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Malaysia · digital nomad visa · 2026

Malaysia's digital nomad visa

12months
DE Rantau Nomad PassOpen · checked 2026-08-18 · mdec.my

Malaysia runs the DE Rantau Nomad Pass, an initial 12 months for remote workers earning $24,000 a year.

Next step

One email when the app can count this stay for you.

How we know

Every figure here is as mdec.my publishes it, checked 18 August 2026. Where a number is our own arithmetic rather than a printed figure, the row says so.

Status
Open
Visa
DE Rantau Nomad Pass
Initial stay
12 months
Renewal
"The Professional Visit Pass (Pas Lawatan Ikhtisas) is valid for a period between three (3) to twelve (12) months, with the option to renew for an additional twelve (12) months, allowing a maximum stay of twenty-four (24) months in total." Renewal may be filed up to three months before expiry and takes 6-8 weeks.
Income required
$24,000 a year — Two published tiers, both annual: "Tech Talent/Profession — The minimum annual income should be USD24,000 per year. Non-Tech Talent/Profession — The minimum annual income should be USD60,000 per year." MDEC's June 2024 expansion release states the non-tech figure as "USD60,000 per year, or USD5,000 per month". Income must come from a foreign-based company not registered in Malaysia. The recorded amount is the lower, tech tier.
Fee
1,080 MYR — "A non-refundable processing fee of RM1,080.00 per applicant and RM540.00 per dependent is applicable upon submission of the DE Rantau Nomad Pass application, regardless of category" — RM1,080.00 includes 8% SST and is not refunded on rejection, cancellation or withdrawal. A separate Immigration Pass Fee applies per applicant: "RM90 (every three (3) months) - RM360 (one (1) year)". Multiple Entry Visa charges vary by country, and where MDEC acts as sponsor a refundable security bond applies in bands (RM2,000.00 / RM1,500.00 / RM750.00) by nationality.
Processing
"The application will be processed within six (6) to eight (8) weeks upon receipt of the completed submission." The e-Pass is issued within one week of endorsement submission. "The approval is valid for six (6) months from the date of issuance of the approval letter and is non-extendable." Effective 1 August 2026, no appeals are accepted for rejected applications.
Who qualifies
Issued as a Professional Visit Pass (Pas Lawatan Ikhtisas). Tech Talent covers digital freelancers, independent contractors and remote workers in IT and digital domains — software and backend engineering, UX, UI, cloud, cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, machine learning, data, digital marketing, digital creative content and digital content development. Non-Tech Talent covers CEO/Founder/MD/President, COO, business development, marketing, CFO, finance and accounting, sales, customer success, HR, legal counsel, PR and communications, consultants, customer service, administration, technical writers, tax specialists and accountants, production and supply chain managers, or equivalent. Main holder must be over 18. "The pass is open to applicants of all nationalities, with the exception of citizens of Israel." Passport validity must exceed 14 months at submission. A tourist pass cannot be converted. The pass covers stay only in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan; entering Sabah or Sarawak uses a tourist pass. Multiple entry. All documents must be in English.
Family
"Only immediate family members (dependent) of the main pass holder are eligible to apply: a. Husband / Wife/ Common-Law partner. b. Child, adopted child or stepchild under the age of eighteen (18) years. c. Disabled child (no age limit) verified by experts. d. Parent / parents to main pass holder only." RM540.00 per dependent. "Can my spouse work in Malaysia under this pass? No." Dependants may enter with or after the main holder. Children who wish to study need a separate Student Pass arranged by the school; this is not required for home schooling.
Where to apply
Fully online at mdec.my/derantau, with application status at malaysiadigital.mdec.my and endorsement via mdec.my/ms/derantau/hub. An eVISA or Visa with Reference may be needed to re-enter for endorsement, and applicants approved while inside Malaysia must exit and re-enter to be endorsed.
Official page
mdec.my
Checked
18 August 2026

Sources are listed further down the page.

What to know before you apply

Live and accepting applications. The authoritative document is MDEC's FAQ v9, linked from mdec.my/derantau; its PDF creation date is 6 August 2026 and it carries rules effective 1 August 2026, so it is current. It supersedes "DE Rantau Pass FAQ Version 3.0 (April 2024)", still hosted at mdec.my/static/pdf/derantau/, which lists only the single USD24,000 tier and no non-tech category. Worth stating plainly because it is often reported the other way round: the USD24,000 tech threshold has NOT changed since launch — what happened in June 2024 was the ADDITION of a second, higher USD60,000 tier for non-tech professions. No separate local/Malaysian-applicant income threshold is published today: mdec.my/derantau, /derantau/local and /derantau/foreign all serve the same page and the same FAQ v9, which is scoped to "qualified foreign digital nomads". maxStayMonths records the maximum initial pass (12 months); the 24-month figure is the cumulative maximum after one renewal.

