Can foreigners live in Malaysia? The long-stay passes, the numbers and the home-buying rules
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Malaysia had 3.38 million non-citizens in 2025, slightly fewer than the 3.39 million of 2024, according to DOSM (the Department of Statistics Malaysia). That count covers every non-citizen living here, so it doesn’t show how many came to settle.
For people who want to live here, not just visit, one route is MM2H, run by MOTAC (the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture). Its terms, marked accurate as of 22 July 2024, set three main tiers, each with a fixed deposit (money kept in a Malaysian bank) and a home:
- Silver: USD150,000, a 5-year pass, a home from RM600,000.
- Gold: USD500,000, a 15-year pass, a home from RM1 million.
- Platinum: USD1 million, a 20-year pass, a home from RM2 million.
You must be at least 25, and the home can’t be sold for 10 years, though it may be swapped for a pricier one. If you’re weighing a tier, that 10-year hold is worth thinking through before you pick a home.
2025 rules, and who is still buying
Sarawak runs its own version, S-MM2H. Its guide, amended on 16 May 2025, asks for a RM500,000 fixed deposit. Since 1 May 2025, every DE Rantau Nomad Pass application carries a processing fee that isn’t refunded, according to MDEC (the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation).
On 4 February 2026, Parliament heard that 744 MM2H holders had bought homes under the programme by 31 December 2025, with 2,637 more still buying.
Working here on a nomad pass
The DE Rantau Nomad Pass lets foreign digital nomads live and work in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan for 3 to 12 months, renewable once, so 24 months at most. You need income of at least USD24,000 a year in tech jobs, or USD60,000 in other jobs.
Buying a home
A foreigner needs the state’s approval before buying, under section 433B of the National Land Code. From 1 January 2026, anyone who is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident pays 8% stamp duty (the tax on the sale papers) when buying a home, according to LHDN.
Foreign buyers are a small share of the market overall. Non-citizens bought 2,676 of the 256,512 homes sold in Malaysia in 2025, or 1.04%, according to NAPIC (the National Property Information Centre). Kuala Lumpur is different: non-citizens bought 1,480 of its 14,983 homes sold (9.88%), worth 25.67% of the value.
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Malaysia?
DOSM (the Department of Statistics Malaysia) estimates 3.38 million non-citizens in Malaysia in 2025, down from 3.39 million in 2024. They are 9.9% of the population, from 10.0% a year earlier. DOSM puts their growth rate at -0.5% in 2025 and -0.2% in 2026. The count covers all non-citizens, so it is not a count of MM2H holders.
Do foreigners push up home prices for locals?
NAPIC (the National Property Information Centre) counts 2,676 homes bought by non-citizens in 2025, out of 256,512 sold, about 1% of all deals. In Kuala Lumpur the share is much higher: non-citizens bought 1,480 of its 14,983 homes sold, about 10% of deals and about 26% of their value.
What are the MM2H requirements now?
MOTAC's MM2H terms ask for a fixed deposit (money kept in a Malaysian bank) of USD150,000 for Silver, USD500,000 for Gold or USD1 million for Platinum, and an age of 25 or above. Each holder must then buy a home worth at least RM600,000, RM1 million or RM2 million, and may not sell it for 10 years. The pass runs 5, 15 or 20 years, and the terms ask for 90 days (added up) in Malaysia each year; for holders aged 25 to 49, the main applicant or the dependants can make up those days. MOTAC's Guidelines page applies that stay rule to holders aged below 50.
Can foreigners buy property in Malaysia, with or without MM2H?
Yes, foreigners can buy with or without MM2H, but only after applying in writing and getting the state's approval first, under section 433B of the National Land Code. A deal made without that approval is null and void (it has no legal effect). The Ministry of Economy guideline bars foreign interests (a term that also covers permanent residents) from property worth under RM1,000,000 a unit, and it leaves the purchase itself to the state's authority. LHDN's stamp duty guideline says that from 1 January 2026, a buyer who is not a citizen and not a permanent resident pays 8% stamp duty on a home.
Official sources (12)
- DOSM, Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2025 (31 Jul 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- DOSM, International Migration Statistics, Malaysia, 2025 (24 Dec 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- DOSM, Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2026 (31 Jul 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- MOTAC, Terms and Regulations for New Participants under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Programme (accurate as of 22 Jul 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- MOTAC, Malaysia My Second Home: Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
- JPPH/NAPIC, Property Market Report 2025, Table VII (opens in a new tab)
- National Land Code (Act 828, Revised 2020), sections 433B and 433C (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Economy, Garis Panduan Perolehan Hartanah (in force 13 July 2022) (opens in a new tab)
- LHDN, Garis Panduan Pengenaan Duti Setem bagi Surat Cara yang Tertakluk kepada Jadual Pertama Akta Setem 1949 (opens in a new tab)
- MDEC, DE Rantau Pass FAQ, Version 10.0 (28 Aug 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Dewan Rakyat Hansard, 4 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, S-MM2H Application Guide (amended 16 May 2025) (opens in a new tab)
