Retiring to Malaysia: Everything You Need to Know About the MM2H Visa

In 2025’s Annual Global Retirement Index, Malaysia is rated the 7^th best country to retire to, ahead of Italy, Greece, and Thailand. The country seduces many expatriates with its warm tropical climate, modern infrastructure, high-quality healthcare, English-speaking communities, and relatively low cost of living.

In addition, the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme offers would-be expatriates a relatively easy route to a residency visa. Jordan Donald, an Infinity financial adviser based in Kuala Lumpur, explains the financial requirements of the visa.

To legally retire in Malaysia under the national MM2H programme, applicants must choose from one of three tiers – silver, gold, or platinum. Each tier comes with different durations, benefits and financial requirements.

The platinum tier is the only one which gives the holder the right to work and conduct business in Malaysia.

Note that this article and the figures quoted in the table below cover the mainstream MM2H programme, which has more stringent demands than the regional MM2H programmes in Sarawak, Sabah, and Johor’s Special Economic Zone.

Aside from the financials, certain additional requirements are applicable. The main ones are as follows:

1. Applications must be submitted via a licensed MM2H operator. You can find the official government list here. Make sure you check out and budget for their fees.
2. Applicants must be at least 25 years old.
3. Applicants, or their dependents included on the visa, must spend at least 90 days per year in Malaysia.
4. The participation fee is paid by the primary applicant who can make an application for dependents, including a spouse, children under 21, children under 34 if unmarried and unemployed, disabled children of any age, parents, spouse’s parents, and one foreign domestic helper.

Navigating the financial requirements of the MM2H programme can be challenging. The long-term property investment needed to qualify represents an illiquid asset, so it’s essential to carefully manage your other assets to ensure you have sufficient accessible funds and a diversified portfolio to mitigate risk.