Your Guide to Correcting Errors and Ensuring a Smooth Arrival
It happens to the best of us: in the rush to complete the Arrival Card Malaysia (MDAC), you realize you made a typo in your passport number, inverted the arrival and departure dates, or misspelled your last name.
The good news is that a mistake on your MDAC is easily correctable—but the method for correction is crucial. Trevalo clarifies the official procedure and provides the essential steps to ensure the immigration system has your correct details before you land.
Section 1: The Golden Rule of Arrival Card Malaysia MDAC Correction
The most important fact to understand about the MDAC system is this:
TREVALO IMMIGRATION FACT:
You cannot edit or modify an already submitted MDAC form. The online portal does not contain an “edit” or “update” function once the initial submission is complete.
The Only Solution: Resubmit a New Form
If you spot an error, you must immediately submit a brand new Arrival Card Malaysia MDAC form with all the correct information. The Malaysian Immigration system is designed to treat the newest, most recently submitted and valid declaration as the primary record associated with your passport.
This process is free and instant, just like your initial submission.
Section 2: Step-by-Step Recovery Plan
Follow these steps immediately if you find an error on your submitted MDAC:
Step 1: Identify the Severity of the Error
Determine how critical the mistake is. While all mistakes should be corrected, priority should be given to errors that affect your identity or travel dates:
| Error Type | Severity & Impact | Priority |
| Passport Number, Name, Nationality | CRITICAL: These must match your physical passport exactly. An error here is likely to cause delays or denial of boarding/entry. | IMMEDIATE RESUBMISSION |
| Arrival/Departure Date | HIGH: An incorrect date may invalidate your submission due to the 3-day rule or confuse the officer. | IMMEDIATE RESUBMISSION |
| Last Port of Embarkation, Accommodation Address (Minor Typo) | MEDIUM: If the information is mostly accurate, it is less likely to cause denial, but it will require manual explanation. | RECOMMENDED RESUBMISSION |
Step 2: Complete the New Form Of The Arrival Card Malaysia (Resubmission)
- Re-access the Official Portal: Go back to the official MDAC submission website.
- Start from Scratch: Complete a new registration, filling out every field with the correct and verified information.
- Cross-Check Passport: When entering passport details, read them back to yourself slowly, letter by letter, to prevent a repeat error.
- Verify Dates: Double-check that your arrival date is correct and falls within the 3-day submission window.
Step 3: Use the New Confirmation
Once the new form is successfully submitted, you will receive a new confirmation PDF or PIN/acknowledgement via email.
- Delete/Ignore the Old Confirmation: Disregard the confirmation from the form containing the mistake.
- Keep the New Confirmation: Download or screenshot the confirmation of your newest, correct submission. This is the only document you should keep and be prepared to show upon arrival.
Section 3: Mistakes to Avoid During Resubmission of Arrival Card Malaysia
To ensure your recovery plan works perfectly, avoid these common pitfalls:
- Avoid Submitting Outside the Window: Ensure your new submission is also within the 3-day window of your arrival. Resubmitting an hour too early will just create a new, invalid form.
- Don’t Rely on the Manual Counter: While Immigration Officers can correct minor errors or have you resubmit on the spot, relying on this guarantees a manual counter experience and lengthy delays (15–30 minutes) as they process the paperwork manually. For eligible travelers, this also means missing out on the fast Autogate access.
- Don’t Panic Over Minor Address Typos: If you catch a single letter typo in your accommodation address just before your flight and cannot immediately resubmit, the issue is generally non-critical. However, any mistake in a name, number, or date should be fixed with a resubmission.
TREVALO FINAL ADVICE:
Treat the MDAC submission as a single, one-time data entry process for that trip. If you make an error, the fastest, simplest, and most compliant solution is to submit a new, correct form. This is standard procedure and ensures your travel data is perfectly aligned with Malaysian immigration records.