Driving to Malaysia from Punggol now needs a Malaysian Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP). MFA says Singapore-registered private cars have needed one since 1 July 2025. Before the checkpoint, fill your tank to at least three-quarters, top up your toll card, and print your insurance certificate and road-tax validity.
Most hold-ups at the Causeway come from things you could have sorted out the night before. Do them at home and the drive is far calmer.
This page is part of eduKate Punggol’s When You Need Help in Punggol, our practical guides for life’s occasions, big and small. It covers the VEP, the documents and tolls, the MyICA QR code, the rules on both sides, and who to call if something goes wrong in Malaysia.
Quick answer
- VEP: register on JPJ’s VEP website, get the RFID tag and activate it online. MFA says cars entering without a VEP may be fined MYR 300.
- Fuel: Singapore Customs requires the tank to be at least three-quarters full when you leave by land. Otherwise you face a composition sum of up to S$500 and may be turned back.
- Toll card: top up before you go, as there are no top-up machines at the checkpoint. The car exit toll is S$0.80 at Woodlands and S$2.10 at Tuas.
- Clearance: make a MyICA QR code for everyone in the car, and scan it at the counter instead of handing over passports.
- Help in Malaysia: 999 for an accident or medical emergency, the Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Bahru on +60 7-3350130 in office hours, or MFA’s 24-hour line, +65 6379 8800.
Before Driving to Malaysia: What to Do First
Start the VEP steps well ahead, because the tag has to reach you and be fitted. Everything else can be done the day before.
- Register for the VEP. The car owner, or someone they appoint, registers at vep.jpj.gov.my, and JPJ emails a confirmation slip. JPJ says registration cannot be done at its counters.
- Pay and collect the tag. On vepams.jpj.gov.my, choose how to pay and whether to collect the RFID tag at the VEP Tag Collection Center in Danga Bay or have it posted.
- Activate the tag. Enter the tag’s serial number online, fit it following JPJ’s video guide, upload a photo of the fitted tag and submit. JPJ says the tag is valid for five years from activation.
- Check passports. MFA says Singaporeans can visit Malaysia visa-free for up to 30 days, with a passport valid for more than six months on entry.
- Print two papers. LTA says Malaysian authorities may ask for a printed copy of your certificate of insurance and of your road-tax validity. Bring your driving licence too.
- Top up your toll card. Use a NETS CashCard, Motoring Card or CEPAS card with enough value.
- Fill the tank. At least three-quarters full, whether petrol, diesel or CNG. For a petrol-CNG hybrid, both tanks.
- Make your MyICA QR code. Download the MyICA app, create a profile and generate an individual or group QR code before you reach the checkpoint. Citizens, PRs and LTP holders need Singpass; visitors use their passports.
Who to Call When Driving to Malaysia
| Who | Contact | Hours | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPJ VEP websites | vep.jpj.gov.my (registration) and vepams.jpj.gov.my (payment and tag collection) | Online | Registering the car, paying and arranging the tag. |
| JPJ VEP enquiries (as listed by MFA) | +603-79412888, aduanvep@jpj.gov.my | — | Problems with a VEP application or tag. |
| VEP Tag Collection Center (VCC) | Danga Bay, Johor Bahru. JPJ’s FAQ does not give the full address. | — | Collecting your RFID tag in person. |
| MyICA app | App Store or Google Play | — | QR code clearance at Woodlands and Tuas. |
| Malaysian emergency services | 999 | Emergency line | Police, fire and rescue, and ambulance. |
| Singapore Consulate-General, Johor Bahru | Level 29, MVS South Tower, Mid Valley Southkey, No. 1 Persiaran Southkey 1, Southkey, 80150 Johor Bahru. Tel +60 7-3350130. | Mon–Fri 8.30am–1pm and 2pm–5pm. Closed weekends and public holidays. | Lost passports and consular help in Johor. It moved here on 10 December 2025. |
| Singapore High Commission, Kuala Lumpur | 209 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. Tel +60 321 616 277. | After-hours duty phone +60 166 610 400 | Consular help further up the peninsula. |
| MFA 24-hour Consular Response Centre | +65 6379 8800 | 24 hours | Any Singaporean in difficulty in Malaysia. |
Checked October 2026 — confirm on the official page before you go: LTA OneMotoring, JPJ’s RC and VEP FAQ, MFA’s Malaysia travel page and MFA’s notice on the Johor Bahru consulate’s move.
For live queues, ICA’s QR code clearance page links to its Woodlands and Tuas traffic updates. In a May 2023 release, ICA named 5pm to 8pm as the evening departure peak at the land checkpoints.
Which Situation Fits You
Your first drive across since the VEP rules began
Do not drive up “just to see”. JPJ’s FAQ says entering Malaysia without a valid VEP is an offence under Section 66H(7) of the Road Transport Act 1987, with a fine of up to RM2,000, up to six months’ jail, or both. MFA’s own travel page cites a fine of MYR 300. Register, collect and activate first.
A quick day trip for groceries or makan
Singapore Customs gives only S$100 of GST relief if you were away under 48 hours. There is no duty-free liquor for anyone arriving from Malaysia, and no allowance at all for cigarettes or tobacco. Keep receipts handy in case you need to declare.
The whole family, or visitors, in the car
One group QR code covers everyone. ICA says it cannot be used by foreign visitors entering Singapore for the first time, or by anyone re-entering on a different passport from their last visit; they show their passports instead. MFA says Singapore passport holders are exempt from Malaysia’s digital arrival card (MDAC) at all entry points. Passengers on other passports should check Malaysia’s rules for themselves.
