Property purchase is required for the new MM2H as announced on 14th June 2024.
Malaysia My Second Home or MM2H started in 2002. It was revamped in 2006/2007, some changes in 2012, suspended in 2020, reintroduced in 2022, suspended in 2023 and to resume in July 2024. A long and tumultuous history which you can read here : History of MM2H. Alter Domus (MM2H) Sdn. Bhd. started in 2004, thus, we can give you the long history of MM2H. We have been through it and experienced it. Only a handful of MM2H sponsors in Malaysia can share with you the history of MM2H (if they actually take the pain to write the changes down. We did). Major requirement change happened in 2006 and 2022. The rest are minor tweaks on documentation requirements (not the main requirements).
In our 20 years of doing MM2H, there is only one certainty - things only get harder or more difficult. In fact, I could extrapolate this to everything that happen in the world, especially government bureaucracy. Complexity, abuses and fraud sets in, costs increase, requirements changed, incompetent staff, ineffective system, bulky bureaucracy, triplicates, etc. Things ALWAYS get more difficult and complex.
Let us take a single guy in 2006. He was 30 years old and applied for MM2H. His fixed deposit was RM100,000. One year later in 2007, it was set to RM300,000. This three-fold increase was too much to bear. We complained but to no avail. It was set. Within 6 months, it was accepted and people assumed the RM300,000 was the baseline requirement.
15 years later in 2022, the fixed deposit for eMM2H was set to RM1,000,000 (again another 3.3 fold increase). It was COVID-19 era and took a longer time but it was on its way to gain acceptance when it was suspended and the new MM2H came out. The lowest category is Silver. Fixed deposit is RM500,000 but a property must be purchased. The property must be priced at least RM600,000. So, that brings it up only to RM1,100,000. Just a small increase so to say.......
The single guy is now 48 years old. However, he still renews his MM2H base on the conditions he used in 2006. We have done many renewals and all of them are grandfathered. So, although things get more difficult, your requirements are grandfathered. It pays to apply earlier rather than later.
I would love to have easy-to-meet MM2H requirements but unfortunately that reality does not exist. So, in essence, the questions you should be asking yourself is:
How committed am I in staying in Malaysia?
What is my financial strength (savings) that will allow me to stay in Malaysia?
If you are committed to staying in Malaysia, then proceed with the Malaysia My Second Home visa. If you are not financially strong, then opt for the S-MM2H (Sarawak) although there is always a risk of unexpected changes in future.
The New Peninsula Malaysia MM2H:
Sarawak MM2H Requirements:
S-MM2H takes a long time (like 12-15 months) to be approved.
If you are planning to stay here very long term, then get the new MM2H and buy a property here.
Personally, I have come to terms (at the "acceptance" stage) that in the future, things will not get easier but more difficult. The requirements of 2002 is much easier than 2007, 2018, 2022 and the latest 2024 has the highest requirements. How about 2028, 2030? I am willing to bet that it will be much more difficult. In my professional life, I have met many who procrastinate and they ended up with the more difficult version of MM2H.
Proof of offshore income is not required anymore. so that is easier to meet the application criteria. If your financial standing is good, then go for the new MM2H. Applying for S-MM2H and staying in Peninsula Malaysia is not as great as getting the new MM2H.
RM500,000 (Silver) in a fixed deposit at a tax-free 3.75% per year is RM18,700 in interest. Multiply by 5 years and that will be RM93,750. You decide to leave Malaysia. You sell your property at the same price that you have bought. So, you ended up staying there rent-free and you still have RM93,750 in interest from your fixed deposit that you can take with you when you cancel the visa.
As of today, I don't have a lot details on the new MM2H. So, please bear with us. We will update you when we have more information. Let us know if you or your friends would like us to put you in our mailing list (email and WhatsApp).
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MM2H is always fraught with fraud and abuse. It started in 2006 and persisted until today, be it perpetrated by applicants or agents, it was common. It caused a lot of hardship for the genuine applicants as new rules beget new requirements. So, I am not surprised that the Ministry called for the re-licensing of sponsors.
As for re-licensing of MM2H agents, Alter Domus, since 2006, has ZERO disciplinary issues, complains, compounds, fines, police cases or outstanding claims. We have met the RM200,000 paid up capital and RM200,000 bank guarantee that the Ministry of Tourism need. We will apply for the license the very first hour of the opening on 1st July 2024.
Malaysia is a great place to stay comparatively. It is a pity and a disappointment that the requirements for MM2H are high, but I have personally come to accept that “it happens”.
One should work on “I should start immediately so that I will not be surprised again in future” rather than complaining about it and waiting for a revision to an easier requirement that will never happen.
The new MM2H has spelt out clearly in black and white:
All income remitted to Malaysia is tax-free
If the main applicant passed away, the next of kin takes over his/her place.
Renewal documents (after 5 years) - valid passport photocopy, medical report and medical insurance. Nothing else is required.
Item 2 and 3 are not available to the previous MM2H (in black and white). It is important for those who are looking for continuity.
Let us know if you have any questions or if you want to start the application for either the new MM2H or the S-MM2H. You can email or WhatsApp us.
Click the button below to get the PDF format of the requirements for new 3-tier MM2H & MM2H in Special Economic Zone (SEZ in Johor Bahru, JB):
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