How to Register/Drive Foreign Car into Singapore

         Driving your personal west-malaysian-registered car into foreign country, especially country with strict laws, can be stressful and nervous. Hence, would like to share our firsthand experience on car registration process.

Before start your journey, ensure the following are brought along:

1. road tax (on your car)
2. valid insurance coverage for your vehicle for the duration of your vehicle’s stay in Singapore
3. car ownership certification (sijil permilikan kenderaan)
4. valid driving license 
5. valid passport(s)
6. touch-and-go card
7. SGD cash (at least 10 sgd cash)
8. pen

        This blog is correct at the time of writing, thing might have changed. may wish to checkout this website for more updated details. If your car is not west-malaysian-registered car, there is another set of requirements to be followed. 

     (note: Some of the items in "to bring list" are not required during the registration. However, may be required when you travel back to Malaysia/on the road in Singapore)

    -- My Experience--

       With all the documents prepared, my friends and i met in Johor for lunch before heading to Singapore. We were really excited as we haven't been seeing each other for awhile. Moreover, this is a new experience since we never register a car at customs before. (i got even more excited than my friend as has been a while that i'm crossing the border in private car. yup, you can guess that I'm not the driver either. 😂) With all the excitement and nervousness, we drove through Malaysia Custom.

     Going through Malaysia Customs was easy. just pass our passport to the officer, get it back, pufffff , drive away. (no need to pay to Malaysia Customs when you're driving out of Malaysia) Although it was easy, but got to be alert which lane to drive into. you might be fined by either country if you chose the wrong lane.

     When crossing Singapore customs, we expected checking is stricter as whenever you're entering a country. But did not expect our car boot was inspected before entering the Immigration booth. (Different from my previous experience of car boot inspection, which was done after passport was stamped and before driving out of security area) After the inspection, we drove to the booth, requested departure form, filled it up and hand up the completed form and passport to officer. Then, we drove to block B for car registration with LTA (i'm not going to describe how to go there as we might be driving from different immigration booth. so better ask direction before leaving the booth. drive slowly and ask directions along the way if you're not sure)

       After parked car at designated area, we walked to the LTA office. There was an officer manned at a booth just outside the office, and a lady in purple uniform was sitting on one of the chairs near to the booth. The lady requested our documents (insurance and car ownership cert) and helped to fill up a small piece of form. With the little piece of paper, we then proceeded to the booth to fill up a form and passed both completed forms to the officer(at booth) for verification. Few minutes later, officer hand all documents and forms back to us, asked us to proceed to office for Auto-pass card application.

      In the office, handover all forms and documents to officer at the counter, paid 10SGD for Auto-pass card, get the card and all our documents. That's it! Car has been registered with LTA successfully. we can happily drive the same car into SG anytime, without repeating this process!  (note that only SGD is accepted for payment. read on if you intend to revisit Singapore)

     -- About Auto-pass Card --

      Although LTA officer will brief about the Auto-pass card when they issue it, i would still like to emphasise 2 points, which I think are critical:

1. ensure there is sufficient fund in the card upon leaving Singapore to avoid fine at the custom.
2. the card is linked to the car that was registered for the issue of card. Here i quote from LTA website, "It is an offence to use another vehicle's Autopass Card to drive into Singapore." 

    For more info, you may wish to visit this site.)

   -- Other Helpful Tips(Or Our Mistakes 😩) --

     

      petrol oh petrol

      With all the excitement to visit Singapore in personal car, we forget to fill up the petrol tank in Malaysia for the short weekend trip!  (can you smell the burning wallet?😱) We only realised about it right before going through Singapore Customs. 😓 so moral of the story is, never ever forget to fill up the petrol tank in Johor!

     Disembarkation/Embarkation Form (Arrival/Departure Form)

     Fill up the form on the spot can be stressful and time consuming, especially majority of your group are visitors. As visitors, you can't do much to save time for the first drive-through of immigration check point. (if you know how, share with me 😉) However, time can be saved for subsequent visits. All you have to do is to visit ICA office and request a few departure forms. ICA office is located in the same building as the LTA office (Block B). Getting the departure forms, you may avoid to fill up the form on the spot!

How to Renew Malaysia Passport in JB / UTC JB 2016

         Didn't think to write about it until someone asked me about my experience of Msia passport renewal in JB. I did it a few months back. Hope this blog still helps in some way, maybe like deciding whether to renew passport in JB or SG.

          Here are why I chose to renew my passport in JB instead of Malaysia Embassy:
                1) new passport is issued within a day, or maybe just a few hours usually
                2) Representing Office is opened over weekends! So no need to take leave for it.
                3) After passport renewal, can go for some good food and cheap massage around 😛

          Well, of course some might still choose to do it in SG. Probably because the to and fro trip might be tiring due to the scary traffic at custom sometimes. Anyway, i heard that renewed passport will not be issued on the same day. In this case, you will have to make 2 trips to embassy, and probably, taking 2 day of leaves.