What it means for your tax days

MDEC's FAQ states that for foreign remote workers with income sourced outside Malaysia, "Tax not applicable if the number of days stayed in Malaysia not exceeding 60 days" (exemption under Para. 21 and 22, Schedule 6, ITA 1967), and that income "Will be Taxable under Section 4(b)/ Sub-section 13(2) and Article 14 DTA if the number of stays is 61 days and more", at rates depending on residence status under Section 7 ITA 1967. Freelancers with Malaysia-sourced income face 10% withholding under s.109B for the first 182 days, then s.4(a) taxation. This is not a zero-tax regime. A visa is permission to stay; tax residency follows the days. Malaysia treats you as tax resident once you are present 182 days 182 days or more in a basis year (the calendar year corresponding to a year of assessment) — though the system is territorial, so foreign income may fall outside it. Days are not the only test: Section 7(1) ITA 1967 gives four alternative tests. (a) In Malaysia for periods amounting in all to 182 days or more in the basis year. (b) In Malaysia for less than 182 days where that period is LINKED by or to another period of 182 or more consecutive days in Malaysia falling in the immediately preceding or immediately following basis year — with the proviso that temporary absences (i) connected with service in Malaysia, service matters, conferences, seminars or study abroad; (ii) owing to ill-health of the individual or an immediate family member; and (iii) social visits not exceeding 14 days in aggregate, count as part of the period if the individual is in Malaysia immediately before and after the absence. (c) In Malaysia for 90 days or more in the basis year, having been either resident or in Malaysia for 90 days or more in each of any three of the four preceding years of assessment. (d) Resident in the following basis year, having been resident in each of the three immediately preceding years of assessment. The full tests and the official source are on our Malaysia tax-day page.

Sources

  • mdec.my — official source, checked 2026-08-18
  • mdec.my (official), retrieved 2026-08-18
  • digital.gov.my (official), retrieved 2026-08-18
  • mdec.my (official), retrieved 2026-08-18

Questions people ask about Malaysia

Does Malaysia have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Malaysia runs the DE Rantau Nomad Pass, which grants an initial stay of 12 months ("the professional visit pass (pas lawatan ikhtisas) is valid for a period between three (3) to twelve (12) months, with the option to renew for an additional twelve (12) months, allowing a maximum stay of twenty-four (24) months in total." renewal may be filed up to three months before expiry and takes 6-8 weeks.). Checked 18 August 2026 against mdec.my.

How much do you need to earn for the Malaysia digital nomad visa?

$24,000 a year — Two published tiers, both annual: "Tech Talent/Profession — The minimum annual income should be USD24,000 per year. Non-Tech Talent/Profession — The minimum annual income should be USD60,000 per year." MDEC's June 2024 expansion release states the non-tech figure as "USD60,000 per year, or USD5,000 per month". Income must come from a foreign-based company not registered in Malaysia. The recorded amount is the lower, tech tier.. That is the figure as published; check the official page for the current amount before you apply.

How long can you stay on the Malaysia digital nomad visa?

12 months on the initial permission; "the professional visit pass (pas lawatan ikhtisas) is valid for a period between three (3) to twelve (12) months, with the option to renew for an additional twelve (12) months, allowing a maximum stay of twenty-four (24) months in total." renewal may be filed up to three months before expiry and takes 6-8 weeks.. Stretch counts the days either way and tells you the date you must be out.

Does a digital nomad visa in Malaysia make you tax resident?

Not by itself — but staying does. Malaysia treats you as tax resident once you are there 182 days 182 days or more in a basis year (the calendar year corresponding to a year of assessment), though the system is territorial. MDEC's FAQ states that for foreign remote workers with income sourced outside Malaysia, "Tax not applicable if the number of days stayed in Malaysia not exceeding 60 days" (exemption under Para. 21 and 22, Schedule 6, ITA 1967), and that income "Will be Taxable under Section 4(b)/ Sub-section 13(2) and Article 14 DTA if the number of stays is 61 days and more", at rates depending on residence status under Section 7 ITA 1967. Freelancers with Malaysia-sourced income face 10% withholding under s.109B for the first 182 days, then s.4(a) taxation. This is not a zero-tax regime. See our Malaysia tax-day page for the tests and the official source.

How does Stretch help with the Malaysia digital nomad visa?

Log the day you land and Stretch counts the days against the permission you are on, shows the date you must be out, and reminds you at 14, 7, 3 and 1 days. It also tallies the days that count towards tax residency, so the 182-day question answers itself. The counting and the alerts are free, forever.

Other digital nomad visas

Malaysia, the rest of it

Stretch is a tracker, not legal advice, and this is not tax advice. Visa and tax rules change and are applied by the authority, not by an app — every figure here shows its source and the date we checked it. Checked 2026-08-18; confirm on the official page before you apply or file.