MALAYSIA – New Requirements for Afghan Passport Holders

October 19, 2023


The government of Malaysia has issued new requirements for Afghan passport holders affiliated with companies registered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). With immediate effect, Afghanistan passport holders applying for any Pass (i.e. Employment Pass, Dependant Pass, Long Term Social Pass etc), must provide the following hardcopy documents during the submission of Stage 1(Approval Stage):

  1. For Employment Pass (EP) applications – copy of educational certificate (like Diploma, Degree, Master, etc.) with original attestation/original certified true copy (CTC) by the Embassy of The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Malaysia OR the nearest Malaysian Embassy to Afghanistan.
  2. For Dependant Pass (DP) and Long-Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) applications – copy of Marriage Certificate / Birth Certificate or proof of relationship documents with original attestation/original certified true copy (CTC) by the Embassy of The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Malaysia OR the nearest Malaysian Embassy to Afghanistan.

If the Certificates are not in English, it must be first officially translated into English and certified by the recognised authorities i.e.: Institute of Translations & Books Malaysia (ITBM), the Malaysian Embassy in the respective country, or the respective Embassy in Malaysia.

Applicants should note the original attested hardcopies of the above-mentioned documents will be retained by the authorities and will not be returned. Per prevailing process, the above requirements are already in place for passport holders of the following countries:

  1. Bangladesh
  2. China
  3. Columbia
  4. Iran
  5. Iraq
  6. Nigeria
  7. North Korea
  8. Pakistan

It is recommended the attestation/CTCs are done on photocopies of the certificates or extractable versions of the certificates and not on the actual original versions, which should always be in the possession of the owner. Documents should also not be older than 10 years at the time of submission.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.