MM2H – Malaysia My Second Home

When leaving is hard to do, settling here is an excellent Plan B. Many visitors find Penang’s natural beauty, warm tropical weather and easy island lifestyle hard to resist and harder still to leave. For those who have succumbed to the spell of this magical island, The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Programme helps to ease the processes of emigration.

MM2H Highlights

Upon Approval

• Successful applicants are required to comply with the following criteria upon receipt of the ‘conditional approval letter’ from the Immigration Department of Malaysia.

Aged Below 50 Years Old

• Open a fixed deposit account of RM300,000
• After a period of one year, the participant may withdraw up to RM150,000 for approved expenses relating to house purchase, education for children in Malaysia as well as medical purposes.
• Participants must maintain a minimum of RM150,000 from the second year onwards and throughout his/her stay in Malaysia under this programme.
• Approved participants who have purchased and owned property bought at RM1 million and above in Malaysia may comply with the basic fixed deposit requirement of RM150,000 on condition that the property has been fully paid. This amount may not be withdrawn until the participant decides to terminate his/her participation in the MM2H programme.

Aged 50 Years and Above

• Under this category, you may either choose to:
  > Open a fixed deposit account of RM150,000; OR
  > Present proof of government-approved pension funds of RM10,000 per month
• After a period of one year, the participants who fulfill the fixed deposit criterion may withdraw up to RM50,000 for approved expenses relating to house purchase, education for children in Malaysia as well as medical purposes.
• Participants must maintain a minimum of RM100,000 from the second year onwards and throughout his/her stay in Malaysia under this programme.
• Approved participants who have purchased and owned property bought at RM1 million and above in Malaysia may comply with the basic fixed deposit requirement of RM100,000 on condition that the property has been fully paid. This amount may not be withdrawn until the participant decides to terminate his/her participation in the MM2H programme.

Benefits Of The MM2H Programme At A Glance

• Car Purchase and Import

  Each participant is allowed to bring in his/her own personal car OR to purchase a locally assembled car without the need to pay an import duty, excise duty or sales tax.

• Driving Licence

  Malaysia has bilateral agreements for the automatic conversion of driving licences with 156 different countries.

• Business and Working Part Time

  Participants are allowed to start their own business in Malaysia as long as it is incorporated and registered with the Registrar of Companies Malaysia. Part time work is also allowable, pursuant to the fulfilling of conditions set by the Government of Malaysia.

• Tax

  Participants are bound by the policies, systems, and regulations of taxes of this country and they do not have exemption qualifications as granted to Diplomatic Missions in Malaysia. However, tax exemptions are given to pension remitted into Malaysia. Participants are required to obtain the endorsement from the authorities in their country of origin as to the total amount of yearly pension received. A copy of this letter has to be submitted in their application.

• Domestic Help

  Each applicant is allowed to apply for one maid subject to the prevailing guidelines of the Immigration Department of Malaysia. The cost of full-time domestic help in Malaysia starts from as low as RM500 per month (approximately USD130).

• Education

  Applicants are allowed to bring their children who are under 21 years old and not married as their dependants under this programme. Children who intend to continue their schooling in Malaysia are required to apply for a Student Pass and should be insured throughout their stay under this programme.

  Penang, due to its sizeable expatriate population, has a wide range of international schools and educational institutions that cater to all levels from primary to tertiary schooling and beyond.

Note: These terms and conditions are regularly updated. For more accurate and extensive information on the MM2H programme, visit www.mm2h.gov.my