天美麻豆

It seems that my plans for retiring in Malaysia are getting more difficult than I first thought.聽 I saw last night on another site about the Mm2h visa that the 5 year term is dependent on the remaining validity of your passport. You only get the length of stay with the remaining passport term. I also saw that with the visa you cannot have any domestic help. To buy a property in the zones they stipulate is not where I wanted to settle. I was hoping I could have bought in ipoh much cheaper and where most of my malaysian family live.

What you thinking as an alternative? Sarawak MM2H, retirement visa in Indonesia or Thailand perhaps?

It seems that my plans for retiring in Malaysia are getting more difficult than I first thought. I saw last night on another site about the Mm2h visa that the 5 year term is dependent on the remaining validity of your passport. You only get the length of stay with the remaining passport term. I also saw that with the visa you cannot have any domestic help. To buy a property in the zones they stipulate is not where I wanted to settle. I was hoping I could have bought in ipoh much cheaper and where most of my malaysian family live. - @canolaevatt

The passport issue is easy to solve - renew your passport.

To get domestic help, you must get the platinum visa.

I wasn't aware of the property restriction; are you applying under the Sarawak or SEZ visa?

@daviddomoney

No i only wanted to retire in Malaysia because I have relatives there

@SingularitySoon

Sez

Sure thing, you could look at PVIP visa maybe. Higher income and fixed deposit requirements but don't need buy a property I believe (although then you will have to either rent or be subject to same minimum value to purchase property I guess).

@daviddomoney

Thank you I'm still trying to decide what is the best thing way to go about things.

I don't have a visa as of yet, but I am indeed living in JB.聽 I'm American and can stay visa free for 90 days.聽 But I have many reasons to travel to other countries in SEA so I just leave the country regularly and my 90 days is reset every time.

Is that not a viable option for you?

By the way, I'm not talking running to Singapore to reset.聽 I spend a couple of weeks in Thailand, a week in The Philippines, and plans to visit other countries.

@Ziggy With It

Hi. I agree with what you say. I think that is the way to go now. I also get 90 days visa on arrival聽 Sy just a couple of days short of the 90 days and hop over tio Vietnam for a couple of weeks then back into Malaysia for another 90 days. No bond or buying house involved. Leave my mpoey and pension back in aust. Ad use wise account to draw money as needed. 馃槉

@Hansson

Can someone recommend a reputable agent to use for Sarawak or Johor bahru? Thanks

@SamSar444

From what I heard, Alter Domus is the best agency for MM2H. Not sure if they work on those programs. You can ask. Maybe there are other good ones.

@Ziggy With It
Hi. I agree with what you say. I think that is the way to go now. I also get 90 days visa on arrival Sy just a couple of days short of the 90 days and hop over tio Vietnam for a couple of weeks then back into Malaysia for another 90 days. No bond or buying house involved. Leave my mpoey and pension back in aust. Ad use wise account to draw money as needed. 馃槉 - @canolaevatt

No point in tying up your money unless you are really sure you want to stay there. If you want to set up a business and work you'll need the Platinum program which is costly.

@SingularitySoon

I agree thank you

@canolaevatt

Sure thing

@Hansson

For anyone weighing the property side of an MM2H move, here is what buying in the KLCC and TRX area actually costs in 2026. I track this market for a living (licensed REN, 39046), so these are the numbers we are seeing on the ground rather than headline asking prices.

Price per square foot, current range for the newer KLCC and TRX towers:

- Entry level around RM1,600 psf (for example Eaton Residences, from about RM1,000,000)

- Mid around RM2,200 psf (TRX Residences, entry units from about RM950,000)

- Prime around RM3,000 psf (Royal Lexis KLCC, from about RM1.8 million)

So a realistic entry point into a new KLCC or TRX unit sits just under RM1,000,000, which lines up with the rule that foreigners in KL must buy at RM1,000,000 or above anyway.

Gross rental yields in KLCC run about 3.5 to 5 percent. Net comes in lower once you take out maintenance, sinking fund, and any vacancy between tenants, so budget conservatively rather than on the top of that range.

On buying costs, the big 2026 change catches a lot of MM2H applicants by surprise: as a foreign buyer you now pay a flat 8 percent stamp duty on the transfer (it doubled from 4 percent on 1 January 2026), and MM2H status does not exempt you. Add legal fees on the standard scale (about 1 to 1.25 percent on the first RM500,000, less on the balance), a 0.5 percent stamp duty on your loan agreement if you finance, and state consent fees. On a RM1,000,000 unit the transfer stamp duty alone is now RM80,000, so it is worth modelling before you commit.

If it helps, there are free stamp-duty and rental-yield calculators that run the tiered maths for you, and I am glad to point you to them. Glad to answer specific questions on particular buildings or areas too.