Work Visas in Malaysia

How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist

Almost all legal employment in Malaysia runs through an employer-sponsored pass, and the central one is the Employment Pass, which is graded into categories by monthly salary. The category decides how long the pass lasts, whether dependants may be brought, and how much flexibility the holder has. Alongside it sit the short-term Professional Visit Pass, the ten-year Residence Pass-Talent for established expatriates, and the DE Rantau pass for remote workers administered by the digital economy agency rather than by the immigration department alone.

The Employment Pass and its categories

The Employment Pass is issued to a named person for a named role with a named company, and applications are normally filed by the employer through the Expatriate Services Division rather than by the individual.

It is divided into categories that are distinguished mainly by monthly salary, and the practical consequences of the category are significant. The higher category is commonly issued for a longer term of up to around five years and permits dependants; the middle category is typically shorter and also allows dependants; the lowest category is generally issued for around a year at a time, is not renewable indefinitely in the same way, and commonly does not permit a spouse and children to be brought on dependant passes.

Because the category is derived from salary, the figure written into the contract determines the family's status as much as the worker's. Employers occasionally structure packages around this, and the immigration department looks at basic salary rather than total package.

Other routes into legal work

• Professional Visit Pass. For a person who remains employed and paid by a foreign company but is carrying out work in Malaysia for a Malaysian host — training, installation, auditing, a defined project. It is commonly capped at around twelve months and does not lead to residence.
• Residence Pass-Talent. Aimed at expatriates already established in Malaysia over several years with a strong salary and record. Its distinguishing feature is a term of roughly ten years and, unusually, that it is held by the individual rather than tied to one employer, so the holder can change jobs. A spouse is generally permitted to work.
• DE Rantau Nomad Pass. Run by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation for remote workers and freelancers in digital fields who earn from outside Malaysia. It is normally issued for around a year, renewable once, with a published annual income threshold, and it does not authorise working for a Malaysian employer.
• Sector and regional variations. Sabah and Sarawak issue their own work approvals, and a pass valid in peninsular Malaysia does not automatically permit taking up employment in East Malaysia.

What the pass does not give you

None of these passes is residency. They are renewable permissions with an expiry date, and with the exception of the Residence Pass-Talent they are held in the employer's name as much as the worker's. If employment ends, the pass is normally cancelled and a short grace period follows.

Time spent on a work pass does not accumulate toward anything automatic. It can be cited in a permanent residence application, but permanent residence remains discretionary rather than earned, so long service is an argument and not an entitlement.

Approximate costs

Official sources

• Expatriate Services Division
• Immigration Department of Malaysia — passes
• Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, DE Rantau

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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