MACS 2.0: Digital arrival card needed for Singaporeans registering to use e-gates at Johor land checkpoints for the first time

This can be filled in anytime within three days prior to the date of arrival at either of two entry points into Johor.

Clarification - This story was updated on 27 January 2023 to reflect that the digital arrival card must only be filled out once for those registering as first-time users of the e-gate facility.

Starting last Friday (20 January 2023), Singaporeans (excluding Malaysian Permanent Residents) will be able to use the e-gate facilities at the two land checkpoints for entry into Johor – the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI), and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB). These visitors will have to be holders of the e-passport (i.e. the biometric passport issued since 2006), Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was cited as saying.

According to a post by Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (JIM), this move was made to reduce the waiting time for visitors and make way for a smoother immigration clearance process. Additionally, per a Malay Mail report, Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who announced this on Friday, said the opening up of the e-gate facilities – previously only for Malaysian passport holders – to Singaporeans will "benefit the up to 50,000 Singaporean visitors who visit Johor for social purposes."

Importantly, the Minister has also announced that all visitors who wish to use the e-gate facilities at either land checkpoint, will now have to submit a Malaysia Digital arrival card (MDAC) within three days prior to the date of arrival. However, do note that this process of submitting the digital arrival card only needs to be completed once, i.e. for first-time users of the e-gate facilities.

Overall, visitors from Singapore who wish to avail the e-gate facilities, may refer to the MDAC portal by JIM to double-check their eligibility for gate usage. 

As further cited by MalayMail, Minister Saifuddin said that JIM will also be expanding the use of the e-gate facilities to other "countries that are categorised as low-risk countries", including Brunei, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

All images / Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia's Facebook