Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H): the four-tier long-stay program
Identity-board score: 4.3
Threshold: Four tiers: Silver — USD 150,000 fixed deposit + property from RM 600,000; Gold — USD 500,000 + RM 1,000,000; Platinum — USD 1,000,000 + RM 2,000,000; SEZ tier (Forest City, Johor) — fixed deposit from USD 32,000 at age 50+
MM2H trades a US-dollar fixed deposit in a Malaysian bank — plus a compulsory property purchase — for a renewable long-stay pass of 5 to 20 years. It grants no passport, no permanent residence and (outside the Platinum tier) no right to work: what it sells is simply the right to live in Malaysia, long-term and legally. The four tiers are very different products: the Johor Forest City SEZ tier cuts the deposit to USD 32,000 at age 50+, while the main tiers stack a property purchase locked for 10 years on top of deposits of USD 150,000–1,000,000. This page follows MOTAC's post-2024 rules: no income test, applications only through licensed agents, and a ministerial statement on the record that participants may not apply for PR. It sits on the buy board so it can be priced against true investment migration — the verdict is plain: for long stay alone it is far cheaper than buying an asset for status; for status itself, it sells none.
Six factor grades & their basis
| Factor | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Countries you can enter | 2.0 | It grants long stay, not mobility: the passport is unchanged and there is no regional-access bonus — the status value is only "living in Malaysia". |
| Value for money | 4.5 | The SEZ tier is cheap (deposits from USD 32,000), but the main tiers stack a compulsory property purchase locked for 10 years on top — a lot of capital for residence alone. |
| Speed | 5.5 | Filing must go through a licensed agent and approval takes months; the process is established but not fast. |
| Getting your money back | 4.0 | Up to 50% of the deposit can be withdrawn after endorsement (property/education/medical/tourism only); the rest stays locked with the property — recoverability is middling at best. |
| Do you have to live there | 7.5 | No minimum stay at 50+; ages 25–49 need 90 days a year, which spouse and dependants can jointly cover — a light burden. |
| How stable the rules are | 5.0 | The program has been overhauled repeatedly (a full 2024 rewrite of the tier structure) and ministerial statements keep evolving — middling stability. |
Why it is on the board
What it sells is single and therefore honest: long stay. No PR path (stated by the minister in 2024), no citizenship, passport unchanged; outside Platinum, no working or running a business in Malaysia. Set expectations correctly and it is a clearly priced long-stay product.
The tier spread is the decision: Silver — USD 150,000 deposit + property from RM 600,000, 5 years; Gold — USD 500,000 + RM 1,000,000, 15 years; Platinum — USD 1,000,000 + RM 2,000,000 plus a RM 200,000 participation fee, 20 years, the only tier allowed to work and do business; SEZ tier (designated Forest City property) — deposits of USD 65,000 (ages 21–49) or USD 32,000 (50+), 10 years. The SEZ tier costs a fraction of Silver; the catch is where the property must be.
The stay burden is among the lightest anywhere: no minimum stay at 50+; ages 25–49 need 90 days a year, which the applicant, spouse and dependants can cover jointly.
Tax is clean: Malaysia taxes territorially, and foreign-source income remitted by residents is exempt under an exemption order running to 2036; deposit interest is Malaysian-source and taxable. Parents and parents-in-law may join as dependants — rare among comparable programs.
How it works
- Pick the tier by purpose: pure long stay points to the SEZ and Silver tiers; working or business in Malaysia forces Platinum. Decide the property question first — the SEZ tier binds you to Forest City.
- File through a MOTAC-licensed agent (self-filing is not possible): official processing fees of RM 5,000 for the main applicant plus RM 2,500 per dependant, plus the tier participation fee (RM 1,000 / 3,000 / 200,000 / 1,000 by tier).
- After approval, place the fixed deposit with a licensed Malaysian bank (denominated in USD; a 2025 notice encourages holding the ringgit equivalent) and obtain the pass endorsement; main tiers must complete the property purchase within 1 year of endorsement.
- During the term: up to 50% of the deposit can be withdrawn against property, education, medical or tourism receipts; the property cannot be sold for 10 years (upgrading excepted); renewal re-tests deposit, property and stay days under the rules then in force.
Costs & where the money goes
Capital: Mid-to-high (deposit from USD 32,000 plus a compulsory property purchase; the main tiers are far higher)
Effort: Low (a licensed agent runs the file end to end; you handle the deposit and the purchase)
- Fixed deposit (USD-denominated): Silver USD 150,000 / Gold USD 500,000 / Platinum USD 1,000,000 / SEZ USD 65,000 (21–49) or USD 32,000 (50+) — locked, not spent, but carrying an opportunity cost.
- Compulsory property (minimum price): Silver RM 600,000 / Gold RM 1,000,000 / Platinum RM 2,000,000; the SEZ tier requires designated Forest City property. No sale for 10 years.
- Government and agent: MOTAC processing RM 5,000 + RM 2,500 per dependant; participation fee RM 1,000–200,000 by tier; renewal RM 300–5,000 per person by tier; licensed-agent service fees are separate — compare quotes.
- Opportunity-cost note: deposit interest is Malaysian-source and taxable; counting the deposit and property carry, the main tiers' annualised cost of long stay is not low — only the SEZ tier is clearly cheap on a pure-stay basis.
Risks & counter-evidence
What we have not verified
The following key figures have not yet been verified; the reason is noted for each item.
- Actual approval timelines by tier: MOTAC publishes no statistics; this page says "months" and gives no figure.
- Licensed-agent service fees have no official tariff and vary widely; this page lists none — compare before signing, and confirm whether renewal service is included.
FAQ
- Can parents come on MM2H?
- Yes. Parents and parents-in-law may join as dependants — uncommon among long-stay programs. A spouse and children under 21 may join; children aged 21–34 must be single and not working in Malaysia. Dependants (outside the Platinum main applicant) may not work in Malaysia, and school-age children need a study pass.
- Does 10 years on MM2H lead to permanent residence?
- No. The Tourism Minister stated in June 2024 that participants under the new tiers may not apply for permanent residence; by design MM2H leads neither to PR nor to citizenship — it is a long-stay product, not a migration channel.
- Can the deposit be touched?
- After endorsement, up to 50% can be withdrawn against property-purchase contracts or education, medical and tourism receipts; the balance must remain until the term ends or you exit the program. The full early-exit mechanics were not verified for this page — confirm with your agent and MOTAC before acting.