Malaysia visa for US citizens
The long-stay playbook for Americans — the revamped MM2H tiers, the cheaper DE Rantau nomad pass, what each requires, and the honest limits on residency and citizenship.
Front-loaded answerUS citizens get 90 days visa-free. To stay long-term, the headline route is Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), overhauled in 2024 into three fixed-deposit tiers — and it's now an affluent-retiree program. Remote workers usually use the far cheaper DE Rantau nomad pass instead. Neither leads to citizenship: Malaysia bars dual nationality and naturalization is impractical, so you remain a long-term guest.
MM2H — the three tiers (2024 revamp)
MM2H got much stricter and pricier in 2024. Each tier requires a large fixed deposit plus a minimum property purchase, is applied per-state, and must be arranged through a MOTAC-licensed agent. The old offshore-income test was replaced by the deposit. After year two, part of the deposit can typically be withdrawn for approved uses.
| Tier | Fixed deposit | Property | Visa length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | $150,000 | RM 600,000 | 5 yrs, renewable |
| Gold | $500,000 | RM 1,000,000 | 15 yrs |
| Platinum | $1,000,000 | RM 2,000,000 | 20 yrs |
DE Rantau nomad pass & the Employment Pass
If you earn remotely, DE Rantau is the realistic route — no big deposit, just an income requirement of about $24,000/year for IT/digital professionals (higher for some non-tech roles). It runs 3–12 months and renews, and dependents are allowed. If a Malaysian company hires you, the standard Employment Pass is the other path.
No path to citizenship — plan around it
Reality checkMM2H and DE Rantau are long-stay passes, not residency-to-citizenship pathways. Malaysia does not permit dual citizenship, and naturalization requires roughly 10 of the prior 12 years' residence plus Malay proficiency, at the government's discretion. In practice Americans live in Malaysia indefinitely as renewable long-term residents, never citizens.
- Budget for the MM2H medical exam and approved health insurance
- MM2H property can't be sold for 10 years — factor in the lock-up
- If citizenship or an EU/second passport matters to you, Malaysia isn't the route
Frequently asked
- How much does MM2H cost in 2026?
- The entry 'Silver' tier requires a $150,000 fixed deposit plus a RM 600,000 property purchase; Gold and Platinum require $500,000 and $1,000,000 deposits. Remote workers who don't want to lock up that capital typically use the DE Rantau nomad pass (~$24,000/year income) instead.
- Is there a digital nomad visa for Malaysia?
- Yes — the DE Rantau nomad pass, run by MDEC, needs about $24,000/year of income for IT/digital professionals (no fixed deposit), runs 3–12 months, and is renewable with dependents allowed. It's the cheapest long-stay route for remote-earning Americans.
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Verified against official sources. Every figure on this page is checked against primary US (IRS, State Dept., SSA) and Portuguese (AIMA, Autoridade Tributária) government sources and dated. Maintained by the Plan B Atlas editorial team.
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