How to get an MM2H visa — our 2019 DIY application, and the 2026 rules
This article contains affiliate links.
Malaysia's long-stay visa, MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home). We obtained ours in 2019 without an agent, and it carried our family through six years there. The programme has changed substantially since. Here is where it stands in 2026, followed by an honest account of what applying was actually like.
What you'll find here
- The four MM2H tiers as of 2026 and what each requires
- Why you can no longer apply yourself — this is now a rule, not a preference
- How long our 2019 DIY application took, and the part that was hardest
- What still has to be done after you land, and where it trips you up
- Why MM2H lets your child board on weekdays only when a student visa does not
1. The conclusion first: an agent is now mandatory
This is not a matter of preference. The programme requires it.
As of 2026, MM2H applications are accepted only through agents licensed by MOTAC (the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture). Applicants cannot submit directly.
When we applied in 2019 we could do it ourselves. We have a lawyer and an administrative solicitor in the family, so the paperwork cost us very little. Even so, if I had to do it again today I would use an agent. My reasons are at the end.
2. MM2H in 2026: four tiers
| Tier | Fixed deposit | Visa term |
|---|---|---|
| SEZ (special economic zone) | USD 32,000–65,000 | 10 years (renewable) |
| Silver | USD 150,000 | 5 years (renewable) |
| Gold | USD 500,000 | 15 years (renewable) |
| Platinum | USD 1,000,000 | 20 years (renewable) |
On top of that, buying property is now compulsory, with a ten-year holding period. Minimum values differ by tier. Applicants must generally be 25 or over (21 for SEZ).
⚠️ These figures move. Always confirm against the official MM2H site and current MOTAC guidance before applying. The numbers here were checked in August 2026.
Treat the 2019 programme we used as a different scheme altogether. The sums and the way in are both different.
3. What applying in 2019 was actually like
We started preparing in spring. Approval came through in December.
A few days before our flight.
It is hard to convey how much that costs you in nerves. You are never told when it will come. The housing was arranged, the school was arranged, the tickets were booked. Only the visa was missing.
We chased it several times along the way. It is possible that the last push moved things along — I cannot prove it. But I do think that without chasing, it would have taken longer still.
📌 Looking back: the right move was not to leave a comfortable margin, but to plan on the assumption that it would not arrive in time.
4. Landing in Malaysia was where the real work started
Approval is not the end. A further set of steps waits for you in-country.
Most of a day at the counter
Processing at the counter took the best part of a full day. We had not expected anything like it. Our younger child was two. Waiting out a whole day with children in tow was not something we had planned for.
📌 With children: if you can arrange to go without them, do. There is no way to predict how long you will be waiting.
The medical has to be done locally
You must have a medical examination inside Malaysia. We used a local clinic in KL. One done in Japan does not count.
The insurance certificate arrived late — by DHL
Local medical insurance is also required. We had the certificate sent by DHL with a specified delivery date and time. It arrived late anyway.
Very Malaysia, is all one can say. But this is not just a funny story: the practical lesson is that you should plan on documents not arriving when they are supposed to.
5. What changed — and what did not
The sums changed, the agent requirement changed, the property condition is new. The shape of the process, though, is the same.
| Stage | Us, in 2019 | The 2026 programme |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Apply | Filed it ourselves | Licensed agent required |
| 2. Approval | No indication of timing | Conditional approval (60–90 days is the figure quoted; verify) |
| 3. In-country | Deposit, medical, insurance | The same |
| 4. Issue | Stamped into the passport | The same |
In other words, the visa still only issues once you are in Malaysia and have the fixed deposit, the medical and the insurance in hand. The place where it snags you is, I suspect, also unchanged.
6. MM2H widens the boarding options open to you at school
This gets lost behind the money, but MM2H carries one practical benefit a student visa does not: your child can board on weekdays only.
Epsom College Malaysia's programme transfer form puts it like this:
“For International Student with Student Visa, choose either to be a DAY Student or FULL Boarder. (Not eligible for the WDB — Week Day Boarder programme). For Malaysian/Singaporean/MM2H Student you can choose DAY Student, FULL Boarder or WDB — Week Day boarder.”
Boarding Monday to Friday and coming home at the weekend matters most to families living far enough out that the daily run is long. We switched to weekday boarding partway through Year 6 and again in Year 9. What that did to the fees, and all six years of real invoice figures, are in our international school fees article.
⚠️ This is Epsom College Malaysia's rule, and schools differ. If boarding is part of your plan, ask the school directly before you settle on a visa route.
7. What I would do today
Use an agent. Beyond the fact that the rules now require it, I think it is the better call on practical grounds too.
We have handled our renewals through an agent ever since — a choice made after doing it ourselves once.
How much an agent takes off your hands varies by firm. But weighed against the time and the running-around, the fee is worth paying — and that is the view of someone who did it the other way.
8. MM2H Q&A
Q. Can I apply for MM2H myself? A. Not as of 2026. Applications go only through MOTAC-licensed agents. When we applied in 2019, doing it yourself was still possible.
Q. How long does it take? A. In our 2019 case, from starting preparation in spring to approval in December. Under the current programme, 60–90 days to conditional approval is the figure usually quoted, but verify it — timing varies with the period and your circumstances.
Q. Can the medical be done in Japan? A. In our case it had to be done in Malaysia, at a clinic in KL. The current programme likewise directs applicants to designated clinics.
Q. What was the hardest part? A. Not knowing when the visa would come. Ours arrived a few days before the flight.
Q. Does MM2H change anything at school? A. It can. At Epsom College Malaysia, an international student on a student visa may only be a Day student or a Full Boarder; the Weekday Boarder programme is open to Malaysian, Singaporean and MM2H families. Rules differ by school, so ask your target school before settling on a visa route.
You might also like
- The whole six years → Six years living in Malaysia
- Schools and costs → Moving abroad for school
- Daily life → Insects, water and housing
- Children's paperwork → Passports, visas and entry
MM2H rules, sums and procedures change. Always confirm against official sources before applying. This article reflects what we verified in August 2026.
Where to book
PR: contains affiliate links.