International Driver Licence

If you go to the DVLA website you can see what you need to get your UK licence authenticated so you can change it for a Malaysian one.

International and foreign driving licences are only valid for 3 months if you are RESIDENT in Malaysia. The details of how to change the licence is available in this thread. UK licences are part of process B which is the 2 phase process. This information is taken from the MM2H website.

NOTES:
a. Driving in Malaysia requires valid driving license (CDL or P license).
b. Driving registered vehicle in Malaysia require valid road tax.
c. It is an offence to drive without valid driving license. If convicted a fine not exceeding RM 1,000 or jail not exceeding 3 months or both.
d. It is an offence to drive a vehicle without road tax. If convicted a fine not exceeding RM 2,000 will be imposed.
e. It is an offence to drive without a motor insurance, if convicted, there will be a fine not exceeding RM 1,000 or jailed not exceeding 3 months or both.

For further enquiries, kindly contact:-

Road Transport Department Headquaters
(Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan)
Level 1-5, Block D, Parcel D
62620, Putrajaya
Tel : +603 – 8886 6400
Fax : +603 – 8888 9645
Email : info[at]jpj.gov.my
Website : http://www.jpj.gov.my

Here are the instructions for List A and B of countries who have an existing licence. Note: Countries on List B require a 2 phase process. The first phase is to get approval from the DG and then application is made at any RTD office. List A countries can proceed directly to a RTD Office for their application.

PROCEDURE FOR THE CONVERSION OF FOREIGN DRIVING LICENSE TO MALAYSIAN DRIVING LICENSE

1. Automatic Conversion of Foreign Driving License to Malaysian Driving Under Bilateral Agreement.

Process for countries in Appendix A.
Appendix A
Australia, Brunei, Denmark, Mesir, France, Germany, Italy, Iraq, Libya, Laos, New Zealand,  Belanda, Filipina, Poland, Belgium, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Maurtius, Finland, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, Korea, Myanmar, Papua New Guniea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Sepanyol, Singapura,

Application can be made at any Road Transport Department (RTD) state office. ( For more infomation, please log on to RTD’s website at www.jpj.gov.my)

Completed JPJ L1 form attaching the following documents:

Original and copy of valid driving license. (For expired driving license, the expiry date should not exceed 3 years)

One coloured photograph (25 mm x 32 mm).

English translation of the driving license by Embassy of the issuing country. If the country has no Embassy office in Malaysia, translation can be done by Malaysia Translation Institute (www.itnm.com.my)

Original and copy of the passport (all pages).

Attestation of validity of licence by entity responsible for issuing driving licence being converted.

Processing fee - RM 20.00

Categories of license which may apply for conversion:
Competence Driving License(CDL)
RM 30.00 (car) - per year.
RM 20.00 (motorcycle) - per year.

Probationary driving License (P)
RM 60.00(car) - two years.
RM 40.00(motorcycle) - two years.

Terms and Conditions:-
Motorcycle licenses will be issued according to their classes i.e. B1, B2 and B:
(Please attach supporting documents confirming the motorcycle’s c.c. together with the
application)

Competence Driving License (CDL) will be issued to applicants who have possessed of license that possess license for more than 2 years.

Probationary Driving License (PDL) will be issued if the applicant does not comply with CDL condition


2. CONVERSION OF FOREIGN DRIVING LICENSE TO MALAYSIAN DRIVING LICENSE - under Section (3) Road Transport Rule (Driving License) 1992 - (approved by Director General).

List of countries in Appendix B.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Rep., Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote D'lvore, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, D. Kampuchea, Dahomey, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Ivory
Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kampuchea, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldive Island,
Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,
Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of
Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierre Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Yemen, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Taiwan, Togo, Trinigad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turmenikistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United State of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

When the application has been approved by the Director General, the applicants have to submit again the application to the RTD’S state office for the conversion of the driving license.Submission can be done through any RTD state office or directly to the RTD Head Quarters in Putrajaya.

Completed JPJL2 form attaching following documents:

Original and copy of valid driving license. (For expired driving licenses, the expiry date should not exceed 3 years)

Photostat copy of the driving license has to be certified by RTD officer, if the application is submitted through RTD state office.

English translation of the driving license by Embassy of the issuing country. If there is no Embassy office in Malaysia, translation can be done at Malaysian Translation Institute.

Original and Photostat copy of the passport (all pages).

Attestation of validity of licence by entity responsible for issuing driving licence being converted.

Terms and conditions:-

Motorcycle licenses issued according to their classes of license i.e B1, B2 and B - supporting documents such as letter from the Authority on the motorcycle’s C.C. should be submitted together with the application.

Competence driving license ( CDL ) will be issued if the applicant has possessed the license for 2 years.

If the applicant fails to prove the ( CDL ) condition, he/she will be issued probationary driving license (P license).

Authorised letter from Embassy if the driving license not computer printed.

