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Pathway

Malaysia Long-Stay Residence Program

Malaysia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Malaysia My Second Home is a long-stay route with four current national categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and SEZ/SFZ. Each has its own age, US-dollar fixed-deposit, property-purchase, stay, duration, and activity rules.

Type
Long-stay residence with fixed deposit and property purchase
Categories
Platinum, Gold, Silver, and special economic or financial zone categories
Minimum package
Special-zone packages start with a USD $32,000 or USD $65,000 fixed deposit plus designated-zone property; national tiers start at USD $150,000 plus property
Fixed-deposit withdrawal
After MM2H approval, up to 50% for property, education, medical, or tourism purposes
Activities
Business, investment, and career activity are allowed under Platinum, but not under Gold, Silver, or the special-zone categories
Dependents
Spouse; qualifying children, including single unemployed children age 21–34; disabled children with no age limit; parents and parents-in-law

Summary

Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) is a renewable social-visit-pass program with a multiple-entry visa. The current national program has four categories: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and a Special Economic Zone/Special Financial Zone (SEZ/SFZ) category. Silver, Gold and Platinum each combine a fixed deposit, compulsory home purchase, participation fee and category-specific pass term.

The 2024 reset moved MM2H from income-led qualification to a wealth-led model. The previous monthly-offshore-income requirement was removed for all tiers. What matters now is the fixed deposit, the property purchase, and — for applicants under 50 — the annual stay requirement. The program is administered by the MM2H Centre within the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, with implementation through the Immigration Department.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

You qualify for MM2H when all of the following are true for the tier you're applying to:

The program is a long-stay social visit pass, not permanent residence or citizenship. A later citizenship application has its own Article 19 rules and currently requires MyPR and an Entry Permit in JPN's filing checklist.

The three tiers

Silver

Gold

Platinum

SEZ/SFZ category

The national overview also lists a ten-year SEZ/SFZ category tied to a home in the designated development, with a USD $32,000 fixed deposit for a main applicant aged 50 or older and USD $65,000 for a main applicant aged 21–49. Property price follows the designated development's rule. The younger group has the 90-day stay requirement; the age-50-or-older group does not. Check the dedicated current page and guidelines because the eligible zone, property and endorsement details are category-specific.

The deposit, explained

The official pages state the deposit in US dollars and require it in a Malaysian financial institution licensed under the Financial Services Act or Islamic Financial Services Act. After MM2H approval, up to 50% of the principal may be withdrawn for a home purchase, education, medical expenses or tourism activities in Malaysia. Do not assume the withdrawal is unrestricted or that the remainder may be removed while keeping the pass.

The property purchase

For Silver, Gold and Platinum, a qualifying home must be purchased after MM2H approval and cannot be sold for ten years. The official pages permit an upgrade to a more expensive home. State land rules can impose a higher minimum or other limits than the MM2H floor, so both sets of rules must be satisfied. Failure to comply can revoke the MM2H pass.

The 90-day presence rule

Applicants under age 50 must spend 90 cumulative days per year in Malaysia. MOTAC counts this across the principal applicant and/or spouse and dependents. Applicants age 50 and older are not subject to the same annual-stay rule under the national category overview.

Dependents

You can include:

The overview publishes a processing fee of MYR 5,000 for the principal and MYR 2,500 for each dependent. It says no separate participation fee applies to dependents. Verify current endorsement and renewal charges as well.

Sabah MM2H — the state-level alternative

Sabah administers a distinct state program through its Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and official Sabah Tourism portal. Its categories, agents, fees, property and stay rules must be checked there; do not apply national Silver, Gold or Platinum terms to a Sabah application.

What This Route Allows

An approved participant receives the category's renewable MM2H social visit pass and multiple-entry visa, subject to passport validity and program conditions. Registered dependents can receive the pass; children can study as described by the category page, and long-term medical treatment is allowed.

Only Platinum expressly lists business/investment activities and career opportunities as permitted. Gold and Silver expressly list them as not allowed. Do not infer work permission from the length of the pass.

What This Route Is Not

This is not permanent residence, citizenship, or a guaranteed approval. A fixed deposit alone is insufficient: the applicable age, property, stay, medical, insurance, fee and dependent rules must also be met. It is not an open work permit for Silver or Gold. The national terms do not govern Sabah or Sarawak state programs, and immigration status alone does not settle tax residence or tax liability.

Next Steps

  1. Pick your tier. Silver for a 5-year toehold at moderate cost; Gold for a 15-year base with a serious property commitment; Platinum for the work-enabled 20-year option.
  2. Engage a licensed MM2H agent. The MM2H Centre requires applications to be routed through an approved agent — a list is published on the MM2H portal.
  3. Confirm with the official portal and licensed financial institution how and when the USD-denominated fixed-deposit requirement must be completed.
  4. Check both the MM2H property floor and the relevant state's foreign-property rules. The official category pages say the compulsory purchase occurs after approval.
  5. Submit through the MM2H Centre and licensed agent process. Keep the identity, financial and family documents current while the file is reviewed.
  6. Receive conditional approval, complete the medical, and endorse the pass on arrival.
  7. Keep fixed-deposit, home-ownership, insurance and travel records throughout the pass. Check renewal early because the program term, five-year endorsement cycles and passport validity can interact.
Compare your options

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Sources