Top 4 Reasons to Migrate to Malaysia

Ranked top 5 economies in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is an attractive country with a myriad of business opportunities, world-class amenities available, scenic views, and a unique way of life. Let’s take a closer look at the top 4 reasons why migrating to Malaysia could be your next big move.

If you are looking for a place with a relatively good standard of living, Malaysia might just be the place for you! From its low cost of living, and accessibility to amenities, to a comprehensive transportation system, living in Malaysia can be convenient and comfortable.

All these factors make Malaysia a really liveable country, attracting millions of expats from all over the world.

Malaysia is popular amongst expats to either work or to set up a business in due to the business freedom in Malaysia. Check out some of Malaysia’s ranking when it comes to business below:

In the past decade, Malaysia has been an attractive regional hub for their services, with promising growth in sectors such as:

Malaysia’s geographical location also plays a major role in business opportunities as the Strait of Malacca is a major sea-route connecting the Far East to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It also neighbours Thailand and Singapore and is connected via roads, making it an attractive location for international entrepreneurs for their next business set-up destination.

Being such an attractive country for business, Malaysia has a significant expat community. The Malaysian government encourages international students and grants student passes for them to study in the international schools offered.

Numerous expats feel that Malaysia is easy to live in as English is commonly spoken around the country, in business as well as many sectors, including healthcare. This is one of the reasons why Malaysia ranks 4th out of 50 countries as the best country for expats.

Malaysia had introduced ‘Malaysia My Second Home’ (MM2H) programme and it has become popular amongst eligible expats as it grants them a 10-year long visa that allows them to enter and leave the country along with many other benefits.

The government of Malaysia continuously improves the infrastructure to remain attractive to foreigners, as well as to enhance the quality of life. This resulted in Malaysia being one of the most well-developed countries in Asia, making it a top option to live and work.

The developed public transport in Malaysia is a railway system that runs through Malaysia and goes North to Thailand, and South to Singapore. They also have seaports that connect to other major ports in Malaysia such as George town, Kuantan, and Kota Kinabalu.

These are just a few of the top reasons why people and businesses are moving to Malaysia. While these are key driving factors when making a decision to migrate to Malaysia, one should also consider their needs and goals to ensure it aligns with the lifestyle Malaysia can offer.

Any individual who wishes to migrate to Malaysia for work will need to acquire a work visa, also known as a work permit. There are 3 different kinds of work permits issued in Malaysia, as listed below:

Any employment pass holder can bring his or her family members to Malaysia. Holders of other types of work permits are not allowed to bring their dependents to Malaysia.

Any individual who wishes to move to Malaysia in pursuit of education would need to present a Malaysian student visa (Approval Letter) at the Immigration Department. Applications can only be made after he or she is accepted by a Malaysian educational institution. Upon receiving an approval letter, the applicant any need to apply for an entry visa depending on his or her country of residence.

Individuals working or studying in Malaysia are able to bring their family members into Malaysia. However, they will be required to obtain a dependent pass. This special visa allows one to bring their spouse, children under the age of 21, and dependent children into Malaysia.

Upon arrival in Malaysia, family members should submit their passports to the Immigration Department of Malaysia to receive the Malaysia Dependent Pass sticker. This then grants permission for the individual to remain in Malaysia for the same amount of time as stated on the Malaysian Visa.

Individuals who wish to retire in Malaysia need to obtain a retirement visa this is otherwise known as Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H) ,as mentioned above. Once the retirement visa is approved, a person can enter Malaysia and collect their Conditional Approval Letter in person. This special visa also allows one to bring their spouse and children under the age of 21 with them into Malaysia. With a validity period of 10 years, it grants a person permission to work for up to 20 hours every week.