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Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo requirements

The 35 × 50 mm photo rules set by Immigration Department of Malaysia for the Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 7 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo?

The Malaysian APEC Business Travel Card is issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia. Its application form asks for a passport-size photo with a blue background, stuck on the paper form next to your signature. The form gives no size in millimetres; the department's own passport photo size is 35 x 50 mm. Nothing is uploaded online.

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) lets frequent business travellers enter participating APEC economies on a card that replaces the visa, using APEC or special lanes at the main entry points. In Malaysia the card is issued by the APEC Unit of the Visa, Pass and Permit Division at the Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia) in Putrajaya. It is for Malaysian citizens only and is valid for 5 years, but not beyond the validity of the passport it is tied to.

Business applicants first obtain a letter of support from a designated regulatory agency, such as the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers or one of the national chambers of commerce; government officials are certified by their own ministry or department. The application itself is a paper form, completed in capital letters with black ink, with a printed photo stuck on it. The form asks for a passport-size photo on a blue background, unlike Malaysian passport photos, which use white.

Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Immigration Department of Malaysia:[1]

Print sizePassport size; the form gives no mm size (IMI's own passport photo is 35 x 50 mm)
Digital sizeNo digital file: a printed photo is stuck on the paper application form
BackgroundBlue (the form asks for latar belakang biru, a blue background)
Print qualityPrinted photo affixed in the box beside the signature panel on the form
Pixels when printed413 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm50 mm
35 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: blue.

Key requirements

  • Blue background

    The ABTC form and both of the Immigration Department's ABTC checklists ask for a passport-size photo with a blue background. Do not reuse a white-background passport photo.

  • A print on a paper form

    The photo is stuck in the box on the last page of the department's application form. There is no online upload for the photo.

  • Your signature goes on the card

    Sign inside the box next to the photo with a black pen. The form notes that this signature will appear on your APEC Business Travel Card.

  • Passport valid for 3 years

    The form and checklists ask for a passport with at least 3 years of validity. Attach a copy of its biodata page, and of your old passport's biodata and travel stamp pages where relevant.

  • New photo, new print

    The department lists photo replacement, and replacement after you change your passport, among the reasons to reprint a card.

  • Malaysian citizens only

    The form is headed Malaysian citizens only (Warganegara Malaysia Sahaja), and business applicants must be certified by a designated regulatory agency.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Get a letter of support from a designated regulatory agency first
  • Use a passport-size photo on a plain blue background
  • Stick the photo in the box beside the signature panel
  • Sign in black ink inside the signature box
  • Fill in the form in capital letters with a black pen
  • Check your passport is valid for at least 3 more years

Don't

  • Do not use a white-background passport photo
  • Do not sign outside the signature box
  • Do not leave out the original letter of support
  • Do not send an incomplete application, which will not be processed
  • Do not apply if you are not a Malaysian citizen

Sample photos

How a Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 50 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Headwear and religious dress

The ABTC form and checklists set no rule on head coverings, glasses or expression. They ask only for a passport-size photo with a blue background.

For comparison, when the same department takes passport photos it bans hats, asks tudung wearers to leave the forehead uncovered and does not allow spectacles or contact lenses. Those are passport rules; if you are unsure whether your ABTC photo will be accepted, ask the APEC Unit before you submit.

Everything is on paper. Print a passport-size photo with a blue background and stick it on the form. The form gives no millimetre size, so a print at the department's passport size of 35 x 50 mm is the closest published reference.

A digital photo on a blue background can be printed on a 4x6 inch sheet at a photo counter and cut to size. The card itself is printed by the Immigration Department after approval, and the signature you put on the form appears on it.

Where to submit the photo

Submit the form with the original letter of support, a copy of your passport biodata page, your old passport's pages where relevant, a copy of your identity card and, if you live abroad, a copy of your work permit or permanent resident card. You may hand it in yourself, send a representative with a letter of authority from the company and a copy of their identity card, or post or courier it.

The address is the Director, Visa, Pass and Permit Division, Immigration Department of Malaysia, Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2, 62550 Putrajaya, for the attention of the APEC Business Travel Card Unit. Only complete applications are processed. The application number is sent to the regulatory agency by email, and you can follow the status on the APEC online status checker.

How to get your Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card: 35 × 50 mm print, blue background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: blue background; a print on a paper form; your signature goes on the card; passport valid for 3 years.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Everything is on paper. Print a passport-size photo with a blue background and stick it on the form. The form gives no millimetre size, so a print at the department's passport size of 35 x 50 mm is the closest published reference.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Submit the form with the original letter of support, a copy of your passport biodata page, your old passport's pages where relevant, a copy of your identity card and, if you live abroad, a copy of your work permit or permanent resident card.

Make this photo online

Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo FAQ

The Immigration Department of Malaysia. Applications go to the APEC Business Travel Card Unit of its Visa, Pass and Permit Division in Putrajaya, which issues the card once the participating economies have given their pre-clearances.

One passport-size photo with a blue background, stuck on the Immigration Department's paper application form in the box beside your signature. The form does not state a size in millimetres.

The two documents have separate rules. The Immigration Department's ABTC form and checklists ask for a blue background, while its passport photo rules ask for white. Use blue for the ABTC form.

No. The Malaysian ABTC application is a paper form submitted in person, through a representative, by post or by courier, and the photo is a print stuck on the form. Only the status check is online.

Yes. The Immigration Department lists photo replacement and replacement after an exchange of passport among its reasons for reprinting an APEC Business Travel Card. A lost card is reprinted too, with a letter from your company and a copy of the police report.

No. The Immigration Department's application form is marked for Malaysian citizens only (Warganegara Malaysia Sahaja), so the Malaysian card is not open to foreign nationals, even if they live and work in Malaysia.

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Official sources

  1. Immigration Department of Malaysia. APEC card applicant checklist imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Immigration Department of Malaysia. Borang Permohonan Kad Perjalanan Perniagaan APEC (application form) imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Immigration Department of Malaysia. Senarai semak: pemohon berada dalam negara (checklist, applicants in Malaysia) imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Immigration Department of Malaysia. Senarai semak: pemohon berada di luar negara (checklist, applicants abroad) imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Immigration Department of Malaysia. APEC Business Travel Card: introduction imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Immigration Department of Malaysia. APEC Business Travel Card: eligible applicants imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.
  7. Immigration Department of Malaysia. APEC Business Travel Card: regulatory agency imi.gov.my. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Immigration Department of Malaysia before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Malaysia APEC Business Travel Card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/malaysia/apec-business-travel-card-photo

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