**UPDATE May 2026**
I went to JPJ Wangsa Maju to apply for a new International Driving Permit (IDP). I arrived at 10 a.m on a Wednesday and was pleased to see that there was no queue. I received a ticket number almost immediately, was called to the counter within minutes, paid the RM150 fee and had my IDP issued quickly. The whole process took under 10 minutes and was very efficient.
However, when I checked the IDP, I noticed that my Place of Birth was incorrectly listed as “Malaysia.” I returned to the counter, but the officer insisted that this referred to the licence issuing country and not my birthplace, despite the IDP clearly labeling it as “Tempat Lahir/Place of Birth” and my previous IDP showing the correct country. I asked at the information desk, but was referred back to the counter, so I politely escalated the issue to a supervisor, who explained it away as a “system glitch”, assured me it wouldn’t cause problems and that the IDP was still valid.
My concern was that I’d only discover whether it was a problem when overseas, for example a car rental company could refuse to accept the IDP, or in the event of an accident an insurance company could argue that the IDP was not valid. I therefore returned to the counter and insisted that the IDP was re-issued with the correct information. This was begrudgingly done, although by this time it had taken another 30 minutes, so the process was not quite as efficient as it had initially seemed.
A few things I learned from this experience:
- Always check details on the IDP before leaving the counter.
- If a mistake has been made, ask for the IDP to be re-issued. It is not cheap at RM150, and the details need to be correct.
- Bring extra passport photos, in case an incorrect IDP needs to be re-issued.
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To drive overseas using a Malaysian driving licence, some countries require the driver to hold an International Driving Permit as well as the Malaysian domestic licence.
This article shows some commonly visited countries and the requirements for a Malaysian driving licence holder:
https://says.com/my/lifestyle/which-country-accepts-malaysian-driving-licence
Note: Many websites offer an "International Driving Licence," but these are not official documents. Only an International Driving Permit (IDP) is valid, and it must be issued by the official authority in the same country where the domestic driving licence was issued. If you hold a Malaysian driving licence, you must get your IDP from JPJ, or you could get a fine for driving with invalid documents, see: https://internationaldrivingpermit.org/fake-idp-websites-to-avoid/
The format of the IDP was revised by JPJ in April 2024:
Requirements to apply for an IDP at JPJ:
- Applicant must hold a Class B2 or D Competent Driving Licence (CDL).
- CDL must have been held for over 1 year.
- CDL must have at least 1 year left until expiry.
- A fee of RM150 must be paid (IDP validity is 1 year)
- Note: the applicant must have a plastic physical driving licence. The paper 'slip' that has been issued for licence renewals since February 2024 is not valid for overseas use. A physical licence can be requested when renewing the licence (for an additional fee).
- JPJ announced a new format of the plastic physical licence in May 2025. See: https://paultan.org/2025/05/21/jpj-introduces-new-version-of-malaysian-driving-licence-card-with-enhanced-security-features/
Documents needed to apply for an IDP at JPJ:
- Passport (plus photocopy of bio page and visa page)
- Competent Driving Licence (CDL) (and photocopy of both sides)
- 1 passport photo (white background) [Note: best to bring spare photos in case needed!]
- Completed Form JPJL1, which can be downloaded here: https://www.jpj.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Borang-Permohonan-Lesen-Memandu-JPJ-L1.pdf
- I also brought evidence of upcoming travels (my flight itinerary) but I wasn't asked to show it.
Application Process:
The JPJ website says that an application for an IDP can be made at any JPJ State or Branch Office:
https://www.jpj.gov.my/en/web/main-site/pemandu-en/-/knowledge_base/driver/application-for-idp-international-driving-permit so it should be possible to apply at UTC branches, but I decided to go to Wangsa Maju JPJ state office.
At JPJ dress rules may be enforced e.g. no shorts/t-shirts/ slippers /short skirts.
I arrived at JPJ at 745am on a Tuesday and joined the queue at Pintu 1 (Ground Floor). There are now 2 queues, a priority lane for Malaysians and another lane for foreign passport holders.
Foreigner queue on the left, Malaysians on the right:
The doors opened at 8am and I queued to take a ticket at the counter as the JPJeQ app was not in use. I got a ticket at 845am and my number was called at 1030am. However it then only took 5 minutes for me to hand over the documents, pay the RM150 fee and be given the IDP, so I was finished just after 1030am. By contrast, a Malaysian who arrived at JPJ at the same time as me collected their IDP at 915am.
The fee must be paid using a local debit or credit card or via e-wallet. Cash and international bank cards are not accepted by JPJ.