Approval letter from Indonesian Ambassador if the applicant is from Indonesia.

Documents required are as follows:-

Approval letter issued by the RTD H.Q 0ffice. Validity of the approved letter is one year from the date of issue.

JPJL1 form.

Original and photostat copy of the driving license.

Original and photostat copy of the passport.

One coloured photograph (25 mm x 32mm).

Fees
Processing fee - RM 20.00

License fee:-
Competence Driving License(CDL)
RM 30.00(car) - for one year.
RM 20.00(motorcycle) - for one year.

Probationary driving License(P)
RM 60.00(car) - for two years.
RM 40.00(motorcycle.) - for two years.

Who cares you can drive forever on uk one in Malaysia. Most expats do.

Laws here are "elastic" although getting a Licence locally is easy. I did without all the above hassle.

Thanks for the info. Nemodot how did you get yours, If i can do it with no hassle that'd be great. Tq

If you open this link, you will arrive at the official advice from the UK Government on living in Malaysia, which includes the agreed regulations surrounding driving licences.

https://www.gov.uk/living-in-malaysia

However, I think they may have got it wrong regarding international licences - but who knows.....!!!!!!!!!!!!! As rules change so frequently in Malaysia, its always a bit of a jungle.

Thanks Gravitas. I see what you mean. The info on the UK site is different from the Malaysian website.i'll give it all try till i get what i need. Tq

Ok, I have my International Driving Permit from AAA in USA and have been using it for 15 years in Malaysia with NO problems whatsoever, for both cars and bikes. I have been stopped upteen thousand times and have had the conversation with Polis about the local licence also more times than I can count. I see no reason at all to change anything. As soon as they see the IDP they waive you byebye.

Expats are definitely encouraged to take the local licence, regardless. For USA expats anyway, I have researched this with JPJ directly and the conversion cost is about RM700 initially, with much running around between offices. In the past anyway, the written exam is given in Bahasa Malaysia and that is a problem for most people.

For UK, i wont pretend to know anything, but my UK friends say they have gotten by on just their UK licence. Since you already know the IDP is valid and if you are able to get one before departure to Malaysia, GET IT and then relax.

IDPs are not created equal. I have a grey, the pink one has certain limitations, depending on if the country in question signed the 1949 or 1968 Convention. IF you have the money and time and speak the language (should that be necessary), go for a local licence if you are staying long term.

Last, should you drive in Malaysia, know that the critical main concern of the Polis and JPJ is that the car's roadtax and insurance is current. Some of my local friends have gone their whole life with no licence at all and only got in trouble for expired roadtax.

cvco - its just a straight exchange with no test required (you even get to keep your original licence, unlike other exchanges procedures).

The issue is that rules change over time. e.g. the new requirement to be the licence being exchanged endorsed as authentic and not a fake.

As Guests in a country, it is common courtesy to abide by the rules.

The cost is minimal and takes one visit for the countries mentioned in this link from the government department responsible.

New link folks:

http://www.jpj.gov.my/web/eng/convert-i … se-foreign

Gravitas, i appreciate your post but its contrary to what JPJ told me directly. My post was accurate as to my experience when I enquired with them which is that there are costs, shuttling documents between offices, no straight exchanges, tests. Maybe the country of licence effects this process, I have no idea, but according to my experience UK folks have had the easiest process. Because of the high cost and impossiblility of tests for me, as long as they allow the IDP i'm going to go right on using it not to be impolite but because there isnt another way.

My roadblock experience has been this:
1) Half the time, as soon as they see me pulling out the IDP they wave me BYE.
2) The other half, they ask me if I would like to take the local licence. I say, "are you going to sit next to me in the exam as translator?" They laugh and say, "okok nevermind."
3) In Penang last week, he saw my IDP and accused it of being fake. That never happened before. A second cop came, looked at it, made a sound, bumped the first cops head with his hand and waved me BYE.
4) Usually im on my bike when stopped. Often, I get off, say nothing, go to his car and lay out passport, IDP, USA licence, roadtax, geran and insurance 1 2 3 4 5 6 right across the hood of his car and he scrutinizes nothing and says, "very complete! you may go."
5) I have never once been summoned or argued with for not having a local licence. Encouraged, yes.
6) When I am scrutinized and its rare, if its a JPJ roadblock they look hard at the roadtax; if its a PDRM block, they glance at the roadtax, your composure and demeanor, and heavy looking at the passport, especially current visa status, ask your occupation and address and what you are doing in this particular neighborhood. But again, never a problem about the licence.
7) Many UN-happy experiences at roadblocks but this isnt the thread for that discussion.

Anyway, if it really was a straight exchange, and not the RM700/2-year licence ive been quoted, I would do it, sure.

USA and UK are in the same category (Group B) so should be the same. UK citizens have to get their licences authenticated by DVLA in Swansea. You live in Penang, so cant comment. It cost under RM100 to get the licence changed, so you have run into some nasty types.