Malaysia My Second Home Residency by Investment Program

Be careful: There have been a lot of changes to the MM2H program over the past years, so a lot of the information you find online is outdated. This here is the latest information.

Why get residency in Malaysia with the MM2H program?

MM2H is a renewable long term visa which is obtained through property investment in Malaysia in addition to an interest-earning fixed deposit in a Malaysian bank account.   

The Malaysia MM2H caters to many categories of people, whether you are a retiree, investor or simply an expat looking for a second residence in Asia and wish to take advantage of Malaysia’s unique location and culture.

• Safe country with conservative social values
• Malaysia boasts exceptional food, culture and tropical recreation
• Very low minimum stay requirements for families
• Only domestic Malaysian income is taxed, and the country has robust double taxation treaties. Foreign pensions are not taxed, making it an appealing retirement destination
• Foreign-earned income is not taxed in Malaysia and this won’t be changed until at least 2036
  
• Broad ability to qualify many dependents on one application

What are the requirements and costs for the MM2H program?

There are four tiers of the MM2H program with various initial residency terms:

1. Special Economic Zone – 10-years (this visa is for a specific development in Johor Bahru and targets residents of Singapore)
2. Silver – 5-years (most popular category)
3. Gold – 15-years
4. Platinum – 20 years

After the initial residency term, each visa is renewable for a 5-year term. 

All tiers have the following restrictions and privileges:

• Dependents: Spouse, parents, parents-in-law, children, stepchildren, adopted children are all eligible under 35 years old. Disabled children can be added at any age. Same-sex marriages are not eligible.
• Property lock-in period: 10 years but can upgrade to a higher priced property. You may sell at any time but your MM2H visa will be canceled.
• Physical stay requirements: For applicants under the age of 50, the family must cumulatively spend at least 90 days in Malaysia per calendar year, prorated based on the visa issue date. If you are a family of 3 for example, each person can spend 30 days on average to satisfy the 90-day requirement, or one family member can spend 90 days and the others 0. For applicants over the age of 50, there are no minimum requirements.
• Partial fixed deposit withdrawal: applicants can make up to a 50% withdrawal after one year for purposes of buying domestic tourism, medical treatment, education, real estate or new automobiles.
• Children can pursue education
• Ability to seek medical treatment
• No taxes on money brought into Malaysia
• Transferable to next-of-kin in the event of death of main applicant

What documents are needed to apply for the MM2H program?

• Valid passport with 18 months of validity
• Bank statements showing financial means
• Medical report (must be free of infectious diseases such as HIV, TB and hepatitis) and health insurance
• Letter of intent and supporting documents

 How do I apply for the Malaysia MM2H investment visa?

• Find a licensed agent approved by the Ministry of Tourism to help you submit your application and act as your sponsor.
• Collect the supporting documents required for your application
• Submit the documents and wait 2-3 months to receive a Conditional Approval Letter – this letter permits you to travel to Malaysia and gives a six month grace period to submit any missing documentation
• Upon visiting Malaysia, you can set up your fixed deposit account and add funds, after which you can submit the deposit certificate to the MM2H authorities.
• While on your trip you can also complete the medical check up requirements, enroll in health insurance and submit confirmation certificates to the MM2H authorities.  
• You should also search for a suitable residential property on which you must make a 10% deposit. 
• You will have one year after the visa is approved to complete your property purchase.  

Apply for the MM2H program

Another interesting residency:

• Residency by Investment in the Philippines