Malaysia digital nomad visa (DE Rantau)
Malaysia's DE Rantau Nomad Pass is for remote workers earning USD 24,000 a year in tech and digital roles, or USD 60,000 in a list of other roles. It lasts up to a year, renewable to two, and agents say you can apply from inside Malaysia.
At a glance
- The visa
- DE Rantau Nomad Pass
- What you need
- About $2,000 to $5,000 a month (USD 24,000 a year, depending on the job); in pounds, about £1,500 to £3,760 a month
- What counts as proof
- Three months of bank statements, plus payslips and a contract, or invoices with proof of payment.
- Who can apply
- Employees of a company abroad: yes. Freelancers: yes. Owners of a company abroad: yes.
- How long
- Three to twelve months, renewable once: two years at most
- Without a visa
- British and American visitors: 90 days
The catch. It does not cover Sabah or Sarawak, and MDEC's own FAQ says remote work is taxable after 60 days in the country.
See where you stand against Malaysia and every other country. Check your income
How to apply
- Apply online with MDEC, Malaysia's digital economy agency. Agents say you can apply while you're in Malaysia on a visit pass.
- Once approved, agents say leave and re-enter, using a manual immigration counter so your passport is stamped.
- Agents say that within a month of that stamp you upload your bond, insurance and tax registration and pay the pass fee. The pass follows in about a week.
Fees and timing
- Processing
- RM1,080 per applicant and RM540 per dependant, including 8% SST, non-refundable.
- Pass
- RM360 a year.
- How long it takes
- Six to eight weeks once your application is complete, MDEC says, and longer if it asks for more documents. The pass follows about a week after endorsement.
The documents
The main items. Your consulate's own checklist is the one that counts, so check it before you start.
- Passport with 14 months left and six blank pages
- A good conduct certificate from the police
- Three months of bank statements
- A contract and payslips, or invoices with proof of payment; contracts must be at least three months old
- Your tax registration slip
- Health insurance
Health insurance
Required, according to agents: valid in Malaysia, covering any dependants, for the whole pass.
Nomad policies differ on cover limits, excess and whether they're accepted for a visa. Compare nomad health insurance
Family, renewing and tax
- Family
- A spouse or common-law partner, children under 18, disabled children of any age and your parents can come, each assessed separately. Spouses can't work.
- Renewing
- Apply up to three months before it expires. Two years at most, and MDEC doesn't state a route to residence.
- What it leads to
- Nowhere that MDEC states
- Tax
- 182 days or more in a calendar year. Work done there is taxable after 60 days
Worth knowing
- 1 August 2026: MDEC stopped accepting appeals against refusals. Processing fees have not been refunded since May 2025.
- June 2024: MDEC opened the pass to listed non-tech roles, at USD 60,000 a year.