Malaysia MM2H in 2026: tiers, requirements and the true cost

Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) is a long stay social visit pass, and in 2026 it runs in four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and a Special Economic Zone tier. Silver is where most families land. It asks for a fixed deposit of US$150,000 and a home purchase of at least RM600,000, and it gives a five year renewable pass. The true cost is higher than the deposit alone, because the home purchase is compulsory and fees sit on top. This guide sets out every tier, every official fee and a worked family example, using the figures published by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on the official MM2H portal.

Key takeaways

• Four tiers: Silver (5 years), Gold (15 years), Platinum (20 years) and the Special Economic Zone tier (10 years), all renewable with a multiple entry visa.
• Fixed deposits run from US$32,000 on the zone tier for applicants aged 50 and above, up to US$1,000,000 on Platinum.
• Buying a home is compulsory on every tier. The minimum is RM600,000 on Silver, and the home cannot be sold for 10 years unless you upgrade to a more expensive one.
• Applicants under 50 must spend at least 90 days a year in Malaysia, counted across the family.
• Only Platinum allows business, investment and career activity. The other tiers do not allow work.
• MM2H is a visit pass, not permanent residence, and it does not lead to Malaysian citizenship.

The MM2H tiers at a glance

The current programme took its present shape when the ministry relaunched MM2H with tiered categories. Each tier sets its own deposit, home value and pass length. The table below uses the ministry’s own published figures.

Category	Fixed deposit	Home purchase	Pass length	Participation fee
Silver	US$150,000	RM600,000 or above	5 years	RM1,000
Gold	US$500,000	RM1,000,000 or above	15 years	RM3,000
Platinum	US$1,000,000	RM2,000,000 or above	20 years	RM200,000
Special Economic Zone / Special Financial Zone	US$65,000 (ages 21 to 49) or US$32,000 (age 50 and above)	Set by the relevant state property purchase policy	10 years	RM1,000

The participation fee is a one off charge paid per principal applicant. The zone tier is tied to homes in the designated special economic and financial zones, and its property price follows state policy rather than a national minimum.

The full cost stack

The deposit is the headline, but it is not the whole bill. Four cost layers sit behind it.

• The fixed deposit itself. It stays in a Malaysian bank licensed under the Financial Services Act 2013. After approval, you may withdraw up to 50 percent of it for a home purchase, education, medical care or tourism spending inside Malaysia.
• The home purchase. This is compulsory, not optional, and the value must meet your tier minimum.
• Government fees. The participation fee above, plus a pass fee of RM500 per year, and a visa fee of RM0 to RM50 per person depending on nationality.
• File costs. A medical check up at a ministry panel clinic is compulsory for the applicant and every dependant after approval. Applications run through licensed MM2H agents, and agent fees are charged on top of the government fees.

Our Malaysia MM2H programme page tracks the route in full, and the residence cost calculator lets you price MM2H against other residence routes for your own family size.

Worked example: a family of four on Silver

Take two parents and two children under 21, applying on Silver in year one.

• Fixed deposit: US$150,000, placed after approval. Up to half can later be drawn for the home, education, medical or tourism costs.
• Home purchase: at least RM600,000.
• Participation fee: RM1,000, charged once for the principal applicant.
• Pass fees: RM500 per year. The official schedule does not say whether this is per person or per family, so for four people this is RM500 to RM2,000 a year, plus a visa fee of RM0 to RM50 each.
• Processing fee: RM5,000 for the principal applicant plus RM2,500 for each dependant, so RM12,500 for a family of four.
• Medical check ups for four people at a panel clinic, and the licensed agent fee, come on top. Both vary, so budget for them rather than treating the deposit as the total.

In short, year one commits US$150,000 of deposit capital and at least RM600,000 of property, with about RM14,000 to RM15,500 of stated government fees before medical and agent costs. When the five year term ends, renewal carries a category fee of RM1,500 per person on Silver, and the pass can keep renewing in five year blocks after the full term is done.

Requirements: evidence, medical and dependants for MM2H

The ministry’s guidelines set the evidence rules. The deposit must sit in a Malaysian financial institution licensed under the Financial Services Act 2013 or the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013. Foreign funds and income, such as the deposit itself, receive tax exemption under the programme.

After approval, the medical check up is compulsory for the principal and all dependants, at a panel clinic or hospital appointed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Dependants who can join the pass are a spouse, children below the age of 21, and children aged 21 to 34 who are unemployed and single while in Malaysia. Disabled children have no age limit. Parents and parents in law can also join. Platinum participants may also bring foreign maids. Children and dependants may study in Malaysia up to tertiary level at a government recognised institution.

The property rules matter. Buying the home is compulsory once you are approved. You cannot sell it for 10 years, unless you sell to upgrade to a home of higher value. If the principal dies, the pass can transfer to the next of kin among the registered dependants.

Step by step MM2H: approval in principle to endorsement

1. Choose your tier and appoint a licensed MM2H agent from the ministry’s published list. Applications are filed by agents, not directly by applicants.
2. File the application with your passports, forms and background documents. The file is reviewed through the MM2H One Stop Centre.
3. Receive approval in principle. This is the conditional yes that starts the clock on the next steps.
4. Travel to Malaysia. Place the fixed deposit, complete the medical check up at a panel clinic, and arrange health cover.
5. Pay the participation, pass and visa fees, and have the MM2H pass endorsed in your passport.
6. Complete the compulsory home purchase at or above your tier minimum, drawing on up to 50 percent of the deposit if you wish.
7. Live under the pass: keep the deposit and the home, meet the 90 day rule if you are under 50, and renew the sticker every five years or when your passport changes.

What MM2H is not

MM2H is generous, but it has clear limits, and they should shape the decision. It is a social visit pass. It is not permanent residence, and it does not lead to Malaysian citizenship. Long term medical treatment is allowed during the pass, and the pass is renewable, but the status stays a visit pass throughout.

Work rights are narrow. The ministry’s own table states that conducting business, investing, or pursuing career opportunities is permissible on Platinum, and is not allowed on Gold, Silver or the zone tier. Families who need a working base in Asia should weigh that limit before choosing a tier, and can compare MM2H with the other routes on our residence by investment hub.

Related reading

• Malaysia MM2H: the AIA programme page
• Residence cost calculator: price your family across programmes
• Residence by investment: all programmes and routes

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• MM2H guidelines: Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (mm2h.gov.my)
• Malaysia My Second Home official portal (mm2h.gov.my)

Ready to price your own family? Use the residence cost calculator to see what MM2H costs at your family size, next to every other residence route we handle.