What are the requirements to use the e-gates to enter Johor land checkpoints from Singapore?
The electronic gates or e-gates at the two land entry points at the Causeway and Tuas are now open for use for Singaporeans. This is one of the immediate measure to relief congestion at the world’s busiest land crossing between Singaoire and Johor Bahru.
Before you rejoice at the convenience this policy can bring, there are several criteria to be eligible for the expedited immigration process at the JB customs via the MACS initiative:
- E-passport with at least 3 months validity
- Minimum height of 120cm
- First-time e-gate users should submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) three days before arrival and visit a manual counter for a one-time verification.
Singaporeans are not required to fill in MDAC when using manual counters. However both Malaysia’s Home Ministry and Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advise that those intending to use the e-gates for the first time complete the MDAC and register their fingerprints at a manual counter. Once enrolled, they can access the e-gates for future entries.
Based on our team's on-the-ground checks and multiple reports on social media, Singaporeans are able use the e-gates without the need for MDAC registration or initial fingerprint enrollment.
However, we still recommend that visitors complete the MDAC registration on their first visit as advised by the authorities and proceed to the manual counter for fingerprint enrollment.
How to submit Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC)?
Starting from 1 January 2024, all foreign nationals entering Malaysia must fill in and complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) three days prior to arrival. However, the following groups are exempt:
- Singaporeans
- Diplomatic and official passport holders
- Malaysian PR and Long Term Pass holders
- Brunei’s General Certificate of Identity holders
- Brunei Malaysia Frequent Traveller Facility holders
- Thailand Border Pass holders
- Indonesia Cross-Border Travel Document holders
Singaporeans are exempted and do not need to complete the MDAC when entering Malaysia via Johor Bahru’s Causeway or Tuas.
Follow the steps below to easily submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC):
- Get your personal information ready such as name, nationality, passport info, email address and a valid phone number
- Know your date or arrival and date or departure
- Submit online via this link (Submission must be within 3 days from your trip. If your arrival date to Malaysia falls on 14 May, the earliest you can submit is 12 May.)
- Confirm your eligibility to use the E-gates here (Status update may be delayed.)
How to clear custom via e-gates for subsequent visits?
On your first entrance into JB after registering for MDAC and after the one-time verification at the immigration manual counter, you will be able to
- Use the e-gates for this visit’s exit to Singapore. However, this is not recommended, as it is better to have both entry and exit stamps in your passport for record-keeping.
- Use the e-gates for all your subsequent entries and exits
However, we have received reports that some of the e-gates machines may not be working properly for Singaporean passports. If you happen to encounter one of those machines, you may either queue at the manual counter or re-queue at one of the other machines.
Luckily, the queues at e-gates clear pretty fast. This is a huge advantage for frequent visitors to Malaysia via Johor Bahru.
Read more: Best ways to save time while going to JB
