Malaysia Visa Documents to Notarise From Australia
Table of contents
For a Malaysian pass, the question is less "do I need a notary?" than "who does Malaysia want to certify my copies?" On the official checklists we read, the answer is usually a Malaysian High Commission or consulate, or, for a degree, your employer's HR department. An Australian notary public is not named. Check before you pay one.
Key takeaways
- Malaysia's long-term passes are mostly applied for in Malaysia, by an employer, a sponsor or you in person.
- For an Employment Pass, your degree copy can be certified by a Malaysian mission or by your employer's HR department, as last checked.
- For a Dependant Pass, marriage and birth certificate copies are certified by the Malaysian mission, and a recent certification date matters.
- The High Commission has said a notary's or JP's certification is no longer accepted by Malaysian courts for legal documents.
- Malaysia was not a Hague Apostille member when last checked. Where a legalisation chain applies, it is DFAT authentication, then the High Commission.
Why is Malaysia different from most countries?
For most destinations, the Australian chain for a copy is a notary, then DFAT. Malaysia's immigration checklists mostly skip the Australian notary. They ask for copies certified by Malaysia's own missions, which can check a document against the original themselves. For a degree, they may accept your employer's own attestation.
The High Commission of Malaysia in Canberra goes further for legal documents. When last checked, its certification notice said a notary public's or Justice of the Peace's certification "is no longer accepted by Malaysian Courts". Knowing this before you book a notary can save a fee and a rejected document.
This page covers immigration passes. Property, inheritance, company documents and registering births and marriages with Malaysia are covered on our page on the Malaysia apostille.
Do you need anything for a visit?
No documents need certifying for a visit. When last checked, the High Commission said Australians did not need a visa for a short visit, with a passport of sufficient validity and a return or onward ticket. The length of a visa-free stay and any arrival formalities are set by Malaysia and can change. Check the High Commission's current page before you travel.
Where are longer stays applied for?
Malaysia's long-term passes are mostly applied for in Malaysia, rather than through the High Commission. An employer applies for an Employment Pass. A sponsor or you apply in person for family passes. What matters from Australia is getting your documents into the form Malaysia accepts before you leave. Originals are much harder to obtain and certify once you are overseas.
- Find the checklist for your pass, from the employer, ESD or the Immigration Department.
- Read the certifier's name for each document: a Malaysian mission, HR, or DFAT.
- Order full registry certificates for births and marriages, not decorative ones.
- Book the Malaysian mission for certified copies, bringing originals and identification.
- Use DFAT only where the list describes legalisation, then the High Commission.
How is a degree certified for an Employment Pass?
An Employment Pass is applied for by the employer through the Immigration Department's Expatriate Services Division (ESD). ESD's guidebook, when last checked, asked for a scanned colour copy of your highest educational certificate. For a certificate in English, it said the copy must be attested or certified true by one of:
- the respective embassy, high commission or consulate-general in your country;
- the respective embassy, high commission or consulate-general in Malaysia;
- the company's own HR department, stamped with the official company stamp and signed by an HR manager or above, with name and position shown.
The HR route is the one many Australians will not expect. Your employer may be able to attest your testamur itself. ESD adds that where HR has certified a document, the Expatriate Committee may still ask for a certified copy from the relevant authority. Ask the employer which route it is using before you arrange anything.
For a certificate not in English, ESD said an applicant outside Malaysia must have it translated and certified by the Malaysian mission in their country. An Australian degree is in English, so this rarely applies.
Who certifies family documents for a Dependant Pass?
For the family of an Employment Pass holder, ESD asks for a copy of the marriage certificate and of each child's birth certificate. When last checked, they had to be attested or certified true by the Malaysian embassy, high commission or consulate-general in the applicant's country, or by the respective mission in Malaysia.
ESD also said that for a new application, a certification dated in the current year was compulsory. A copy certified last year may be rejected. Time the certification close to the application.
For an Australian family, that points to the High Commission in Canberra or a Malaysian consulate in Australia. The High Commission's certification notice lists its posts and whether appointments are needed. Bring the originals, a copy of each and proof of identity. Order full certificates from your state or territory registry, not decorative ones. See marriage certificates for overseas use.
What does Malaysia My Second Home ask for?
The Immigration Department's MM2H page, when last checked, asked for certified true copies of marriage and birth certificates by a Malaysian embassy or consulate-general abroad. Documents not in English had to be translated into English by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Malaysia's national language body, or by a Malaysian mission. Australian certificates in English need no translation. The certification, again, is the Malaysian mission's, not an Australian notary's.
That matters for families with documents from a third country. A translation by a NAATI-certified translator is the standard for Australian immigration. It may not satisfy an MM2H list that names Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka or a Malaysian mission. Ask the Immigration Department before you pay for a translation in Australia. The receiving authority decides whose translation it accepts.
What if you are married to a Malaysian citizen?
A foreign spouse of a Malaysian citizen applies in Malaysia for a Long-Term Social Visit Pass. You attend in person with the Malaysian spouse and bring originals. The Immigration Department's list asks for a marriage registration certificate. Its conditions refer to a marriage "legally and properly registered under the laws in force in Malaysia".
