Malaysia Visas in 2026: DE Rantau Nomad Pass and MM2H Long-Stay

Malaysia is quietly becoming one of Southeast Asia's most practical long-term bases, and it separates remote work from retirement with two clean programmes. The DE Rantau Nomad Pass covers working digital professionals; Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) covers retirees and long-term residents. This hub sets out both against current rules. Figures come from the official Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) pages for DE Rantau and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) category documents for MM2H, and were last verified on 30 August 2026.

DE Rantau Nomad Pass (digital nomads)

DE Rantau is Malaysia's official digital-nomad pass. It is a Professional Visit Pass that lets foreign digital professionals live and work in Malaysia for three to twelve months, renewable once for another twelve, for up to twenty-four months in total. It is multi-entry and open to all nationalities except Israel; the main pass holder must be over 18. Full requirements and the application portal are on MDEC's official DE Rantau page.

• Tech talent: IT and digital roles (software engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, blockchain, AI and machine learning, data, digital marketing and content) need a minimum USD 24,000 in annual income.
• Non-tech talent: executives, finance, sales, marketing, legal and consulting roles need a minimum USD 60,000 in annual income.
• Remote work for a foreign employer, or freelance clients including Malaysian ones; contracts must be dated at least three months before you apply.
• A passport valid for over 14 months at submission, plus the last three months of payslips and matching bank statements.

DE Rantau costs and process

Apply online at mdec.my/derantau. The processing fee is RM1,080 per applicant and RM540 per dependent, including 8% sales and service tax, and it is non-refundable even if the application is rejected. The official immigration pass fee is RM90 per quarter or RM360 for a year, paid when you endorse the pass. If no Malaysian company will sponsor you, MDEC acts as sponsor, which requires a refundable personal security bond of RM200 to RM2,000 depending on your nationality.

Official processing runs six to eight weeks, and approval is valid for six months, within which you must complete the endorsement to receive your e-Pass. Apply from inside Malaysia and you must exit and re-enter on the correct visa first. The pass currently covers Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan; entry to Sabah and Sarawak is still on a tourist pass. Dependants (a spouse, children under 18, a disabled child of any age, and parents) may join you.

Tax on DE Rantau

Tax follows residency. On DE Rantau, foreign-source income is not taxed if you stay 60 days or fewer; from 61 days in a tax year it can become taxable based on your residential status, and past 182 days you are treated as a Malaysian tax resident and may be taxed on worldwide income, though Malaysia applies territorial rules to much foreign income. Nomads who split the year across countries often stay below the line, but plan for the full-year case before you commit. This is not tax advice; confirm with a professional.

Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) for long-stay and retirement

Malaysia My Second Home is the long-stay and retirement programme run through the One-Stop Centre under MOTAC and the Immigration Department. Under the current rules, confirmed in MOTAC's category document, the offshore-income requirement has been dropped for every category; eligibility now rests on a fixed deposit, a compulsory property purchase and fees. Main applicants must be at least 25 (21 for the special economic-zone categories) and must apply through an MM2H agency licensed under the Tourism Industry Act 1992. Individual or walk-in applications are not accepted.

• Silver: USD 150,000 fixed deposit; a five-year renewable pass; minimum property RM600,000; participation fee RM1,000; renewal RM1,500. Business and employment are not permitted.
• Gold: USD 500,000 fixed deposit; a fifteen-year renewable pass; minimum property RM1,000,000; participation fee RM3,000; renewal RM3,000. Business and employment are not permitted.
• Platinum: USD 1,000,000 fixed deposit; a twenty-year renewable pass; minimum property RM2,000,000; participation fee RM200,000; renewal RM5,000. Business, investment and employment are permitted.
• Special economic and financial zones (currently Forest City, Johor): USD 65,000 deposit for ages 21 to 49, or USD 32,000 at 50 and over, both a ten-year renewable pass with participation RM1,000 and renewal RM300.

The fixed deposit sits in a licensed Malaysian financial institution and is encouraged in ringgit equivalent. From your second year you may withdraw up to 50% of the principal for property, education, healthcare or tourism. Every category except the 50-plus zone route requires the compulsory property purchase, and the home cannot be resold for ten years.

Applicants aged 25 to 49 must spend at least 90 cumulative days per year in Malaysia, satisfied by the main applicant or the spouse and dependants; there is no minimum-stay rule for those 50 and over. Dependants can include a spouse, children under 21 (up to 35 if single), a disabled child of any age, and parents or parents-in-law. Foreign funds you bring in, and interest earned on Malaysian fixed deposits, are exempt from Malaysian tax.

Which route fits you?

• Working remotely and earning at least USD 24,000 a year: DE Rantau is the cheapest and quickest digital-nomad option in Southeast Asia to set up.
• Retiring with moderate assets, and happy to hold the deposit and buy a home: Silver is the entry point at USD 150,000.
• Retired, 50 or over, and wanting the smallest deposit with no minimum-stay rule: the special-zone (Forest City) category at USD 32,000 fits.
• Looking to run a business or invest on the pass: only Platinum permits business, investment and employment.

Budget reality check

Visas are only part of the budget. Kuala Lumpur remains one of the most affordable big-nomad hubs in Asia; see our Kuala Lumpur /live/ guide for concrete rent, internet and cost-of-living figures before you commit. Malaysia couples low living costs with one of the fastest fixed-broadband networks in the region, which is why it keeps climbing remote-worker rankings.

Compare with the neighbours

DE Rantau and Thailand's DTV are the two closest digital-nomad routes in Southeast Asia, and MM2H is the direct rival to Thailand's retirement visas for long-stay residents. Read our Thailand visa hub, covering the DTV, O-A and O-X, to weigh the two neighbours against each other. Indonesia's E33G remote-worker visa and Vietnam's e-visa route are the comparisons we plan to cover next.