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The short version

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What is MM2H?

MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) is a long-stay visa. The tourism ministry (MOTAC) relaunched it in July 2024, and those rules still apply in 2026.

It lets you live in Malaysia. It does not make you a citizen or PR (permanent resident) — and it won’t lead to one.

The big change from the old days: you must now buy a property to qualify. Renting won’t cut it.

The four tiers (MOTAC official)

Each tier needs money parked in a Malaysian fixed deposit (FD), plus a home above a minimum price. The visa term renews at the end of each cycle.

The cheapest route is SEZ/SFZ — short for Special Economic Zone (also called Special Financial Zone). It’s a lower-cost MM2H path launched in 2025, currently limited to Forest City in Johor, right beside Singapore, aimed at cross-border professionals and remote workers.

Tier	Fixed Deposit	Min. Property	Visa term
Platinum	USD 1,000,000 (≈ RMB 6.8m)	RM 2,000,000	20 years, renewable
Gold	USD 500,000 (≈ RMB 3.4m)	RM 1,000,000	15 years, renewable
Silver	USD 150,000 (≈ RMB 1.0m)	RM 600,000	5 years, renewable
SEZ / SFZ (Forest City only)	USD 65,000 (age 21–49) · USD 32,000 (age 50+)	As set for the SEZ development	10 years, renewable

RMB figures are rough — at ≈ 6.8 per USD (June 2026) — and move with the exchange rate. †

The fees on top of the deposit — all paid to the government:

• Participation fee (one-off): Platinum RM200,000 · Gold RM3,000 · Silver RM1,000 · SEZ RM1,000.
• Processing fee: RM5,000 for the main applicant + RM2,500 per dependent.
• Renewal fee: Platinum RM5,000 · Gold RM3,000 · Silver RM1,500 · SEZ RM300. †

⚠️ These are official government fees only. They do not include an agent’s professional / handling fee for preparing and lodging your application — that’s a separate, private cost that varies by provider. For the exact service scope and price, check with your appointed MM2H panel agent.

Age: the main applicant must be at least 25 (or 21 for the SEZ/SFZ tier). Sarawak runs its own version, S-MM2H, with different rules — and no compulsory purchase.

The property rule — read this first

Three things catch people out:

• You must buy a qualifying home at or above your tier’s price.
• You can’t sell it for 10 years. That’s a state rule tied to foreign-ownership approval — unless you’re trading up to a higher-value property. Your capital is parked for a decade; plan for it.
• You can withdraw up to 50% of the deposit after year one — but only for property purchase, medical, education, or tourism purposes. The exact withdrawal process (how you claim and what proof is required) is set by MOTAC and your bank — confirm it with them. †

Image — coming soon

How long must you stay? Can you work?

Stay: between ages 25–49, the household must spend at least 90 days a year in Malaysia (counted across the main applicant, spouse and dependents). † At 50 and over, there’s no minimum stay.

Work: MM2H is built around residence, not employment — work rights are restricted (broadly the top tier only). † If you need to work here, confirm your tier’s exact terms with MOTAC before applying.

Dependents: spouse, parents and in-laws are allowed. A child can be included as a dependent only if they are 35 or younger and single — that’s the dependent-child eligibility ceiling, not the applicant’s age. †

The real perks (these are genuine)

The tax case for MM2H is about your global money, not the house. Per MOTAC, there’s no tax on foreign funds / income brought in, or on the profit from your Malaysian fixed deposits. On top of that:

• No tax on gains from selling your overseas assets — Malaysia has no general capital gains tax.
• No inheritance or estate tax.

If you have offshore income and global assets, that’s a real reason to be based here. But notice what it is — a perk of living here, not of buying here.

⚠️ What the agents leave out

Here’s the part that comes up last, if at all. MM2H doesn’t change how you’re taxed when you buy. You buy that compulsory property as an international buyer:

• You pay the flat 8% stamp duty (from 1 Jan 2026). On an RM1.5m home that’s RM120,000.
• When you sell, you pay RPGT: 30% in years 1–5, then 10% from year six onward — MM2H doesn’t change that.

→ Check your own numbers on the stamp duty & RPGT calculator. Full cost breakdown in the Foreign Buyer guide.

So who is MM2H really for?

Forget the brochure. It’s one question:

• Buying a Malaysian home anyway + want to live here + have offshore income? → MM2H makes sense. The purchase you’d make regardless now also buys you years of residency and a tax base.
• Just want to live here, no interest in owning? → It’s a pricey visa with a 10-year-locked asset attached.

Neither is wrong. They’re just two different deals — and it’s usually sold as only the first.

→ Weighing it against the income-based premium visa? See MM2H vs PVIP.

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MM2H buys you time in Malaysia — not a discount on the tax you pay to buy. Know which one you’re paying for.

Thinking about MM2H plus a purchase? Message me on WhatsApp — or run your real all-in cost on the calculator first.

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General information only — not tax, legal or immigration advice. Tiers, deposits, fees, residency rules and state price floors change; confirm with a licensed MM2H agent, MOTAC and LHDN. Figures marked † move most often. Author: Jacky Yong, licensed real estate negotiator (REN 77674), Vivahomes Realty Sdn Bhd (E(1)1670).