How To Apply Special Pass For Foreign Workers in Malaysia

The Special Pass is issued to those who have overstayed in Malaysia and require additional time to depart the country.

The Malaysian Immigration Department issues the Malaysia Special Pass to foreign nationals who haven't renewed their employment history or student pass or who have not departed after it has expired for a valid reason.

The Malaysia Special Pass was previously issued for two reasons: "Planning to Leave the Country" and "Pending Approval of an Employment/Student Pass."

Even so, as of 2016, the Department of Immigration no longer allowed expats to repurpose or extend their Passes while in Malaysia via a Special Pass. As a result, the Malaysia Special Pass is valid for 30 days, after which you must leave the country.

Who is necessitated to apply for a Malaysia Special Pass?

There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about when a Malaysia Special Pass can be issued. However, according to regulations that went into effect in 2016, you can only apply for a Malaysia Special Pass if you cannot leave the country by the mentioned date on your recent Pass (Visit Pass, Employment Pass, Student Pass etc.).

This means that if you have yet to start applying for a Pass renewal promptly, or if you want to transform your Student Pass to an Employment Pass, you will no longer be able to obtain a Malaysia Special Pass.

As a result, the Malaysian government would only issue a Special Pass stating that you are currently "Making Preparations to Leave the Country."

If you want to submit a new Pass but need more time on your present Pass, you may need to depart the country and resubmit.

To find out if you are qualified for a Special Pass, contact Malaysia's Immigration Department.

Malaysia Special Pass Requirements

When trying to apply for a Malaysia Special Pass, you must provide several supporting documents, including:

• Your genuine passport
• Photocopies of all of your passport's pages
• You may also be asked to provide photocopies of previous passports (if any)
• a duplicate of your current Pass

When it comes to Dependents:

• A photocopy of the primary Pass holder's passport details page as well as their current immigration status Pass
• Certification of Marriage (for spouses)
• Certification of Birth (for dependent child)
• The main Pass holder's birth certificate (for dependent parent)
• Flight ticket reserved for the next 30 days
• Typed letter explaining why a Special Pass is needed

Please remember that this isn't an extensive and comprehensive list of requirements, and the Malaysian Immigration Department reserves the authority to request any documents it deems necessary.

Birth and marriage certificates must be translated into English and certified as Certified True Copy (CTC) by your country's embassy in Malaysia.

How do I apply for a Malaysia Special Pass?

Malaysia's Immigration Department is in charge of processing Malaysian Special Passes. You must appear within a week of them before your Pass expires and you submit to apply for a Malaysia Special Pass.

You must apply seven days before the expiration of your current Pass.

If you're an international student, your school can handle the Special Pass application on your behalf. However, it would help if you bore all costs associated with the Special Pass.

Accordingly, if you are a migrant worker, check with your employer to see who is required to apply for the Special Pass.

In many situations, the employer acquires a Special Pass on the employee's behalf.

Suppose you forgot your worker's permit renewal deadline or need more time to fulfil the requirements of her permission renewal. In that case, you can apply for a special pass to lengthen your worker's work permits beyond their current permit. 

The Special Pass Service is also widely known during Covid-19 to assist workers in remaining legal in Malaysia while travel limits are in place.

The Special Pass is a temporary visa that enables employees to legally remain in Malaysia for another 30 days if, for example, the employer requires more time to complete certain processes, such as renewing the work permit, arranging for her to return home, or if there is a FOMEMA or passport issue, etc.

Employers in Malaysia

If you are a Malaysian employer, you can now apply for your worker's special Pass through the ePLKS@JIM platform.

Here's how to go about it:

1. If you don't already have an ePLKS User ID and Password, click "Pendaftaran" in the top header to get started.
2. To begin your registration, make sure to select 'Permohonon Baru (Pembantu Rumah)' rather than 'Permohonan Baru (Pelbagai Sektor).'
3. You will be asked to enter your IC number*. Please do not include any dashes in your response. You should receive an email confirmation with your account password from "lanjutan [email protected]."
4. After successfully logging in to your e-PLKS account, click on the 'Permohonan Lanjutan PRA' tab and fill in the required information. Your worker's information should be displayed below, and you can proceed by clicking the 'ESP' button.
5. Your helper's special Pass will be analysed within 1-2 working days, and the status can be found under the "Status Permohonan SP" tab.
6. After receiving approval, you could make payment through the same "Status Permohonan SP" tab.

*Suppose your name doesn't appear on the system after entering your IC number while registering for an e-PLKS account. In that case, you must visit the Malaysian Immigration office to update or act per their records with their backend system.

If e-SP is not possible, Malaysian employers can apply for their helper's special Pass over the counter, which will be issued within the same day (as a document slip attached to the worker's passport).

Employers of Expatriates

After obtaining an appointment through sto.imi.gov.my, expatriate employers can apply for their helper's special Pass over-the-counter at the Expatriate Services Division. The legal employer must appear in person at the Expatriate Services Division; please bring both the legal employer's and the worker's original passports. The Special Pass will be available the following day at the Expatriate Services Division.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

After your helper's work permit has expired, you can apply for a special pass.

For both e-SP and over-the-counter applications, the special Pass will cost RM100.

What happens if you stay in Malaysia too long?

If you stay in Malaysia after the expiry date of your Pass, you will have overstayed. Overstaying in Malaysia is a punishable offence that can result in detainment and a fine. Malaysia's Immigration Department issued your penalty.