What actually changed
Foreign-registered vehicles have been barred from subsidised RON95 for years, but enforcement landed on the station. Under the Control of Supplies Regulations (Prohibition on the Sale and Purchase of Controlled Goods) (Petrol RON95) 2026, in force from 1 April 2026, the prohibition covers the purchase as well as the sale.
That is the whole story in one sentence: the risk moved from the cashier to the driver.
Also from 1 April: foreign cards at self-service kiosks
Foreign-issued debit and credit cards can no longer be used to buy RON95 at self-service pumps. If you have previously tapped a Singapore card at an automated kiosk without thinking about it, that route is closed.
What to pump instead
| Grade | Foreign-registered car? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RON95 | No — prohibited | Subsidised. This is the one that carries the penalty. |
| RON97 | Yes | Unsubsidised, market price, widely available. This is what you use. |
| Diesel | Yes — capped | Foreign-registered cars can buy up to 20 litres per visit within 50 km of the Singapore border, which covers all of Johor Bahru; beyond 50 km there is no cap, tank only. Since 1 July 2026 the subsidised BUDI Diesel excludes foreign plates — you pay full market price, but you can pump. |
RON97 costs more than RON95. On a weekend in Johor the difference is small money against a criminal penalty, so the calculation is not close.
Driving a diesel? The 116d is one. The rule is different from petrol: you can fill up, but only 20 litres a visit near the border and at the unsubsidised price — so a full tank means two stops, or filling before you cross.
A practical habit that avoids the whole problem
Fill up in Singapore before you cross. Singapore law requires a Singapore-registered car to leave with its tank at least three-quarters full anyway, so you are starting most of the way there. For a weekend in JB most people never need to refuel at all. (The same checkpoint has rules about what you bring back, too — GST relief, food and alcohol.)
If you do refuel in Malaysia: read the pump, tell the attendant the car is Singapore-registered, and ask for RON97. Attendants are alert to this now — there have been widely reported cases of station staff pulling the nozzle out of Singapore-plated cars mid-fill.
If you are renting
This applies to you personally, as the driver, regardless of whose name is on the log card. A rental company can set the car up to cross the border legally — VEP registered, RFID fitted, insurance that covers Malaysia — but nobody can pump fuel on your behalf. See what a rental car actually needs to enter Malaysia.
Staying the night?
If the trip involves an overnight, we run three self check-in apartments in Johor Bahru — and if you take a car and a stay for the same dates, 20% comes off both. How the stay + car combo works →
Last verified: 14 September 2026. Fuel subsidy rules are set by the Malaysian authorities and have changed more than once; check current guidance before you travel. General information, not legal advice.