Three primary pathways govern foreign property ownership in Malaysia. For most of our international clients, the federal MM2H programme is where the conversation begins.

The current tiers

Tier	Fixed deposit (USD)	Minimum property (RM)
Silver	150,000	600,000
Gold	500,000	1,000,000
Platinum	1,000,000	2,000,000

Property purchase is now a core requirement of the visa. A qualifying residential property must be acquired within 12 months of visa endorsement and held for a minimum of 10 years. Applicants under 50 must spend at least 90 days a year in Malaysia; those aged 50 and above have no minimum stay requirement. A Special Economic Zone tier carries zone-specific criteria.

Timelines

Silver tier applications are currently running at around six to nine months from submission to endorsement. Property search should therefore be well advanced before an application is submitted — not after endorsement is received.

The direction of travel

Every substantive amendment to the programme since 2002 has tightened conditions. Applicants should not plan on future liberalisation. East Malaysia also offers two independent state programmes — Sabah-MM2H and Sarawak’s S-MM2H — with different thresholds and their own due diligence requirements.

Figures are current as at October 2026 and are subject to revision by the relevant authorities without notice. This article is general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Speak to us before making any acquisition decision.