Malaysia MM2H: what financial requirements remain without an offshore income test?
The offshore income requirement has been removed. Fixed deposits, property purchases and programme fees remain separate parts of an MM2H budget.
Removing the offshore income test does not remove deposits, property requirements or fees. Amounts depend on category; this is not an all-in cost illustration.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture says the offshore income requirement has been abolished across MM2H categories. Fixed-deposit and post-approval property requirements nevertheless remain.[1] This is a review of current federal guidance, checked on 15 October 2026, rather than an announcement of a change taking effect today. Separate Sarawak and Sabah arrangements are outside this article.
Choose the category before calculating the budget
The published deposit thresholds are USD 1 million for Platinum, USD 500,000 for Gold and USD 150,000 for Silver. The SEZ/SFZ category requires USD 65,000 at ages 21–49 or USD 32,000 from age 50. Deposits must be placed with an eligible licensed Malaysian financial institution.[1][2]
Property is a separate commitment. The listed minimum prices for Platinum, Gold and Silver are MYR 2 million, MYR 1 million and MYR 600,000 respectively. SEZ property follows the applicable local policy. A dollar deposit and a ringgit property price cannot simply be added without identifying the exchange rate and currency risk.[2]
A permitted withdrawal does not halve the initial deposit
The guidelines allow an application to withdraw up to 50% of deposit principal after programme approval, for specified expenditure in Malaysia: a home, education, medical needs or tourism.[3] That is a conditional facility, not unrestricted access to half the funds.
For planning purposes, separate the opening deposit, the property payment schedule and any subsequently approved withdrawal. Do not treat a prospective withdrawal as cash already available.
Account for the whole household
The official comparison also lists participation and processing fees.[2] Ask for an itemised budget stating the category, principal applicant’s age, household size and currency of every payment. The removal of an income test is not the removal of the programme’s financial commitments.
Official sources
This article provides general information, not individual legal, tax or investment advice. Applicable rules and the competent authority’s assessment govern each case.