MM2H explained: Malaysia's second-home visa tiers in 2026

The four tiers at a glance

Each tier is built around a fixed deposit placed with a Malaysian financial institution licensed under the Financial Services Act 2013. The deposit is set in US dollars; the property minimums are in ringgit.

• Silver: USD150,000 deposit, 5-year renewable pass, residence of RM600,000 or above, RM1,000 fee
• Gold: USD500,000 deposit, 15-year renewable pass, residence of RM1 million or above, RM3,000 fee
• Platinum: USD1,000,000 deposit, 20-year renewable pass, residence of RM2 million or above, RM200,000 fee
• SEZ/SFZ: USD65,000 deposit (USD32,000 if aged 50+), 10-year pass, compulsory purchase in Forest City, Johor
• All passes come with a multiple-entry visa and are renewable

Buying a home is now compulsory

Under the current guidelines you must buy and own a residence in Malaysia after your MM2H approval, at or above your tier's minimum value. The property generally cannot be sold for 10 years, though upgrading to a more expensive home is allowed.

Note that MM2H minimums sit alongside, not instead of, each state's foreign-purchase price thresholds. The federal floor for foreign buyers is RM1 million, and whether a state applies a lower threshold for MM2H participants is a state-level decision, so check with the state land office before relying on the RM600,000 Silver figure.

• Residence purchase is mandatory for all tiers after approval
• 10-year holding requirement; upgrading to a higher-value home is permitted
• Up to 50% of the fixed deposit can be withdrawn after approval for property purchase, education, or medical and tourism spending in Malaysia

Who qualifies, and who can come with you

The Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers are open to applicants aged 25 and above; the SEZ/SFZ tier starts at 21. Participants must spend at least 90 cumulative days a year in Malaysia, and for principals aged 25 to 49 the days spent by dependants count towards that total.

Dependants can include your spouse, children under 21 (or unemployed, single children up to 34), disabled children of any age, and parents and parents-in-law. Platinum participants can also bring a foreign domestic helper, and the Platinum tier is the only one where working and running a business are expressly permitted.

• Minimum age 25 (21 for SEZ/SFZ)
• 90 days a year minimum stay, cumulative
• Spouse, children, parents and in-laws can be included as dependants

The SEZ tier and Forest City's tax sweetener

The SEZ/SFZ category is the cheapest entry point, with a USD65,000 deposit (halved at age 50), but it ties you to buying a home in Forest City, the master-planned development in Johor designated a Special Financial Zone.

There is a tax incentive attached to the zone: non-citizens disposing of Forest City property under agreements executed between 1 September 2024 and 31 July 2034 pay preferential real property gains tax of 0% to 15%, against the standard 30% foreign rate for early disposals, according to PwC's Malaysia tax summary.

• SEZ/SFZ pass runs 10 years with a multiple-entry visa
• Forest City purchase is compulsory and cannot be sold for 10 years
• Preferential RPGT of 0-15% applies in the zone under agreements executed from 1 September 2024 to 31 July 2034

Before you apply

Applications go through licensed MM2H agents, and the programme's terms have changed more than once in recent years, so treat the official MM2H portal as the source of truth for figures and paperwork. If you are weighing up where in Malaysia to base yourself, Habio's area guides and Malaysian listings are a good place to compare what your tier's property budget buys in Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Johor.