Malaysia's nomad pass: $24,000 a year if you work in tech, $60,000 if you don't
A pass of up to 12 months, renewable once, for people paid from outside Malaysia. Government fees for a single person's first year come to about $352.
Malaysia opened the DE Rantau Nomad Pass to non-tech workers in June 2024. You apply online, wait four to eight weeks for approval, then fly in to have the pass endorsed.
The numbers that decide it
$24,000
Yearly income, tech and digital roles
Malaysia sets it in U.S. dollars
$60,000
Yearly income, every other role
open to non-tech since June 2024
24 months
Longest you can hold it
one pass plus one renewal
$264
Application fee, main applicant
RM1,080 with 8% tax; $132 per dependent
Who it's for
Built for a paycheck that comes from abroad
Your employer or your clients sit outside Malaysia, and your income clears the bar for your field. Employees show three months of payslips, matching bank statements and a contract with a company that isn't registered in Malaysia. Freelancers show three months of invoices, payments and statements, on projects of at least three months.
It isn't for retirees living on savings (look at MM2H instead) or anyone who wants a Malaysian job. You'll also need a passport valid for 14 months with six blank pages, and health insurance that covers you in Malaysia.
DE Rantau Nomad Pass
A digital nomad visa allowing remote workers to live in Malaysia for up to 12 months while working for foreign employers. Part of Malaysia's Digital Economy initiative to attract global tech talent.
- Government cost
- $218
- Processing time
- ~14 days
- Timeline
- 3-12 months, renewable up to 24 months
- Difficulty
- Hard
About that data card
Our listing says the pass needs "IT/digital sector work." That changed in June 2024: founders, accountants, lawyers, writers, PR people and other remote professionals can apply too, at USD 60,000 a year instead of USD 24,000. The 14-day processing time is too short; Malaysia's government services portal says four to eight weeks for approval. And the fee is RM1,000 before tax, RM1,080 with it, about $264 at September 2026 rates.
Applying
Approval online, the pass in person
You file and pay on MDEC's portal, from anywhere. The government puts approval at four to eight weeks, and one relocation guide puts the whole run, from gathering documents to landing, at 10 to 17 weeks.
The six-month window
The approval letter lasts six months and can't be extended. Inside that window you fly in and have Immigration endorse your Professional Visit Pass, which guides say takes about a week. Immigration charges RM30 a month per person, so RM360 (about $88) for a year.
Already in Malaysia?
Americans can visit visa-free for up to 90 days, but that entry can't be turned into the pass. If you're approved while visiting, you leave and come back in. Fees have been non-refundable since May 2025, so send PDFs in English, with names and income figures that match on every page.
What the pass allows, and what it doesn't
Foreign income only
Your employer can't be registered in Malaysia. Guides disagree on Malaysian freelance clients, so ask MDEC before you take one.
Family can come
A spouse, children under 18, disabled children and your parents. Each is assessed separately and pays $132.
Your spouse can't work
Dependents can't take a job in Malaysia on this pass.
School takes another pass
Children enrolling in a Malaysian school need a separate Student Pass.
Peninsula and Labuan
Sabah and Sarawak aren't covered. Sarawak runs its own nomad program.
Banks may say no
Applicants report most Malaysian banks won't open an account on this pass, so keep your U.S. accounts and cards working.
Tax and the clock
Two tax systems and a two-year limit
Malaysia's side
Malaysia exempts qualifying foreign-sourced income that residents receive through December 31, 2036. Here's the catch: it taxes employment income where the work is done, and you'd be doing the work in Malaysia. Settle how that applies to your salary with a tax adviser before you land.
The U.S. side
You still file a U.S. return. The foreign earned income exclusion covers up to $132,900 of 2026 wages if you spend 330 full days abroad in any 12 months. Trips home count against you.
After 24 months
The pass ends there, with no route to permanent residence. Switch status or leave. Malaysia points founders to its Tech Entrepreneur Programme, a five-year Residential Pass, or to setting up a company with Malaysia Digital status that hires you on an Employment Pass.
This page is dated on purpose
We checked these rules in September 2026. Malaysia widened eligibility in June 2024 and made fees non-refundable in May 2025. Ringgit amounts are converted at RM4.087 to the dollar, the Bank Negara Malaysia middle rate in September 2026. Confirm the current rules on MDEC's portal before you pay.
People who can help with the paperwork
Christine Reynolds
Paraguay Local Guide, Malaysia Local Guide
A Malaysia local guide who helps clients weigh the nomad pass against MM2H and work permits, then answers the housing, healthcare and settling-in questions that follow.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach with more than 20 years of expat living. One consultation maps out how you'll get care in Malaysia before you need it.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Expatsi's international health insurance partner. They match private coverage to your age, your health and the insurance line on your application.
Flamingo Compliance | Tax Residency and Visa Tracker Platform
Tax Residency and Visa Tracker Platform
An app that logs your days in each country and warns you as you near a tax or visa threshold, including the 330-day count.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Tax software and support for Americans abroad, so you can file your U.S. return from Malaysia without hunting for an expat-savvy CPA.
Questions Americans ask about DE Rantau
Do DE Rantau pass holders pay Malaysian income tax?
It depends on your income. Malaysia exempts qualifying foreign-sourced income received by resident individuals through December 31, 2036, but it taxes employment income for work performed in Malaysia. How that applies to a remote salary earned while living there is worth settling with a tax adviser before you move.
Can I work for a Malaysian company on the DE Rantau pass?
No. Remote workers need an employer that isn't registered in Malaysia, and the pass is built around income from abroad. Guides disagree on whether freelancers may take Malaysian clients, so confirm with MDEC before you invoice one.
Can I bring my family on the DE Rantau pass?
Yes. A spouse, children under 18, disabled children and your parents can come as dependents. They can't work in Malaysia, each is assessed separately, and children going to a Malaysian school need their own Student Pass.
How long does the DE Rantau application take?
Malaysia's government services portal says four to eight weeks for approval. After that you have six months to enter Malaysia and have the pass endorsed by Immigration, which guides say takes about a week.
Does the DE Rantau pass lead to permanent residence in Malaysia?
No. The pass lasts up to 12 months and can be renewed once, for 24 months in total, and it has no route to permanent residence. After that you switch to another status, such as the Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Programme, or leave.
How much income do I need for Malaysia's DE Rantau Nomad Pass?
At least USD 24,000 a year if you work in a tech or digital role, and USD 60,000 a year (USD 5,000 a month) for other remote professions such as founders, accountants, lawyers and writers. Malaysia sets both figures in U.S. dollars.
How much does the DE Rantau Nomad Pass cost?
The application fee is RM1,080 including 8% tax (about $264 at September 2026 rates) for the main applicant and RM540 (about $132) per dependent. Immigration also charges RM30 a month per person, or RM360 (about $88) for a year. Application fees are non-refundable.
Can Americans apply for DE Rantau while visiting Malaysia?
You can submit the online application from anywhere, but a visa-free entry can't be converted into the pass. If you're in Malaysia as a visitor when you're approved, you leave and come back in to have the pass endorsed. Americans can visit visa-free for up to 90 days.
Plan the move past month 24
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