Malaysia has various types of employment visas and residency permits to encourage investments and bring skilled talents to support the country’s robust economy. There are three broad categories - employment visas, residency long stay visas and family visas.
Types of employment visas
Employment visas are primarily managed by the Expatriate Services Division of the Immigration Department. Some visas are offered in conjunction with other government linked companies or agencies to offer specific incentives and attract special talents. Collaborations for employment visas exist between Talentcorp and MDEC and the Immigration Department.
| New update for 2026: Starting 1 June 2026, the salary requirements for Employment Pass I, II, and III in West Malaysia will double for the first time since 2016. Applicants can apply for longer work permits of up to 10 years for Employment Pass I and II, and up to 5 years for Employment Pass III. Employment Pass III holders will be allowed to bring dependents from 1 June 2026. Important note: these changes are for West Malaysia only and not for Sabah or Sarawak. |
|---|
Indicated in blue are the incoming changes from 1 June 2026.
| Immigration Pass | Duration | Condition | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Pass I West Malaysia only | Up to 5 years
From 1 June 2026, up to 10 years | Monthly salary above RM10,000
From 1 June 2026, monthly salary above RM20,000 | To live and work in a permanent job in West Malaysia Immediate dependents (spouse, children under aged 18 years old, elderly above 60 years old) allowed |
| Employment Pass II West Malaysia only | Up to 2 years From 1 June 2026, up to 10 years | Monthly salary above 5,000 and up to 9,999 From 1 June 2026, monthly salary above RM10,000 and up to RM19,999 | To live and work in a permanent job in West Malaysia Immediate dependents (spouse, children under aged 18 years old, elderly above 60 years old) allowed |
| Employment Pass III West Malaysia only | 1 year From 1 June 2026, up to 5 years | Monthly salary above 3,000 and up to 4,999
From 1 June 2026, monthly salary above RM6,000 and up to RM9,999 | To live and work in a permanent job in West Malaysia, dependents not allowed From 1 June 2026, immediate dependents allowed |
| Sarawak Employment Pass I Sarawak only | Up to 5 years | Monthly salary above 5,000 | To live and work in a permanent job in Sarawak Immediate dependents (spouse, children under aged 18 years old, elderly above 60 years old) allowed |
| Sarawak Employment Pass II Sarawak only | Up to 1 year | Monthly salary above 3,000 | To live and work in a permanent job in Sarawak, dependents not allowed |
| Resident-Pass Talent West Malaysia only | Up to 10 years | Monthly salary above RM15,000. Worked in Malaysia on Employment Pass for more than 3 consecutive years. More info can be found here. No changes announced for 1 June 2026 | To live and work in a permanent job in West Malaysia with flexibility to change employers or be self-employed |
| MDEC Tech Entrepreneurship visa West Malaysia only | 1 year for new tech founders; 5 years for experienced founders, investors, and senior management | The requirements are rather flexible as long as you meet the parameters of a start up founder. More info can be found here. | For tech start up founders and investors to consider Malaysia as their start up HQ or a place to set up |
| MDEC Digital Nomad Visa (De Rantau) West Malaysia only | 1 year + 1 year | Secured minimum USD 24,000 income for tech talent, and USD 60,000 income for non-tech talent. More info can be found here. | For digital nomads to choose to work, live and spend in in Malaysia for up to 2 years |
| Sarawak Digital Nomad Visa (launched under the Sarawak Digital Residency Visa Scheme) West Malaysia Sarawak | 1 year + 1 year | Secured minimum USD 24,000 income for tech talent. Non-tech talent are not allowed to apply. More info can be found here. | For digital nomads to choose to work, live and spend in Sarawak and West Malaysia for up to 2 years |
| Professional Visit Pass - Work Purpose West Malaysia only | 1 year + 1 year | Skilled technician, consultant or any other eligible job titles with a monthly salary of more than RM3,000 monthly | For temporary placement or secondment in West Malaysia for project work or process implementation |
| Professional Visit Pass - Work Purpose Sarawak only | 6 months + 6 months | Skilled technician, consultant or any other eligible job titles with a monthly salary of more than RM3,000 monthly | For temporary placement or secondment in Sarawak for project work or process implementation |
| Professional Visit Pass - Spiritual, charitable, volunteer purpose West Malaysia only | 1 to 3 years | Religious preacher or student, approved by the respective religious authorities or bodies; charitable organisation personnel carrying out works for Malaysia based charities, or volunteers | For religious, charitable or volunteer purposes without a commercial purpose |
Types of residency long stay visas (non-family category)
| Immigration Pass | Duration | Condition | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| MM2H West Malaysia only | 10 years | Must live and invest in West Malaysia | To encourage retirees to spend their retirement in Malaysia |
| S-MM2H West Malaysia Sarawak | 10 years | Must invest in Sarawak and spend a minimum of 30 days a year in Sarawak. Permits stay in West Malaysia. | To encourage retirees to spend their retirement in Sarawak |
| Long Term Social Visit Pass (Medical) | Depends on medical need | Undergoing medical treatment in Malaysia | To support Malaysia’s medical tourism industry |
Types of family visas
| Immigration Pass | Duration | Condition | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Term Social Visit Pass | If sponsor is Malaysian, indefinite | Married to Malaysian, or child of Malaysian below 18 years old or elderly dependent above 60 years old | To allow non-Malaysian family members to live with Malaysian family members in Malaysia |
| Dependent Passes | Follows length of principal pass such as employment pass | Married to or is a child/ elderly dependent of an employment pass holder | To allow non-Malaysian dependents of employment pass holders to live in Malaysia with the employment pass holder |
| Permanent Residency | Indefinite | Married to Malaysian for more than 5 years and living in Malaysia | To provide permanent residency rights to foreign spouses of Malaysians including working rights equivalent to Malaysians |
| Citizenship | Indefinite | Spouse of Malaysian or child of Malaysian | To provide full citizenship rights to foreign spouses and child or children of Malaysians equivalent to Malaysians |
Tell us what you need
Describe your situation and we’ll tell you which pass fits it, what it costs and how long it takes.
Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm · WhatsApp 1 business day · Email 1–2 business days