Malaysia Digital Nomad Visa (DE Rantau Nomad Pass)
Malaysia’s visa for remote workers and freelancers who earn their income abroad. Stay 12 months, renewable to 24, run by MDEC. Emerhub checks your eligibility and handles the application.
What is the DE Rantau Nomad Pass?
The DE Rantau Nomad Pass is Malaysia’s digital nomad visa, run by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, MDEC, and launched in 2022. It lets remote workers and freelancers live in Malaysia legally while working for clients or employers outside the country. The pass runs for 12 months and can be renewed for a second year, so you can base yourself here without relying on tourist entries.
It is built for people who carry their work with them: a remote employee of a foreign company, or a freelancer with overseas clients. Malaysia gives you a low cost of living, fast connectivity, and an easy base for the rest of Southeast Asia.
What the DE Rantau Nomad Pass gets you
Legal long-stay residence in Malaysia, built around remote work.
Stay 12 to 24 months
A 12-month pass that you can renew for a second year, far steadier than living on tourist entries.
Bring your family
Your spouse and children can join you on the same pass, each with a small dependent fee.
DE Rantau hubs
Access certified coworking spaces and nomad-ready accommodation in hubs across the country.
A low-cost base
Strong infrastructure and a low cost of living, with the rest of Southeast Asia a short flight away.
Who qualifies for the DE Rantau Nomad Pass
- Remote work based outside MalaysiaA remote job or freelance clients based outside the country.
- Steady foreign incomeUSD 24,000 a year for tech roles, USD 60,000 for everyone else.
- At least 18 years old
- Passport valid for 14 monthsWith at least six empty pages.
- Health insurance covering MalaysiaValid for the full length of your stay.
- Open to most nationalities
- Israeli citizens are not eligible
DE Rantau income requirements (2026)
Your income must come from non-Malaysian sources, and the digital nomad visa sets a minimum that depends on your field. Tech and digital professionals need at least USD 24,000 a year. Other remote professionals face a higher bar of USD 60,000 a year.
The digital category covers roles like software development, UX and UI design, cybersecurity, data, AI, and digital content and marketing. You evidence the income with employment or client contracts, payslips, invoices, or bank statements that show it is steady. There is no partial credit, you either meet the threshold for your category or you do not.
Documents required for the DE Rantau Nomad Pass
- A copy of your passport, all pages, valid for 14 months with six empty pages.
- A recent passport photo.
- Proof of remote work: an employment contract stating remote work, or client and project contracts for freelancers.
- Proof of income: payslips, invoices, or bank statements meeting the threshold for your category.
- Proof of health insurance covering Malaysia, which can follow after approval, before the pass is issued.
- The personal bond form from the MDEC portal.
- A clean criminal record or police clearance.
Documents not in English need a certified translation. We confirm exactly what your category and nationality require and prepare the set with you.
How to apply for the Malaysia digital nomad visa
The whole DE Rantau application runs online through MDEC, and the order of a few steps matters.
Confirm eligibility
We check your field, your income against the threshold, and that your work is for non-Malaysian clients before you start.
Apply and pay on the MDEC portal
We register you on the DE Rantau portal, complete the form, and upload the documents. The fee is about RM1,080 for you and RM500 per dependent, and has been non-refundable since May 2025.
Approval
MDEC reviews the application. The approval letter is valid for six months, with no extensions, so the next step should not be left late.
Enter Malaysia and collect the pass
You enter the country and the pass is issued. You cannot convert a tourist visa in-country, so if you are already here you exit and re-enter after approval.
Remote work and Malaysia as a base?
Tell us about your remote work and income, and we’ll confirm you qualify for the nomad pass, sort the documents, and run the MDEC application end to end.
DE Rantau FAQs
The questions remote workers ask most about the Malaysia digital nomad visa.
What is the DE Rantau Nomad Pass?
It is Malaysia’s digital nomad visa, run by MDEC. It lets remote workers and freelancers with foreign income live in Malaysia for 12 months, renewable for a second year, without working for a local employer.
How much income do I need?
At least USD 24,000 a year if you work in a tech or digital field, or USD 60,000 a year for other remote professions. The income must come from non-Malaysian clients or employers, shown with contracts, payslips, or bank statements.
How long is the pass valid?
Twelve months, renewable for another twelve, up to two years in total. The renewal is not automatic, MDEC reassesses your income and insurance, so it is worth starting it two to three months before the pass expires.
Can I work for a Malaysian company?
No. The nomad pass is strictly for foreign-sourced income, so you cannot be employed by a Malaysian company or take on Malaysian clients on it. For local employment, the route is an Employment Pass.
Can I bring my family?
Yes. Your spouse and children can join you on the same pass, each with a small dependent fee. Their health insurance has to cover Malaysia as well.
Does the pass cover all of Malaysia?
The main DE Rantau pass covers Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak runs its own separate DE Rantau track for tech roles, and you cannot hold both at once, so check the coverage if you plan to base yourself in East Malaysia.
Will I pay tax in Malaysia?
Spending 182 days or more in a calendar year makes you a Malaysian tax resident, and a 12-month stay can cross that line. Malaysia taxes on a territorial basis, so foreign-sourced income is generally not taxed, but the treatment of income remitted into Malaysia is evolving. It is worth taking advice for your own case.
Can I convert my tourist visa to the nomad pass?
No. You cannot switch from a tourist entry to the nomad pass from inside Malaysia. If you are already in the country, you apply, then exit and re-enter once it is approved.
Talk to our Malaysia team
A free, no-obligation call: thirty minutes with our Malaysia team to check your income tier, walk through the MDEC documents, and lay out the timeline so you can settle in without the guesswork.
Kampung Datuk Keramat
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia