CNA Explains: How to get a vehicle entry permit before driving into Malaysia
From Oct 1, all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country by land from Singapore are required to be fitted with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Here are the steps to install one.
File photo of a Vehicle Entry Permit signboard at the Johor checkpoint leading to the Causeway. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
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JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysia will require all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country by land from Singapore to use vehicle entry permits (VEPs) from Oct 1.
Motorists who fail to do so may be fined up to RM2,000 (US$425) or jailed for up to six months, said Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Tuesday (May 28).
Here's what you need to know about the VEP and steps to get one fitted.
Who needs to apply for a VEP?
Owners of all categories of foreign vehicles – including private and commercial ones – are required to register for a VEP before entering Malaysia. This includes Singapore-registered motorcycles.
Embassy and government vehicles are also required to register.
What are the steps to apply for a VEP?
The owner of the vehicle, or a representative appointed by the owner, must register online via the Road Transport Department’s (JPJ) official website at https://vep.jpj.gov.my.
After putting in your details, including a login identity and password, you will receive confirmation via email and be directed to the VEP portal at https://vepams.jpj.gov.my to complete the registration process.
Make sure you have downloaded and registered your Touch N’ Go eWallet account before proceeding to the VEP portal. The eWallet can be downloaded from your mobile phone’s application store.
After logging in to the portal, you will need to submit documents including your motor insurance, a copy of NRIC as well as certificate of entitlement.
Once the application is approved, you will receive an email notification to choose your method of collecting the VEP RFID tag – either couriered by post to your address, or self-collection at a VEP collection centre in Johor Bahru.
After making your pick, you will need to make payment online. This can be done by credit card. The tag costs RM10 excluding delivery and service charges.
Once you receive your RFID tag, you need to perform “tag acknowledgement” by logging in to the VEP portal and clicking the acknowledgement button on your vehicle number.
You should also input the RFID serial number for validation.
How do I attach the RFID tag to my vehicle?
The RFID tag can be attached either to the top left corner of the windscreen or the left headlamp of the car, according to the JPJ website.
However, a spokesman for TCSens - a vendor hired by JPJ to assist drivers with the installation of RFID stickers and also to handle in-person enquiries on VEPs in Johor Bahru - told CNA on Nov 4 that drivers who opt to receive the RFID tags by post should only paste them on the car headlamps and do so by following the installation instructions given.
Meanwhile for those who opt to go to the collection centres, the tags will typically be installed by TCSens representatives on the car windshields, the official added.
It must be fitted at least 5 centimetres away from any metal part of the car body.
Paste the tag on a clean and dry surface. Gently peel the RFID tag from its edges and paste it horizontally on the left headlamp situated on the passenger side of the vehicle. The tag should not be fitted on the curved portion of the headlamp.
For those fitting it on the windscreen, do ensure that it is not obstructed by the wiper blades.
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Once attached, snap a photo of the tag with your car registration number in the frame and upload the image on the VEP portal.
You will be notified when your tag is activated.
What does the RFID tag do?
You can pay road charges and toll fees with the RFID tag by using designated RFID lanes on highway toll booths across the country.
The tag is linked to the user’s Touch N’ Go eWallet account.
It is valid for five years starting from the day the tag is activated.
It is worth noting that foreign vehicles are allowed to stay within Malaysia for up to 90 days each time.
The VEP system will provide the police with a more accurate database to monitor foreign vehicles which commit traffic offences in the country, Mr Tengku Ahmad Marwan Tengku Mahmud, a road safety affiliate with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), told CNA.
“It will give authorities a more comprehensive record to check whether vehicles entering or exiting the country have outstanding traffic summons or any records of traffic violations,” he said.
“By increasing enforcement, this will hopefully reduce road traffic accidents in Malaysia,” he added.
I have bought a new vehicle. Is the VEP transferable?
No, the VEP RFID tag is unique to each vehicle and not transferable. You will have to register for a new RFID tag if you acquire a new vehicle.
When the ownership of a vehicle is transferred to another person, the tag becomes invalid.
The onus is on the previous owner to update the ownership status on the VEP portal, or risk bearing fines for any traffic offences committed by the new owner. The vehicle’s new owner is responsible for applying for a new RFID Tag.
What happens if the tag is damaged?
If the VEP tag is stolen, lost or damaged in an accident, you are required to update your vehicle status on the online portal and produce a copy of the police report of the incident to the Road Transport Department when you collect the new VEP RFID tag. An administrative fee will be imposed.
If your VEP tag is faulty, you will be issued with a replacement for free. This does not apply to tags that have been removed or tampered with – in these cases, motorists will be charged a fee for a new tag.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify that RFID tags collected by post are attached to a car's headlamp while tags picked up at collection centres are installed on a car's windscreen.
