Ever since Nat had forgotten to renew her old passport when we went to Bali a few years back, back when Malaysians still needed a passport that was not expiring within 6 months, we all remembered to check our passports before any travelling. It was a good lesson for all of us, more so for Nat.
Nat & Chai somehow had gotten together and actually ordered AirAsia tickets under promotion to Bangkok. We (our gang including other people than 3 of us) had been saying we wanted to travel somewhere at least once a year again. We hadn’t been travelling together as a big gang since… Bali and we missed travelling together so much since some of us had gotten married and pregnant!
I wanted to renew the passport a week before the flight but I was so busy at work because there were some MC and EL that the whole team had to stay back in during lunch and work. ‘Course, we got free lunch (to compensate that we can’t claim OT).
My flight to BKK was on Fri morning. I went to Pusat Bandar Damansara (PBD) for the Imigresen.
Official website: http://www.imi.gov.my (Server Unavailable at this time of writing! Terrible)
Parking underneath the building blocks are available but mostly occupied unless you reach there early before 8am. There are nearby parking available beside (entry from the other side) & under the Menara Millenium – you can see HSBC from roadside and this was where Stila & Dior warehouse sales were held.
The Imigresen is opposite Giant – or was it Cold Storage? Anyway, Giant, Cold Storage & TMC (the supermarket in Bangsar) are owned by the group. To apply for new passport & renew passport, go up to 1st floor and take your ticket number. When it’s your turn, pass all relevant documents to the staff at counter. Then you’ll get/have to queue up at counter 16 (or 15 – pls refer the counter sign) for another ticket to collect your passport. Pregnant, senior citizens and disabled get faster privilege.
There are many booths to take passport pictures & photostat IC.
That day I wanted to renew my passport, I just barged into the nearest photo booth which had nobody to man it (on 1st floor of the Imigresen, on the exit door) so I went downstairs and walked into the left booth. The other booth was on the right, next2 door. RM12 for 4 pictures. You can ask the staff to take the picture again if you are not satisfied :) which I did, once.
Only after I had submitted my passport picture and had to wait 2hrs that I browsed other shops. 1 aunty offered me RM8. I said, “No, thank you..” She replied, “OK OK I give you RM5.”
“RM5?!” My eyes bugged out! RM12 – RM5 = RM7, more than enough lunch for me!
“Yes, yes, want?”
“Sorry lah.. I already took picture.”
“RM5 woooh,” she grabbed my arm excitedly.
I had to shake my head regretably.
So go to the shop where an aunty sits right outside and ask for discount!
What you need to bring:
- photostat IC front & back
- passport photo uncropped at the white sides
- old passport (must be chip-based) – you can ask the info / security counter at the entrance (Ground Floor) where you need to go up 1st floor to get the collection ticket if your passport is chip-based, no need to go up 1st floor to ask this.
- RM300 for 32 pages, RM600 for 64 pages
- IC to scan
- thumb finger print (haha but if you do not have the thumb finger print due to accident/whatever, go to counter)
The envelope is at the entrance of KIPPAS on left side.
The kiosk is a bit slow – at least the one I used could only accept cash piece by piece and it kept spitting out my entered cash. So it was like I put RM600 instead of RM300!
Then go to 1st floor to take queue ticket number to collect the passport. It will take 2hrs for the passport to be ready. Some people wait 2hrs to collect the passport & then only get the queue ticket number.
You can ask the counter which is supposed to be the sequence because I went on my lunch time and it wasn’t 2hrs plus so I came back on another day to get my collection queue ticket number. Still I had to wait almost 1hr and still didn’t get the passport before my lunch expired because the manager hadn’t signed it – was out for prayers!
Luckily the staff told me to come another day – that was right 1 day before my trip – and look for him without queue ticket.
Once you get the new passport, they’ll cut the corner of your old passport and you have to sign the form that you’ve renewed passport. Check your personal details in the passport to avoid any inaccurate info.
KIPPAS is opened from Mon – Fri only, while the counters are opened 1/2 day on Sat. Best to call and check the opening hours.
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