Citizeo
Pathway

Malaysia 20-Year Long-Stay Visa

Malaysia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Malaysia's active Premium Visa Programme is a 20-year long-stay route for applicants who meet one of the program's high financial-capacity tests and also place the mandatory MYR 1 million fixed deposit and pay the participation fees.

Type
High-financial-capacity long-stay residence
Financial test
MYR 40,000 monthly / MYR 480,000 yearly income, or MYR 1 billion total net worth
Fixed deposit
MYR 1 million under either financial test
Withdrawal
Up to 50% after 6 months for real estate, medical, or education purposes under the current terms
Principal fee
MYR 200,000 participation fee
Duration
20 years for the principal, issued as 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 years

Summary

Malaysia's Premium Visa Programme (PVIP) is a long-term multiple-entry immigration program for applicants who can meet a high financial threshold. The Immigration Department describes it as allowing investors, entrepreneurs, and foreign talent to live, work, or study in Malaysia for up to 20 years.

An approval is structured as four periods of up to five years (5+5+5+5), subject to passport validity and continued compliance. It is not a single guaranteed 20-year pass. The applicant's passport must have at least 24 months' validity.

PVIP does not have a minimum annual-stay rule or an age limit. It is, however, expensive: the principal must meet the income or net-worth test, maintain a MYR 1 million fixed deposit, pay a non-refundable MYR 200,000 participation fee, and pay annual pass and other immigration charges. Applications must be filed through an agency on the Immigration Department's current authorized list.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The current Immigration Department terms require the principal applicant to show either:

In both cases, the principal must also place at least MYR 1 million in a fixed-deposit account with a licensed Malaysian bank. The net-worth alternative does not remove the deposit requirement.

The evidence depends on the source of funds. The official terms call for recent payslips, an employer confirmation, and matching bank statements for salary, or annual bank, tax, and bank-confirmation records for investment, business, or other income. Immigration can request additional documents and will examine whether the financial evidence is genuine and consistent.

The applicant and dependents are subject to Royal Malaysia Police security screening. The official terms also require a Certificate of Good Conduct in English, or translated into English and certified as directed, and a Malaysian medical report before pass endorsement. Identity, immigration-history, résumé, relationship, and custody documents may also be required.

Deposit and government fees

Family members

The principal may include:

Marriage, birth, adoption, disability, custody, and consent evidence must be supplied as applicable. A dependent's status is connected to the principal applicant and is not an independent permanent status.

What This Route Allows

An approved participant may live in Malaysia without a published minimum-stay requirement and may leave and re-enter while the pass and passport remain valid.

The Immigration Department says PVIP participants may work, conduct lawful business, study, make permitted active investments, and purchase residential, commercial, or industrial property. Each activity remains subject to Malaysian law, including professional licensing, company, employment, education, land, and state property rules. PVIP does not override those rules.

The current terms provide an overall approval framework of up to 20 years, issued in five-year segments. An extension beyond the 20-year period must be requested six months before the active pass expires. Immigration states that half of the then-current participation fee will be charged for that extension. Future approval and charges cannot be assumed in advance.

What This Route Is Not

PVIP is not permanent residence and does not grant Malaysian citizenship. It creates no automatic right to a Permanent Resident identity card, naturalization, or renewal beyond the approved periods.

It is not approval to ignore licensing or ownership restrictions. Permission under PVIP to work, run a business, study, or buy property does not replace any separate approval required for the particular profession, company, course, or property.

It is also not a low-risk refundable investment. The participation fee is non-refundable, agency fees are separate, and at least MYR 500,000 of the fixed deposit must remain after any approved partial withdrawal. Approval is subject to financial verification, security screening, medical and document requirements, and Immigration's decision.

Tax residence and tax on Malaysian or foreign income are separate from PVIP immigration status. The absence of a minimum-stay requirement does not make income automatically tax-free. Obtain Malaysian tax advice based on where the income arises, the work performed, and the actual days present.

Next Steps

  1. Download the current PVIP terms, FAQ, and checklist from the Immigration Department's e-Services page. Do not rely on a private agent's summary for the financial or fee rules.
  2. Choose an agency from the Immigration Department's current authorized-agency list. Confirm the appointment directly and obtain a written breakdown of government fees, agency fees, and any third-party costs.
  3. Test the financial evidence before paying. Confirm that the latest records clearly show the qualifying monthly or annual income, or that the evidence meets the MYR 1 billion net-worth alternative.
  4. Prepare passports, good-conduct certificates, résumés, bank and tax records, and family relationship documents with the required English translations and certifications.
  5. The authorized agency submits the application. The MYR 2,000 initial participation payment is part of the principal's non-refundable MYR 200,000 fee; do not confuse it with the agency's own charge.
  6. After conditional approval, complete the fixed deposit, remaining government fees, medical report, security-bond, visa, and endorsement steps by the stated deadlines.
  7. Keep evidence that the fixed deposit remains compliant. Obtain Immigration's recommendation before making any permitted withdrawal, and track each five-year pass and passport expiry date separately.
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