# MyKad

> Malaysia's smart identity card, issued by the National Registration Department — mandatory for every citizen who turns 12.

- Category: glossary
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/glossary/mykad

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**Bahasa Malaysia:** Kad Pengenalan Pintar · **English:** Malaysian Identity Card · **中文:** 大马卡

MyKad is Malaysia's national identity card, issued by the **National
Registration Department (JPN)**. It is more than just proof of identity —
the embedded microchip stores fingerprint and facial biometric data, and it
is used across legal, financial and administrative dealings throughout the
country.

## In practice

MyKad registration is **mandatory**, not optional. Regulation 3 of the
National Registration Regulations 1990 (Amendment 2007) provides that every
Malaysian citizen child who turns 12 must register.

| Item | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Issuer | National Registration Department (JPN) |
| Mandatory age | 12 years old |
| Fee within 30 days | Free |
| Fee after 30 days | RM10, until age 16 |
| Base documents | Original birth certificate and parent's/guardian's identity card |

Application is made at any JPN counter, with the applicant present together
with a parent or guardian. Before age 12, a child holds **MyKid**, and the
transition from MyKid to MyKad marks a citizen's first formal identity
registration milestone.

## Related terms

- [Wilayah Persekutuan](/en/glossary/wilayah-persekutuan)

## Sources

- Portal JPN — MyKad Application For Children Aged 12 — https://www.jpn.gov.my/en/core-business/identity-card/mykad-12-eng (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara)
- Identity Card — Portal Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara — https://www.jpn.gov.my/en/services/identity-card/ (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara)
- About MyKad — Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Malaysia — https://www.malaysia.gov.my/en/categories/personal-identification/identity-card-application/about-mykad (Kerajaan Malaysia)

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Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md
License: CC BY-SA 4.0