Living in Malaysia: MM2H & the Premium Visa for Owners and Executives

When a foreign group sets up in Johor, the company gets its approvals — but the people behind it often want a personal right to live in, or move freely in and out of, Malaysia, beyond what a work pass tied to the company provides. Malaysia offers two main long-stay programmes for that: Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), a renewable social-visit pass built around a fixed deposit and (now) a property purchase; and the Premium Visa Programme (PVIP), aimed at high-net-worth individuals, built around a larger fixed deposit and an offshore-income test. Neither is a work permit in the ordinary sense, and the rules — especially MM2H — have changed materially in recent years, so this guide gives the shape of each and the indicative thresholds, with a strong caution to verify the current figures.

MM2H was substantially overhauled in 2024 into a tiered structure. Each tier pairs a fixed deposit placed with a Malaysian bank with a minimum residential-property purchase, and grants a renewable visa whose length rises with the tier. As commonly summarised: the Platinum tier requires a fixed deposit of around USD 1 million and a property purchase from RM2 million, with a 20-year renewable visa; the Gold tier requires around USD 500,000 deposit and RM1 million in property, with a 15-year visa; and the Silver tier requires around USD 150,000 deposit and RM600,000 in property, with a 5-year visa. A portion of the fixed deposit can typically be withdrawn after the first year for approved purposes (property, education, medical), and a minimum physical-presence requirement applies — commonly cited as 90 cumulative days per year. These figures are the post-2024 framework as widely reported, but the programme has been fine-tuned more than once — treat them as indicative and confirm the current criteria.

Most relevant to this site’s audience is a special, lower-threshold MM2H tier connected to a special economic / financial zone and to a designated Johor development — Forest City. The attraction is a materially lower entry point than the standard tiers: advisory sources cite a fixed deposit in the region of USD 65,000 for applicants under 50 and around USD 32,000 for those aged 50 and over, with a longer (around 10-year) renewable visa, conditioned on purchasing a designated unit (in Forest City) within a set window after approval. This pairs naturally with the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone story: an investor running a Johor operation, or simply wanting an affordable residency anchored to the corridor, can use this route to base themselves near the business. Because this tier sits at the intersection of immigration policy and a specific property scheme — both of which have moved — the exact deposit, property condition, eligible developments and visa terms must be confirmed against the official programme before any decision. Do not commit to a property purchase on the strength of an indicative figure.

The Premium Visa Programme (PVIP) is a separate, higher-end route aimed at high-net-worth individuals who want a long, flexible residency without a minimum-stay obligation. The structure as commonly described: a fixed deposit of RM1 million placed with an authorised Malaysian bank, a one-time participation fee, and proof of substantial offshore income (commonly cited around RM40,000 per month). In return it grants a 20-year renewable visa with no minimum physical-presence requirement and no obligation to buy property — though a portion of the fixed deposit can be drawn after a holding period for approved purposes such as property or education. PVIP suits an owner or executive who values the flexibility of coming and going without a residency clock, and who meets the income test, more than the MM2H deposit-plus-property model. As with MM2H, confirm the current fee, deposit, income threshold and conditions against the official source.

An owner-director of a Johor company does not strictly need MM2H or PVIP to be in Malaysia — they can usually obtain an Employment Pass (EP) through the company, as covered in our employment guide. The difference is what each gives you. An EP ties your right to be in Malaysia to a job at, and the continued sponsorship of, the company: it is the route to actually work and draw a salary here, but it ends if the role does. MM2H and PVIP are personal long-stay statuses decoupled from any single employer — they let you live in or freely access Malaysia for years regardless of the company’s situation, but they are social-visit / residency passes, not work authorisations in the ordinary sense. Many owners therefore hold an EP to run the business and consider MM2H or PVIP for personal/family stability, or for the right to remain after stepping back from an executive role. The two are not mutually exclusive, and which combination fits depends on whether your priority is working, simply residing, or flexible access — decide it with an immigration adviser against the current rules.