The regulatory bodies of the ABTC, comprising the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Immigration Department of Malaysia (IMI), have introduced NEW GUIDELINES FOR ABTC APPLICATION, effective from 1 August 2024. The guidelines aim to enhance overall application and assessment process of the ABTC. The new guidelines can be referred here.

Applicants may obtain their ABTC Support Letter from MITI or any ABTC Appointed Parties (Pihak-Pihak yang Dilantik). The list of ABTC Appointed Parties as attached here.

Starting 1 June 2025, MITI will no longer accept physical submissions for ABTC applications. All applications to MITI must be submitted via the e-ABTC online portal. Applicants may also track the status of their applications through the same portal.

The processing time for ABTC Support Letter, whether issued by MITI or an Appointed Parties, is 14 working days from the date of complete submission.

Applicants can also download the Virtual ABTC (VABTC) application from the App Store or Play Store on smartphones to receive approval updates from APEC Economies directly by keying-in the application number provided by MITI.

Approval from the 18 APEC Economies will take up to six (6) months, subject to approval of the relevant APEC Economies involved.

MITI, the Appointed Parties and the IMI reserve the right to require further details from the applicants, if necessary, and have the right to reject the application.