Driving further than Johor
JPJ says VEP cars must have valid road tax and insurance, and can stay up to 90 days. We could not confirm whether Singapore motor policies cover West Malaysia by default, so ask your insurer before a long drive. The Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, listed in the table above, can also help.
Riding a motorcycle
LTA charges no Singapore exit toll for motorcycles. ICA’s 8 May 2026 release said facial-image clearance would replace fingerprints for motorcyclists at Woodlands from 31 March 2026, and on 31 August 2026 ICA said it was being rolled out progressively at Tuas Checkpoint’s motorcycle lanes.
Bringing the dog along
Please do not. AVS treats a pet taken to Malaysia for a short trip as an import from Malaysia on return, so the 30-day quarantine applies. See our guide to travelling with pets.
Tolls, Fees and Fines
These were the published figures at the time of checking in October 2026.
- Singapore exit toll for cars (LTA): S$0.80 at Woodlands and S$2.10 at Tuas. Coming back, there is no toll at Woodlands, and cars pay S$2.10 at Tuas. Insert your card in the reader at the immigration booth both ways, and pay even if the barrier lifts.
- Not paying the toll: a fine of up to $1,000 or up to three months’ jail for a first offence when leaving, and a fine of up to $1,000 when coming back.
- Topping up: the card holds up to $500. Top up on the NETS app, at Transit Top-Up Kiosks in MRT stations, at DBS, POSB, OCBC or UOB ATMs, at NETS machines, or with cash at 7-Eleven, Cheers or FairPrice Xpress.
- Three-quarter tank rule (Singapore Customs): a composition sum of up to S$500 or prosecution, and you may be made to U-turn. Tampering with the fuel gauge is a separate offence.
- VEP fees (JPJ): a Tag Processing Fee of RM10 and a Collection Agent Service Fee of RM29.50, plus the courier’s fee if posted. JPJ sends renewal reminders 60, 30 and 10 days before the tag expires.
- Malaysia’s Road Charge: JPJ’s FAQ mentions RM20 per entry for foreign private vehicles, paid only by Touch ‘n Go card or eWallet. As of October 2026, the same FAQ is unclear on whether this applies to Singapore cars, so check live with JPJ before you rely on either answer.
Neighbour’s Tips
- Fill up in Punggol before you set off. Our petrol stations guide lists the stations nearby, and it saves a nervous glance at the gauge in the queue.
- Keep the printed papers in the glovebox so they are always in the car, not on the printer.
- Generate the group QR code at home, while everyone’s passports and phones are on the table.
- Activating matters as much as registering. JPJ’s steps end with the fitment photo, so do not stop at the confirmation email.
- Ignore sites charging for MDAC. Singapore passports are exempt, says MFA.
- Avoid the evening peak if your day allows. ICA’s May 2023 figure was 5pm to 8pm.
- Look ahead to 2027. ICA plans APCS@Car, where you clear immigration without leaving the car, at Tuas Checkpoint from early 2027, then at the redeveloped Woodlands Checkpoint.
If It’s Urgent or Something Goes Wrong
In Malaysia, MFA’s advice is simple: “In the case of an accident or medical emergency, call 999.” Once everyone is safe, contact the Consulate-General in Johor Bahru in office hours, or the MFA 24-hour Consular Response Centre on +65 6379 8800 at any time. If you lose a passport there, our guide to a lost passport overseas takes you through it.
Back in Singapore, call 995 for injuries or fire and 999 for the Police, as listed on gov.sg. A breakdown on the way home is covered in our car breakdown guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a VEP to drive into Johor Bahru?
Yes. MFA says Singapore-registered cars owned by individuals or private companies have needed one since 1 July 2025.
How full must my tank be?
At least three-quarters full when you leave Singapore by land. For a petrol-CNG hybrid, both tanks.
Can I top up my toll card at the checkpoint?
No. LTA says there are no top-up machines there, so top up before you leave.
Do Singaporeans need to fill in the MDAC?
No. MFA says Singapore passport holders are exempt at all entry points. You submit it only if you plan to enrol fingerprints for Malaysia’s e-gates on later trips.
Do I need an SG Arrival Card when I drive back?
Not if you are a Singapore citizen, PR or LTP holder entering at Woodlands or Tuas. Visitors in your car still need one. Our SG Arrival Card guide explains it.
Does my car insurance cover Malaysia?
Check your own policy. We could not verify a general rule, and LTA asks you to carry a printed certificate of insurance.
More Help on eduKate Punggol
- Weekend trips to Johor, Batam and Bintan, and air quality
- SG Arrival Card for your return to Singapore
- Driving and parking in Punggol, including expressways
- Car ownership, road tax and insurance
- Bus or train to Johor Bahru, if you would rather leave the car at home.
- Official: LTA: driving out of Singapore · Singapore Customs: three-quarter tank rule · JPJ VEP FAQ
Enjoy the Drive
With the tag fitted, the tank full and the QR code ready, the Causeway becomes just another stretch of road. Pack some water and patience for the queue, and have a lovely day across the border.
And if your family is also looking for calm, small-group English, Mathematics or Science, eduKate Punggol teaches classes of three in Punggol. Come find out more: Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp
eduKate Punggol
Small-group English, Mathematics and Science
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By appointment · +65 8823 1234
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Checked October 2026. Addresses, opening hours, fees and rules change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.
