QuickCheck: Is your Malaysian digital driving licence valid overseas?

MALAYSIA went fully digital with its driving licence system, and for most Malaysians the switch has been seamless.

No more worrying about leaving your licence at home when you are just running to the shops.

But for the growing number of Malaysians who drive across borders, particularly to Thailand, the digital switch has created an unexpected problem.

Is your Malaysian digital driving licence valid overseas?

Verdict:

FALSE

Malaysia's digital driving licence, known as the e-LMM, is not recognised by foreign authorities for enforcement or verification purposes, according to a fact-check published by MyCheck.my.

The issue came to public attention after a woman on Threads shared that her husband had been fined 1,000 baht, approximately RM121, by Thai police for failing to produce a physical driving licence while driving in Thailand.

She said they had shown the digital licence on the MyJPJ app but Thai police would not accept it.

"When we said Malaysia no longer has a physical licence and showed the online version, they said Thai police cannot access JPJ's system," she wrote.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook addressed the matter directly, making clear that driving licence regulations are subject to the laws of each individual country, and the Transport Ministry has no jurisdiction over how foreign countries handle licence verification.

"If a country requires a physical licence, then we have to comply. That is under their jurisdiction. We cannot ask foreign countries to follow our way. Laws differ from one country to another," said Loke, as reported by Sinar Harian.

He said the digital licence was introduced so that Malaysian drivers could present it during enforcement checks within Malaysia, avoiding the need to carry a physical card domestically. It was never intended to replace the physical licence for overseas use.

Thailand's position is unambiguous. A spokesperson for the Traffic Police in Thailand's Narathiwat province said that under Section 42 of the Motor Vehicle Act B.E. 2522, holders of driving licences issued by countries recognised by the Thai government are permitted to drive in Thailand according to the category stated on their licence, subject to compliance with agreements or conventions in force between Thailand and the country concerned.

Both methods of proving driving eligibility in Thailand still require a physical licence.

The Road Transport Department in Kelantan issued a reminder urging Malaysians travelling to Thailand by car to obtain a physical driving licence beforehand to avoid being fined by Thai authorities.

Thailand is not the only country where this applies. Any country that has not specifically adopted a framework for recognising digital driving licences from foreign jurisdictions will require a physical licence. That covers most of the world.

For Malaysians who need a physical licence for overseas driving, the process is simple. Visit any Road Transport Department branch or Urban Transformation Centre nationwide, pay RM20 for the printing fee, and collect the physical licence on the spot. Since January 2026, the government has removed the requirement to show proof of overseas travel when applying, making the process even more straightforward.

Beyond the physical licence, Malaysians driving overseas should also consider obtaining an International Driving Permit, which is not a replacement for the Malaysian licence but a certified translation of driving credentials recognised by authorities in countries that are signatories to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

The permit contains driving information in multiple languages, making it easier for foreign authorities and car rental companies to verify driving eligibility. It must be carried alongside the original physical licence, not instead of it.

The digital licence works perfectly well for what it was designed to do: keeping Malaysian drivers legal on Malaysian roads without the need to carry a physical card. The moment the road crosses a border, however, the phone goes back in the pocket and the physical licence comes out.

Sources:

1. https://mycheck.my/report/a245634e-0574-45cf-a7b6-32440c395163/lesen-memandu-digital-tidak-diterima-di-sesetengah-negara-pemandu-malaysia-disaran-mohon-lesen-fizikal
2. https://www.threads.com/@quthrennada/post/DakfMOclDGb?xmt=AQG0WXPJxGVADQnTcGCUvEF7kwNfyWjxjvte66ZkLexQgCbBu-TE9fOTNFZub0VyLQPwklYM&source_surface=35&slof=1
3. https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/272080/berita/nasional/lesen-fizikal-masih-ada-boleh-mohon-di-jpj---anthony-loke
4. https://www.jpj.gov.my/pusat-media-3/soalan-lazim/soalan-lazim-lesen-memandu/
5. https://www.mot.gov.my/en/Kenyataan%20Media/Year%202026/SIARAN%20MEDIA%20PENAWARAN%20PILIHAN%20UNTUK%20MENDAPAT%20KAD%20FIZIKAL%20LESEN%20MEMANDU%20MALAYSIA%20(LMM)%20(1).pdf
6. https://www.jpj.gov.my/pusat-media-3/informasi-perkhidmatan-jpj/pemandu/permohonan-permit-memandu-antarabangsa/
7. https://www.facebook.com/jabatanpengangkutanjalanmalaysia/posts/pfbid036gqPtmiDFGo5RWb7u7TmuBrQcvU2CkuUHkKJmGKKk5Kndfeui5EZHJDHRDy5Qthul