Getting an APEC Business Travel Card is quite a tough process if you don’t know how to go about doing it. The government websites are not particularly helpful, and you can totally forget about them answering the phone or replying emails.
If you’re not sure what an APEC Business Travel Card is used for, here’s a previous article with 5 reasons you should get one.
Requirements for Malaysians wanting to apply for an APEC Business Travel Card
- Hold a Malaysian passport with more than 3 years validity
- Be part of the senior management of a company (Sdn Bhd or Bhd) – CxO level, Directors, General Manager, Heads of Departments, Presidents / VPs
- Applicant cannot have a criminal record or be blacklisted by the Malaysian Immigration Department
The application process
PART ONE: Supporting letter from a business regulatory agency
Before you even begin the formal application, you will need to get a supporting letter from a relevant agency. Requirements differ from agency to agency and you may need to pay some fees to get this letter.
The agencies are:
- Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
- Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) for MSC Status Companies
- Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM)
- Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI)
- Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)
- SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp)
- Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia (DPMM)
- The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM)
- Malaysian Service Providers Confederation (MSPC)
- Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI)
Option 1: Getting a support letter from MDeC
As my company, Integricity Technology Sdn Bhd is an MSC Status company, we were able to connect with our Account Manager and get the letter by providing the following documents / information.
- Latest CV
- Scanned name card
- List of countries you plan to visit using the APEC Card (and frequency) – it must show that it’s quite frequent to qualify.
- IC Number & Passport Number
Fees: None
Option 2: Getting a support letter from MITI
MDeC only agreed to provide us with one supporting letter for the APEC Card, so we had to resort to getting the support letter from a different agency. Documents you need are:
- Cover letter to MITI (Download sample letter)
- Copy of IC (certified true copy by Company Secretary or Commissioner of Oaths)
- Copy of Passport (certified true copy by Company Secretary or Commissioner of Oaths) – ensure there is a minimum of 3 years validity!
- Copy of Form 9, 24, 49, 13 (if relevant due to change of company name)
- Company Profile (brochure, catalogue, annual report)
The GOOD NEWS is that you can send them an email with all these documents and they will process it! WOW. You need to email abtc@miti.gov.my.
When MITI approves it, you can get them to send it by courier (at no cost) or if you’re in a rush (but why?), collect it yourself or arrange for someone to collect it with an authorisation letter. The silly thing is the small timeframe to collect the letter, which is only on Wednesday from 10.00 to 11.00 am!
Collection is from:
Bahagian Hubungan Serantau Dan Antarabangsa
Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri
Aras 13, Menara MITI,
No 7, Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Fees: None
PART TWO: Submission of application with the Immigration Department at Putrajaya
You will need to submit this application in person at Putrajaya. You can send a representative to perform this task.
- APEC Business Travel Card Application Form (Download here)
- Cover letter to Immigration (Download sample)
- 1 passport size photo (blue background)
- Supporting letter from agency (as per Part One)
- Photocopy of passport (including the signature page)
- Photocopy of IC
After the successful submission, you will be given a pink slip with an application number. Keep this safe!
PART THREE: Collection of APEC Business Travel Card
Check periodically to see if your card has been approved. You may do so at www.businessmobility.org and keying in the application number provided. After you have been cleared for at least 18 countries, then only can you request that the APEC card be issued.
Note: The waiting process will take months!
Before collection, you will need to prepare a bank draft. Don’t do this step until your card is approved, as it takes months for approval. The beneficiary is DIRECTOR GENERAL OF IMMIGRATION MALAYSIA and the amount is RM100.00 – this can be done at any bank.
The collection must be done at Putrajaya. You may send a representative, though you will once again need to submit a letter of authorisation (Download sample) and bring along the pink slip that you were given previously.
The collection of the card is from here:
Visa, Pass and Permit Division
No. 15, Level 3 (Podium), Persiaran Perdana Precinct 2
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62550 Putrajaya
After all that hassle, here’s what my card looks like.
PART FOUR: Leave TheBackpackr a comment!
This is the most important part! If this helped you, please leave a comment, so that others will know if it works, or whether the process has changed.
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