Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC): The Free Form Behind Your Visa-Free Entry
Malaysia digital arrival card (MDAC) for Indians — the free 3-day form that unlocks visa-free entry, filled step by step, plus autogate access and scam sites.
The short answer
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) is a free online form every Indian traveller must submit within 3 days before arriving in Malaysia. It is the paperwork half of Malaysia's deal with Indian tourists: 30 days visa-free, ₹0 fees — provided this one form is filed. The only official site is imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main.
_Last updated: August 2026._
The MDAC is not a visa and does not guarantee entry. It registers your arrival details with Malaysian Immigration and is one of the conditions checked for eligible e-gate use.
Who needs it — and who doesn't
All foreign visitors including Indians, each trip. The notable exemptions: Singapore residents on certain land crossings, long-term-pass holders, and diplomats. For a tourist from India: assume yes, every time, including the return leg of a Singapore–Malaysia–Singapore loop (each fresh entry into Malaysia needs its own MDAC).
Airside transit at KLIA without clearing immigration needs no MDAC.
How to fill the MDAC, step by step
- Use the official site only — imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main. Search ads push paid lookalike sites charging ₹1,500–₹3,000 for this free form; some also harvest passport data. If a site shows a price, leave.
- File within 3 days of arrival (arrival day included). A Monday landing opens the window on Saturday.
- Personal details: name exactly as printed in the passport, passport number, expiry date (needs 6+ months validity), nationality, date of birth, email and phone.
- Trip details: arrival and departure dates, flight number, last port of embarkation (your Indian departure city, or Singapore if entering by land), and mode of travel.
- Accommodation: hotel name and full address for your first night.
- Submit and save the PDF confirmation that lands in your email. No fee, no QR-scanning ceremony — immigration pulls your record by passport number.
Ten minutes. Families file one MDAC per person — there is no group mode, so budget a few extra minutes per passport.
The 30-day entry, start to finish
For Indians the full Malaysia checklist is refreshingly short:
- MDAC — free, within 3 days of flying.
- Airline check — passport (6 months validity), return ticket within 30 days, hotel booking, MDAC confirmation.
- Immigration at KLIA — use the e-gate only if Immigration's eligibility checker and airport signs allow it; otherwise use a manual counter. Check the pass or digital record you receive for your permitted stay.
No visa fee, no photo studio, no bank statements. It is the lightest paperwork of any big destination for Indians right now — which is exactly why the fake-MDAC industry works so hard to invent a fee.
Common mistakes
- Paying for the MDAC. It is free. Every "processing fee" is a middleman markup on a government form.
- Filing too early. The 3-day window is enforced. A week ahead does not work.
- One MDAC for a double-entry trip. KL → Singapore → Langkawi means two Malaysian entries, two MDACs.
- Mismatched passport data. The record must match the passport scanned at the gate — renew-your-passport travellers using old numbers is a classic.
- Assuming MDAC = permission to stay. It is only an arrival declaration. Immigration decides the pass and permitted period; leave by the recorded date or seek official advice before it expires.
Paperwork done, the fun part: Malaysia packs Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, Genting and Langkawi into that one free month — browse things to do across Malaysia and book the big-ticket days before school-holiday dates sell out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The MDAC is mandatory for Indian passport holders — it is the one form standing between you and Malaysia's visa-free entry. Submit it free on the official Malaysian Immigration site (imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main) within 3 days before arrival. No MDAC can mean a long manual-counter interview instead of a smooth entry.
Fill it online at imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main — passport details, arrival and departure dates, flight number and accommodation. It is free, takes about 10 minutes, and a confirmation PDF arrives by email. There is no approval wait; registration is instant once submitted.
Technically you can submit it on your phone at the airport, and officers will direct you to do exactly that before clearing you. But airlines ask for the MDAC at check-in for Malaysia-bound flights, so filing in the 3-day window at home avoids both the check-in argument and the arrival-hall scramble.
Yes — Indian passport holders currently get 30 days visa-free, with the exemption listed until 31 December 2026. The two conditions are a tourism purpose and a submitted MDAC. The window has been extended before and may change, so recheck close to your travel date. Our Malaysia visa guide tracks the current rule.
Printing is not strictly required — immigration looks you up by passport — but keep the confirmation PDF on your phone and one printout anyway. Airline counters in India ask to see it, and a printout survives a dead battery at the worst possible moment.
Eligible Indian e-passport holders with a submitted MDAC may use Malaysian e-gates. Use Immigration's Check Egates Eligibility Status service for your passport and checkpoint. First-time enrolment or an ineligible result can mean using a manual counter, so follow signs and officer instructions.
