The Malaysian Road Transportation Department (JPJ) will soon require all foreign registered vehicle owners planning to drive into Malaysia to apply for a vehicle entry permit (VEP) via a special JPJ portal. The VEP system has already been implemented at the Johor-Singapore border earlier this month but the new Road Charge of RM20 per entry will begin on 16th July.

What is a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)?

Foreign vehicles entering Malaysia via Singapore will now have to apply for a Vehicle Entry Permit and pay a Road Charge (RC) of RM20 per entry to enter the country.

All vehicles, with the exception of motorcycles, that register for a VEP will be given a non-transferable tag containing important vehicle identification information. The tag should then be placed facing out of the windscreen so that it can be detected by the readers placed at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the Johor-Singapore border.

Registering for a Vehicle Entry Permit

You can opt to register online or in person. To register online, head to vep.jpj.gov.my and follow the instructions given.

Once you’ve registered, JPJ will send you a confirmation slip via email which you have to bring with you when you collect your VEP tag from the CIQ Complex or other designation locations which will be announced in the near future.

When you go to collect your VEP tag, remember to bring along the following items:

Private vehicles:

• Registered vehicle
• Copy of passport
• Confirmation slip
• Company/organisation incorporation form (if vehicle is required under company or organisation)
• Vehicle registration document issued by relevant authorities
• Latest insurance cover note
• Police report (only application for stolen vehicles and damaged windscreen_
• RM10 administration fee

If a representative is there to register and collect the tag, they must also bring along a copy of their own passport and an authorization letter)

Commercial vehicles:

• Registered vehicle
• Copy of passport of person authorised to collect tag
• Confirmation slip
• Company/organisation incorporation form
• Vehicle registration document issued by relevant authorities
• Latest insurance cover note
• Company authorization letter
• Police report (only application for stolen vehicles and damaged windscreen_
• RM10 administration fee

Embassy / Government vehicles:

• Registered vehicle
• Copy of passport of person authorised to collect tag
• Confirmation slip
• Letter from government agency, consulate, or embassy
• Vehicle registration document issued by relevant authorities
• Latest insurance cover note
• Police report (only application for stolen vehicles and damaged windscreen_
• RM10 administration fee

If you prefer to register in person, just make sure to bring along all the relevant documents mentioned above (without the confirmation slip, of course) and the vehicle you want to register.

Updating and renewing your VEP

Vehicle Entry Permit tags are valid for 5 years and should be renewed 3 months before the expiry date, in order to enter Malaysia. Any change in vehicle details such as Road Tax, Insurance and Certificate of Entitlement (COE), or change in ownership should be updated with the JPJ to avoid problems.

If you do not renew your VEP, you will still be allowed to enter Malaysia but you will have to pay a RM150 penalty upon exiting. Also, if your COE has expired, you will not be allowed to enter the country at all.

Once you do enter, the vehicle will be allowed to stay in Malaysia for up to three months, or until:

• VEP tag expires
• Vehicle road tag expires
• Vehicle insurance expires
• COE expires

Road charge (RC)

Vehicles entering Malaysia will have to pay the RC as they enter the country. The RC is not a toll charge, so you will have to pay toll as well. For now, you will only be able to pay the RC using a Touch ‘N’ Go card which can be bought from kiosks in Malaysia and Singapore. Touch ‘N’ Go cards can also be reloaded at petrol stations and some toll booths along Malaysian highways, but only in ringgit Malaysia.

So if you are planning on entering Malaysia but have yet to apply for a VEP, remember to do so before June 16th so won’t have trouble entering the country later on.