Kaichung!
ReplyDeleteOh dear! I am so sorry to hear that! I am assuming that you will have to have your MyKad with you at the time of application. I would strongly recommend contacting them as soon as you can for further information on this.
Best of luck!
Mesha
Hi Mesha,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome article, it's really helpful. I do have a question, if I'd lost my passport, and needed a brand new one do you think it can still be done within the same day?
Dear Jian Ping,
DeleteVery valid question indeed. I would have called them up immediately during their office hours to enquire about this. Sadly, I do not know the procedure for lost passports.
If you think it was stolen, I'd also recommend filing a police report.
Cheers!
Hey I just renewed my passport today, so I would like to share my experience so it can help anyone in the future.
ReplyDelete1. Arrived at the embassy at 9.20am and waited till 9.30 for the door to open.
2. Line up and get your ticket number.
3. When your number is up, go to the desk and give them your current passport, IC and 1 printed copy of your VEVO visa.
4. They will print out a document of your information and ask you to check if it's correct and if it is sign it.
5. Do some thumb electronic scan and 1 thumb print ink on a paper.
6. They will ask you where you're currently living now and your contact phone number.
7. Take a photo on the spot.
8. Pay AUD$80 and has to be in the exact change.
9. Come back in an hour since i got there very early.
10. An hour and a half later, someone will call out your name to give you your new passport.
11. Once you get your new passport, you have to update your new passport number in your visa.
The whole process is pretty easy if you have everything ready. I completed my application in less than 10 minutes.
All the best.
Hi Jason,
DeleteAfter we renew the Malaysian pasport, how we can update our detail in Vevo ( new passport number .. Are they can update online or we need to go to the immi for that?.. And as I'm bridging visa A, is that can be renew in Melbourne Malaysia embassy ..
Thank you so much
Hi meiysha, Jason Ho..
ReplyDeleteAfter we renew the Malaysian pasport, how we can update our detail in Vevo ( new passport number .. Are they can update online or we need to go to the immi for that?.. And as I'm bridging visa A, is that can be renew in Melbourne Malaysia embassy ..
Thank you so much
Hi, just wondering if anyone manage to renew their passports with a Bridging Visa B? Thanks!
DeleteI’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article... yeşil pasaporta vize isteyen ülkeler
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for this useful article. I like it. pasaport kaç günde çıkar 2019
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your valuable information. can you help me in finding out more detail on Malaysia visa
ReplyDeleteI live in New Zealand, and planning to travel to Melbourne get my passport renewed.
ReplyDeleteThe KLN website says they don;t accept visitor's visa.
Can anyone with experience let me know what documentation they need to bring when they don't reside in Australia?
thanks for the information
ReplyDeleteNice blog thanks for sharing with us. If you are finding the best immigration in Brisbane then you can contact the Education Embassy. for more information, you can visit our website.
ReplyDeleteHi Mesha, I’m holding for bringing Visa C and my Malaysia passport about to expired in next month can renew here in Melbourne. Malaysia Consulate? Tq
ReplyDeleteHey Mesha, I'm currently located in Queensland ,too bad they don't have consulate here, do you think I could travel back home to renew with a month validity passport?
ReplyDeleteVisa/passport photo will cost you $20 dollars per person.
ReplyDeleteI save money and got my visa granted by creating my own passport/visa photo.
Step by step tutorials can be found in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RRRjjPbTVQ
There are a lot of blogs and articles out there on this topic, but you have acquired another side of the subject. This is reliable content thank you for sharing it. Red Center Australia travel guide
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know if my Malaysian Passport has to be renewed before it expires or must definitely be before expiry?
ReplyDeleteThen I have to book a very quick trip to Melbourne as it expires 3rd March 2020.
Hi, does anyone knows if bridging visa A subclass 866, can renew passport at Melbourne Malaysia embassy or not ya during this COVID situation now, ?
ReplyDelete