Immigration Department Sabah: Passports & Permits
What does the Immigration Department in Sabah handle?
The Immigration Department in Sabah handles passports, visas, long-term visit passes and work permits. Because Sabah has its own immigration control, every visitor goes through Immigration on arrival. Peninsular Malaysians can enter with their MyKad and a free single-journey document issued at the airport.
Immigration in Sabah at a glance
The Immigration Department (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia) manages passports, visas, visit passes and work permits across Sabah. Its state office is at Levels 1 to 4, Block B, Kompleks Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Jalan UMS, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, on 088-488 700 or 088-488 800 (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026).
For most people, the everyday business with Immigration is a passport renewal, a visa query, or a work pass. The department's busiest counters are at the headquarters and at UTC Kota Kinabalu, where extended hours make after-work visits possible.
The Immigration counter at UTC Sabah, Jalan Belia, Kota Kinabalu, is open Monday to Sunday, 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM (closed Fridays 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM and daily 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM; closed on public holidays). Passport collection and payment run until 8:30 PM (Immigration Department, checked 7 October 2026).
The Sabah entry rule
The most important thing to know about Immigration in Sabah is the entry rule. Under Part VII of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Sabah and Sarawak have their own immigration control, so everyone entering Sabah goes through Immigration, and that includes Malaysian citizens travelling from Peninsular Malaysia.
A Malaysian flying from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu does not need a passport. Instead, Immigration issues a free Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document at the counters in Sabah airport arrival halls. You show your MyKad (or a birth certificate for children under 12), no parental permission is needed, and it is valid for a single journey with a stay of up to three months (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026).
Passport services
Immigration processes passport (MyPassport) applications and renewals, the most common service the public uses. Applicants aged 18 and over bring their MyKad and, for renewals, their previous passport (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026).
Counters at the Kota Kinabalu headquarters and at UTC KK both handle passports. For applicants under 18, bring the child's birth certificate and MyKad, and either the mother or the father must be present with their own MyKad (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026). Always confirm the current checklist before travelling to the office.
Visas and visit passes
For non-citizens, Immigration handles visa applications and extensions and a range of visit passes. These include the Long-Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP), which Immigration issues for stays of at least six months, including for foreign spouses of Malaysians (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026).
Each pass has its own eligibility criteria and document requirements, which can change. The department's website is the authoritative source, and complex cases are usually handled at the Sabah headquarters rather than at a branch counter.
Work permits and employment passes
Immigration issues the passes that allow foreigners to work in Sabah. These include the Employment Pass for expatriates approved by the Expatriate Committee or the relevant regulatory agency (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026), and the Visitor's Pass (Temporary Employment), known as PLKS, for foreign workers in approved sectors such as manufacturing, plantation, agriculture, construction and services (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026).
Employers usually lead the work-permit process, often in coordination with the Labour Department. Workers and employers should keep documents current, as passes are tied to specific jobs and sectors.
Immigration rules and fees change regularly. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Verify the latest requirements on imi.gov.my or directly with the department.
Offices and branches in Sabah
The state office is at Block B, Kompleks Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, on 088-488 700 or 088-488 800 (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026). For passports, Immigration lists offices in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and LTAKK, receiving offices in Sipitang, Ranau, Kudat, Semporna and Tenom, and UTC counters in Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Tawau (Immigration Department, checked 6 October 2026).
Passport counters at the Sabah Immigration offices open Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, closing on Fridays from 12:15 PM to 2:45 PM. The Sabah state office is not on the Immigration Department's list of offices with weekend passport hours, so use UTC at weekends (Immigration Department, checked 7 October 2026).
For routine passport work, the UTC KK counter is often the most convenient because of its long opening hours. For specialised passes and applications, the headquarters or a district branch is usually the right place to go.