Malaysia My Second Home Programme, Silver Category
MM2H Silver asks for two things at once, a fixed deposit and a property purchase. Five years, multiple entry, age 25 and over.
The name is the source of most of the confusion. MM2H is not a residence permit and not a retirement visa in any legal sense. It is a social visit pass with a long validity, which is why it carries no permanent residence clock at any tier and why holders cannot work.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Retirees and long-stay residents with moderate capital, age 25 and over |
| Route family | retirement |
| Validity | 5 years, multiple entry |
| Stay per entry | Multiple entry visa; presence requirement of 90 days a year applies to ages 25 to 49 |
| Threshold | USD 150,000 fixed deposit (about RM 613,000 at RM 4.09 per USD, Bank Negara, October 2026), plus a property purchase of at least RM 600,000 (about USD 147,000) |
| Renewal | Renewable in 5 year blocks, RM 1,500 renewal fee (2026) |
| Settlement | None |
| PR clock | None. A social visit pass does not lead to permanent residence at any tier |
| Citizenship clock | None. Malaysia does not permit dual citizenship |
| Family | Spouse, children under 21 (21 to 34 if unemployed and single), disabled children with no age limit, parents and parents-in-law |
| Local employment | No. Business and career activity are both explicitly not allowed |
| Tax headline | Foreign-sourced income and the fixed deposit are exempt; domestic-source income is taxable. Confirm for your own fact pattern |
| Processing | Through a MOTAC-licensed MM2H agent only. No direct applications |
Application flow
- Confirm you are 25 or over and that your capital is genuinely spare. The deposit is not the whole cost.
- Appoint a MOTAC-licensed MM2H agent. There is no direct application channel.
- Assemble proof of the USD 150,000 fixed deposit and the property budget of at least RM 600,000.
- Pay the participating fee of RM 1,000 and the processing fee of RM 5,000 for the principal plus RM 2,500 per dependent. These are sunk costs on top of the deposit.
- The agent files with the One Stop Centre MM2H. Immigration approval comes from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Complete the property purchase. Purchase is compulsory after approval and the pass is revoked if you fail to buy or sell within 10 years other than to upgrade.
- If you are aged 25 to 49, plan the 90 day annual presence requirement. A spouse or dependent can cover the days for you. Ages 50 and over have no minimum stay.
Good fit
A couple over 50 with USD 400,000 or more in liquid assets who want a cheap long-stay base and were going to buy a Kuala Lumpur condo anyway. People who will not work and do not need to, and who can leave the deposit alone for years.
Poor fit
Anyone who wants to work, since both business and career activity are barred. Anyone treating the deposit as the only cost: the property adds RM 600,000 and the fees add another RM 8,500 or more. Anyone who might need the money liquid in the next decade.
Watchpoints
- The property is not optional. Failure to buy, or selling within 10 years other than to upgrade, revokes the pass. Budget RM 600,000 on top of the deposit.
- Ages 25 to 49 must spend 90 days a year in Malaysia, cumulatively. A spouse or dependent can cover the days. Ages 50 and over have no minimum stay.
- At most 50 percent of the principal deposit can be withdrawn after approval. And only for property, education, medical or tourism spending inside Malaysia. The official pages describe that limit and do not promise release of the rest on exit.
- The pass expires with your passport. If the passport dies first you pay again for a new security sticker.
- Fees are separate from the deposit. RM 1,000 participating fee, RM 5,000 processing for the principal, RM 2,500 per dependent.
- No work, no PR, no citizenship. If your plan needs any of those, this is the wrong category and the wrong programme.
Sources
- Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, MM2H overview, https://www.mm2h.gov.my/category/overview, checked 2026-10-22
- Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, MM2H Silver category, https://www.mm2h.gov.my/category/silver, checked 2026-10-22