MyKad, MyPR and MyKAS: Three JPN Identity Cards, Three Different Statuses

Many foreigners who have already spent years in Malaysia — married to a local, raising children here, holding an Employment Pass renewed year after year — still wonder when they will “get a MyKad.” The answer: never, not because of how long they have stayed, but because the MyKad was never meant for them. JPN issues several different cards according to a person’s status, and most foreigners in Malaysia hold none of them until that status changes first.

Different cards for different statuses

It is the National Registration Department (JPN) — not the Immigration Department — that issues identity cards. Four main types:

Card	For whom	Features
MyKad	Citizens aged 12 and above	Microchip, biometric fingerprint and facial data
MyKid	Citizen children under 12	Chip-based, no photo or fingerprint
MyPR	Non-citizens with permanent resident status	Red-coloured, “Permanent Resident” label
MyKAS	Temporary residents (citizenship status not yet determined)	Green-coloured, valid for 5 years before renewal

JPN also issues identity cards for retired police and military personnel (MyTentera) under a separate category, but for most people, the four cards above cover nearly every situation.

MyKad and MyKid: the citizenship pathway

Every citizen child in Malaysia must register for a MyKad on reaching the age of 12. The application is free if made within 30 days of the 12th birthday; after that, a fee of RM10 applies until the applicant turns 16. Before age 12, the child holds a MyKid — a chip-based document that functions similarly but without a photo or fingerprint, used when dealing with hospitals, clinics and schools.

MyPR: not a choice, but an approval

MyPR cannot be applied for directly at JPN by anyone simply interested in staying long-term in Malaysia. Permanent resident status must first be approved through an Entry Permit, issued by the Malaysian Immigration Department — a document that allows a foreigner to reside in Malaysia without a time limit, and which the Immigration Department itself describes as the highest privilege the government grants to a foreigner.

Only after the Entry Permit is approved is the individual eligible to apply for a MyPR identity card at JPN Putrajaya or a State JPN Headquarters, with an application fee of RM40. All holders of permanent resident status have been required to convert their identity card to a MyPR since 1 June 2006.

MyKAS: an entirely separate category

MyKAS is not a “temporary” version of MyPR. It is issued under Regulation 5(3)(c) of the Registration of Persons Regulations 1990 to temporary resident groups — including individuals born in Malaysia whose citizenship status cannot yet be determined. This card is green-coloured, carries an expiry date, and must be renewed within 5 years. Holding a MyKAS does not by itself lead to a MyPR or MyKad; every change of status is subject to a separate JPN assessment.

Foreigners without permanent resident status: no JPN card

This is the part most often misunderstood. Holders of an Employment Pass, Professional (Visit) Pass, or Dependant Pass — all issued by the Immigration Department, not JPN — do not hold any JPN identity card. Their identity document in Malaysia remains their home country passport, accompanied by an Immigration Department pass or endorsement inside it. This applies even if the pass is renewed repeatedly over many years, because a work pass or visit pass is not the same as an Entry Permit, which carries permanent resident status.

The Immigration Department also issues a Residence Pass under Regulation 16A of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for certain categories of foreigners who have family ties to a citizen or permanent resident — this pass allows working, studying or doing business without needing to switch to another pass, but it remains an immigration document, not a JPN identity card, and it is not the same as full permanent resident status.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a long period of residence automatically leads to a MyKad or MyPR. Both depend on a formally approved status — citizenship or an Entry Permit — not the number of years lived in the country.
• Confusing MyKAS with MyPR because neither is a MyKad. Their legal basis, card colour and eligible group are entirely different.
• Assuming a Residence Pass is equivalent to permanent resident status. It is a distinct immigration pass category, not a direct pathway to MyPR.
• Applying for a MyPR directly at JPN without a valid Entry Permit. Approval of the Entry Permit by the Immigration Department must exist first, before a card application at JPN can be processed.

What’s next

For the full scope of services this department handles — from births through to residency status — see National Registration Department (JPN). For families of work pass holders wanting to know which pass covers their dependants, see Dependant Pass or Long-Term Social Visit Pass. And for parents who have just registered a child’s birth, the next steps — registering for MyKid and later a MyKad — are set out in Registering a Child’s Birth.