            So what to bring with you?
                1) IC
                2) old passport
                3) your working/student pass in SG
                4) RM200 cash (depends on the category you're in)
                5) Birth Cert ( some folks may need it.)
                   you may visit the official site for more details.

          With all these documents, you can choose to go to "Jabatan Imigresen" or UTC in JB. I'm not sure what does UTC stands for, but passport and IC renewal service is available there. One of UTC branch is located near City Square JB, within walking distance, so i opted UTC. Since there is this experience shared online, stating that limited Q number per day/session is given out by UTC for passport renewal, my kiasu-ness/kiasi-ness all has to come out -- I decided to reach UTC before 830am, which is its opening hours on Saturday😂

           How to go UTC from SG using public transport? (i don't own a car 😢)
                 1) from kranji mrt station, take 170/ causeway link bus
                 2) cross the 2 custom
                 3) walk to UTC from JB custom via City Square (7mins walk according to GoogleMap)

         Attached GoogleMap for your convenience. (and partly i'm lazy to describe further 😝)

     
              Once you are there, queue to get a number, follow instructions/procedures, and puff! you get your new passport ready.

              If you're first time going there, don't be surprised. Unlike any other "Jabatan" or government buildings, UTC offices and various shops co-exist in the same building.

 -- My Experience--

I reached UTC before 830am and observed that quite a number of people were already queueing at the building entrance. The entrance was opened at 830am sharp. People who were in front of me and from another entrance started to run upstairs. My friend and I was laughing hard, because they looked like running for their lives. 😂 Too bad that we didn't manage to take video. (if you did, please share with me.) Anyway, this is actually good for us as we have no idea which level should we go to.

      Gracefully walking up to 2nd highest level, we lined up to get our Q number. UTC Officer told me to go highest floor to renew my IC after checked my IC. (Ooops! because i was holding my first ever IC) Sadly, I wasn't given Q number and had to leave the line for highest floor.

          My IC was taken, and a paper was issued, stating that my IC was kept for renewal. With the piece of paper, I lined up the same queue again. Luckily, the queue was much shorter than the first time, and I got a Q number! After followed some procedures, like taking photo and fingerprint at the UTC counter, I happily left the building with both new IC and Passport after a few hours. Heading to some good food and massage. 😍

         -- The Way Back into SG --

It is best to not use automatic gate for both custom, at least for the first time with new passport. When going through SG custom, the officer will definitely request your working/student pass. So must bring your pass along to JB.

     Once successfully back to SG, you will need to update MOM in SG if you're working, else ICA if you're studying. Having done that, you're free to use the auto gate at SG custom again.

Thought After The Time Keeper (by Mitch Albom)

The Time Keeper was given to me on my birthday, which is also the first book ever given to me as a birthday gift. So, i was thinking "how can i not read it if it is my pressie?".  As always, before start to read, book's thickness, font size and the last page number are examined. (do you do that too? hahaha)


After reading a few pages, i found that the book is fairly understandable and interesting. So, it is not tough to finish the book, given that I have not pick up any non-academic books for a long time. more than 5 years maybe? XD Anyway, not till yesterday i've finished reading it...

There is a line captures my heart, "knowing something and understanding it were not the same thing". it makes me think about life, experience, relationships.. so on.. Although this may not be the main point of the book.

BUT, do we always do so subconsciously? -- knowing without understanding. 

do we understand our family members? how about our partner? of course we know them, but, the point is do we understand most of their intention? characteristic?

do we understand the content of textbook, rather than just knowing what's the equation is? the outcome of some chemical reactions?

do we understand what it takes for our career to advance, or do we just knowing the path?

That's what makes me think after reading the book. at least for me. what about you? =) On the other hand, there are some aspects worth thinking about as well. Some appeared several times in the book. Perhaps the author would like to emphasise it.

Here are some of the quotes:

• It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be
• “There is a reason God limits our days.'
  'Why?'
  'To make each one precious.” 
• Sometimes, when you are not getting the love you want, giving makes you think you will.
• When you are measuring life, you are not living it.
• I made such a fool of myself,” she lamented.
  “Love does not make you a fool.”
  “He didn’t love me back.”
  “That does not make you a fool, either.”
  “Just tell me …” Her voice cracked. “When does it stop hurting?”
  “Sometimes never.”

       By the way, little did i know, the author has published ""The Five People You Meet in Heaven", which I've always wanted to read. Maybe i should go to library someday soon! =)

The New Start of My Internet Journey

Dear reader,

I'm really glad that you read this. (and very happy if someday my blog interests you in a way that bother to read from the start!) =)

Recently i've the urge to start blogging all over again. It has been a long time since i'm blogging. (maybe more than 5 years? :P) However, i have no specific topic like those professional blogger. This blog will be more of my random thoughts? lil diary of me maybe? or review of things i've tried? =P No idea at all, but i'm so excited that i couldn't sleep. it's 2.30 am now by the way. haha

Regardless, hope you enjoy reading them. if you would like to feedback/share your thought, you may wish to comment or personal message me(PM). Hope we can grow together/ open up different perspective of life somehow =)

Good night!