If you are moving abroad to work, study or settle, the visa officer at the other end will almost certainly ask for a police clearance. In Malaysia that document is the Sijil Kelakuan Baik (SKB), the Certificate of Good Conduct. It is not issued by your local police station. You apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its e-Konsular system, and the ministry issues the certificate after the Royal Malaysia Police has screened your record.

This guide is built on what the ministry itself publishes: the e-Konsular portal and its FAQ, the official applicant user manual (prepared for the ministry by Pos Digicert), and the consular pages of Malaysian missions abroad, all read on 2 October 2026.

*Cover image: Wisma Putra, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Putrajaya. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.*

Who can apply

  • Malaysian citizens can apply without conditions. You must register with your MyKad number, not your passport number. The FAQ warns that a citizen who registers with a passport number will have the application cancelled and the account blocked.
  • Foreigners who lived in Malaysia can also apply, using a passport that is still valid. Here the ministry's own pages disagree. The e-Konsular FAQ says a stay of at least 6 months, while the High Commission in Wellington's page (dated 7 July 2026) says 12 consecutive months on a long-term pass such as an employment pass, student pass or spouse visa. If you are a foreigner near either line, email the SKB unit before paying.

What you need before you start

  • A passport with at least six months of validity. An expired passport, or a visit pass in place of a passport, is not accepted.
  • A passport-size photo that meets the size and background rules shown on the upload screen.
  • A copy of your passport.
  • A supporting document that explains why you need the certificate. This is the step that sinks most applications. The FAQ lists four acceptable kinds: a job offer letter, a study offer letter, proof of residence abroad such as a utility bill, or a visa letter or instruction from the destination country's government.

Step by step

  1. Register at ekonsular.kln.gov.my, or in the e-Konsular app. The e-Konsular and MyWorldAlert accounts have now been merged, so if you already have either one, use your e-Konsular password for both.
  2. Go to Certificate of Good Conduct, then New Application. You can have at most two applications in progress, and you cannot open a second one for the same country until the first is approved.
  3. Fill in your personal details, the purpose of travel, the country that requires the certificate, and upload the supporting document.
  4. Pay RM20. Online payment goes through your bank. If you choose to collect a printed certificate instead, payment is at the counter at Wisma Putra or the Sabah and Sarawak offices by card terminal, or in cash at a Malaysian embassy abroad.
  5. Wait. Check progress under "Semakan SKB" using your MyKad or passport number, email or transaction code. An application still marked Draf has not been submitted. It only enters the queue once payment clears and the status shows Permohonan Baru.
  6. Download and print. Once approved, the certificate is downloaded from e-Konsular and printed on plain A4. It is not emailed.

The three timing traps

Thirty working days is about six weeks. The FAQ gives 30 working days after a complete application, and it says plainly that applicants cannot push for faster approval. Public holidays stretch that further. Budget for at least six to eight weeks before a visa deadline.

Download promptly. The user manual says the paid download stays open for 7 days after payment, after which a Pay icon replaces the Download icon and a fresh payment is needed. The FAQ separately says the certificate can be downloaded within one year of approval. Our reading is that a new payment re-opens the download. Save the PDF the day it appears and you avoid the question.

One year means one year. The certificate is valid for one year from the approval date, not from when you print it. If your move slips past that, you will need a new one.

Do you need Wisma Putra to attest it?

No. The FAQ says the SKB can be used officially without any further attestation by the ministry. Whether your destination country wants a translation or its own embassy's stamp is up to that country, so check its visa checklist.

Who to contact

  • SKB unit: skb_admin@kln.gov.my
  • Wisma Putra line: +603 8000 8000, office hours 8.30am to 5.30pm
  • Consular counter: Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 4pm; Friday 8.30am to 12pm and 2.45pm to 4pm; closed weekends and public holidays

Be wary of agents offering to "speed up" an SKB. The FAQ tells applicants to update their own documents and not to let strangers do it for them, and nothing on the ministry's pages offers an express lane.

Related reads