📅 Last verified: June 2026. State prices, consent levies and loan margins move often. Anything marked † is most likely to have changed — confirm with the state land office (PTG), LHDN or your bank before you commit.
The short version
- Yes, foreigners can buy — in your own name, freehold or leasehold, no visa needed.
- But: each state sets a minimum price (usually RM1m, higher in some places), and every purchase needs state consent.
- Your buying tax doubled in 2026: 8% stamp duty for foreigners (a local pays 1–4%).
- On exit, RPGT never drops to 0% for foreigners — a 10% floor, forever.
Can foreigners buy? Yes — with two gates
You can own property here in your own name, freehold or leasehold. No visa or MM2H needed, and no limit on how many you own.
But every purchase passes through two gates: a minimum price, and state consent (written approval from the state).
What you can and can’t buy
Minimum price — and it swings a lot by state. † Each state sets its own floor to keep homes affordable for locals. Right now:
| State | Strata (condo / serviced apt) | Landed (house) |
|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | RM 1m | RM 1m |
| Selangor | RM 2m (Zones 1 & 2) · RM 1m (Zone 3) | Not allowed — foreigners can only buy strata / gated-strata, statewide |
| Penang | Island RM 1m · Mainland RM 500k | Island RM 3m · Mainland RM 1m |
| Johor | RM 1m (Medini: no floor) | RM 2m in designated zones (Iskandar Puteri, JB centre) |
Bottom line: strata (condos) is the easy path. Landed is restricted — and in Selangor, basically off-limits to foreigners outside gated-strata.
What you can’t buy at any price: Malay Reserved land, Bumiputera-quota units, some low-cost / affordable homes, and agricultural land.
💡 One trap: a few prime KLCC-area projects sit on Malay Reserved or Bumi land (Armani Kg Baru, for one). A famous address doesn’t mean a foreigner can hold the title. Check first.
The full cost stack (verified, June 2026)
This is the part no one adds up for you:
| Cost | What a foreigner pays |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty (transfer) | Flat 8% of the full price (from 1 Jan 2026) → on RM1.5m that’s RM120,000. A local pays ~RM44,000. |
| Loan stamp duty | 0.5% of the loan |
| Legal fees | ~1–1.25% sliding scale (SRO 2023) |
| State consent fee / levy | Varies. Penang and Johor charge a 3% levy † (Johor since 1 Jul 2025). KL and Selangor charge a flat fee, not a %. |
⚠️ The 8% is triggered by the transfer date — not the date you signed. Sign in 2025, transfer in 2026 → you pay 8%.
→ Get the exact figure on the stamp duty calculator — the state line moves the total.
Can foreigners get a loan? Yes — but less
Locals can borrow up to ~90%. As a foreigner, expect up to ~70% — and that’s the ceiling, not the norm. †
- Foreign-friendly banks (HSBC, Standard Chartered, OCBC): closer to 70%.
- Local banks (Maybank, CIMB): often ~60%.
- First-time applications: frequently 50–60%.
Rates are similar to local loans (~4–4.5%), and MM2H can help your case. There’s no fixed legal cap — it’s the bank’s call.
The exit tax everyone forgets — RPGT
You plan the entry costs for months. Then you sell, and RPGT lands.
As a foreigner: 30% in years 1–5, then 10% from year six — forever. No 0% year. Hold for ten years and you still owe 10% on the gain. A local pays nothing after year six.
On sale, the buyer’s lawyer also holds back 7% of the price (a local: 3%) and sends it to LHDN as a deposit against your bill.
How the process works, step by step
- Shortlist a project that clears your state’s foreigner price floor.
- Book / EOI — pay the deposit.
- SPA — appoint a lawyer (not optional for foreigners).
- State consent (Section 433B, National Land Code) — required for every foreign purchase. This is the step that adds time — weeks to months.
- Loan, if you need one.
- Stamp duty + transfer executed.
- Done.
Plan around step 4. State consent is where foreign-buyer timelines quietly stretch.
In Malaysia, foreigners are welcome to buy — at a price the brochure never prints. Total the bill before you fall for the view.
Looking at a specific KLCC or TRX project? Message me on WhatsApp — or price your full entry and exit cost on the calculators first.
General information only — not tax or legal advice. State prices, levies, loan margins and a project’s land status (Bumi / Malay Reserved) change and vary case by case; confirm with the state land office, a licensed professional and LHDN. Figures marked † move most often.