Malaysia Visas for Digital Nomads

Citizens of the US, UK, EU countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and many others can enter Malaysia without a visa, usually for 90 days. Some nationalities get 30 days, and a few need a visa or eVISA in advance.

• MDAC. Every foreign visitor completes the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card within three days before arriving. Many nationalities can then use the automatic e-gates at the main airports.
• Tourism only. Visa-free entry doesn’t allow work, including remote work in principle, though short stays by remote workers are rarely questioned.
• Re-entry. Leaving and coming back for another 90 days is possible, but repeated back-to-back stays can lead to questions or refusal. If you want to stay longer, use DE Rantau.

Malaysia’s digital nomad visa, run by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) with the Immigration Department.

• Length: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for another 12 months.
• Income: at least $24,000 a year for remote workers in tech and digital roles, such as developers, designers, digital marketers and content creators, or $60,000 a year for other remote professionals such as founders, accountants, lawyers and business development managers.
• Work: you must work for employers or clients outside Malaysia, as an employee or freelancer, and have no Malaysian-source income.
• Other requirements: a passport valid for at least the length of the pass plus a few months, health insurance covering Malaysia, a clean background check, and proof of income such as an employment contract, client contracts and bank statements.
• Fee: RM 1,000 for the main applicant and RM 500 for each dependant.
• Family: a spouse and children can be included as dependants.

How to apply: online on the DE Rantau portal. MDEC reviews the application first, then Immigration issues an approval letter, and the pass is endorsed in your passport at an immigration office after you arrive. The whole process typically takes four to eight weeks.

Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo run their own immigration controls on top of the federal ones, so check with MDEC before planning a long stay there.

MM2H is Malaysia’s long-term residence programme, revised in 2024 into tiers. It requires a fixed deposit in a Malaysian bank (starting at about $150,000 for the Silver tier and rising sharply for Gold and Platinum), the purchase of a property above a set value, and a minimum age of 25. Passes run for several years and can be renewed. Sarawak and Sabah run their own, cheaper versions.

It is aimed at retirees and wealthy families rather than working nomads, and it doesn’t allow employment in Malaysia.

If a Malaysian company hires you, it sponsors an Employment Pass. A Professional Visit Pass covers short-term assignments for a foreign employer in Malaysia. Neither suits independent remote workers.

DE Rantau holders can work for employers and clients outside Malaysia. Working for Malaysian companies or clients, being paid in Malaysia, or running a business that trades locally needs an Employment Pass or business registration. Visa-free entry is for tourism.

Overstaying is treated seriously. Short overstays bring fines at the airport, and longer ones can mean detention, a court case, deportation and a blacklist. Leave or sort your pass before it expires.