If you married in Australia, that means registering the marriage with Malaysia first. The High Commission registers civil marriages at its posts, with both of you present. Its checklist, when last checked, asked for the Australian registry marriage certificate, both birth certificates, identity cards, passports and photographs. It did not ask for any of them to be notarised.
The same Immigration Department list asks for an affidavit and a sponsor declaration "stamped by the Commissioner of Oaths". That is sworn in Malaysia, before a Malaysian commissioner, not in Australia.
When does DFAT come into it?
For some other family categories, such as a child or an older parent of a Malaysian citizen, the Immigration Department asks for foreign certificates translated into Malay or English. It asks for "confirmation from the Malaysian Embassy and the Foreign Ministry". This is the one place in these lists that describes a legalisation chain.
Malaysia was not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention when we checked. Check the HCCH status table on the day. So the usual Australian chain is a DFAT authentication certificate, followed by legalisation at the High Commission. Registry certificates can generally go to DFAT directly, without a notary. Confirm on DFAT's page of documents it can legalise. Ask the Immigration Department or High Commission which ministry's confirmation it means.
Where might an Australian notary still fit?
Less often than for most countries. Possible cases are:
- a private document, such as a sworn statement, that a Malaysian body says it accepts from Australia;
- a document DFAT will only authenticate once it is notarised, such as a copy of a private document;
- a request from a Malaysian employer or institution that names a notary in writing.
Before notarising anything for Malaysia, ask the receiving authority in writing whether it will accept an Australian notary's certificate. Mention the High Commission's statement about Malaysian courts. If the answer is yes, see document notarisation and authentication through DFAT.
Which documents need what?
| Document | Pass | Usually certified by |
|---|---|---|
| Degree copy | Employment Pass | Employer's HR, or a Malaysian mission |
| Marriage and birth certificates | Dependant Pass | A Malaysian mission, dated this year |
| Marriage and birth certificates | MM2H | A Malaysian mission |
| Marriage registration | Spouse of a Malaysian | Registered with Malaysia first |
| Affidavit and sponsor declaration | Spouse of a Malaysian | A commissioner of oaths in Malaysia |
| Some family certificates | Other family categories | DFAT, then the High Commission |
Is a JP or Home Affairs certification any use?
Not for these passes. For Australia's Department of Home Affairs, a copy certified by an authorised person, including a JP, is usually enough. Malaysia's checklists work differently and name their own certifiers. A copy certified for your Australian visa file will not usually satisfy a Malaysian list.
Here is an illustration, not a real case
An accountant in Melbourne takes a job in Kuala Lumpur and will bring her husband and son. Her employer's HR manager attests her degree copy with the company stamp. For the Dependant Pass, she books the Malaysian consulate. She brings the original marriage and birth certificates, and the consulate certifies copies dated this year. No Australian notary is involved.
In short
For Malaysian passes, Malaysia's own missions and your employer's HR usually certify copies, not an Australian notary. Time family certifications for the current year. Use DFAT authentication, then the High Commission, only where a list describes legalisation. Ask in writing before paying for a notary.
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Moving to Malaysia? Send us your pass checklist, and we will explain each step before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Can a notary certify my degree for a Malaysian Employment Pass?
ESD's guidebook, when last checked, did not name a notary. It named a diplomatic mission or your employer's HR manager. Ask your employer which route it will use.
Who certifies my marriage certificate for a Dependant Pass?
ESD asks for certification by the Malaysian mission in your country or the respective mission in Malaysia. For a new application, the certification must be dated in the current year.
Do I need to register my Australian marriage with Malaysia?
If you are applying as the spouse of a Malaysian citizen, yes. The Immigration Department refers to a marriage registered under Malaysian law, and the High Commission handles civil marriage registration.
Does Malaysia accept an apostille?
Malaysia was not a party to the Apostille Convention when last checked. Where legalisation is needed, DFAT authenticates and the High Commission legalises. Check the HCCH status table on the day.
Can a Justice of the Peace certify copies for Malaysia?
Not for these passes. The High Commission has said JP and notary certifications are no longer accepted by Malaysian courts for legal documents, and the pass checklists name other certifiers.
Does my birth certificate need a notary before DFAT?
Usually not. A registry certificate can generally go to DFAT directly for authentication. Confirm with DFAT, then take it to the High Commission.
Where is the affidavit for a spouse pass sworn?
In Malaysia, before a Malaysian commissioner of oaths. The Immigration Department's list asks for it stamped there, not in Australia.
Do I need a visa to visit Malaysia?
When last checked, Australians did not need a visa for a short visit. The permitted length and arrival formalities can change, so check the High Commission's current page.
My Dependant Pass copies were certified last year. Can I use them?
Probably not for a new application. ESD said certification dated in the current year was compulsory, so have fresh copies certified.
Is this page the same as the Malaysia apostille page?
No. This page covers immigration passes. The Malaysia apostille page covers property, inheritance, company documents and registering events with Malaysia.
