Professional Visit Pass (PVP) in Malaysia
A short-term pass for foreign professionals on a temporary assignment in Malaysia, up to 12 months, while staying employed by their overseas company. Emerhub can sponsor the pass and handle the application.
What is the Professional Visit Pass?
The Professional Visit Pass, the PVP, lets a foreign professional come to Malaysia for a temporary assignment, up to 12 months, to provide a service or undergo training with a Malaysian company on behalf of an overseas employer. It is for defined, short-term work, an expert installing equipment, a consultant on a project, a trainer running a program, without the full Employment Pass that local hiring needs.
It is processed through the Expatriate Services Division, the ESD, and a Malaysian company has to sponsor it and apply before you enter the country. The pass is tied to that one sponsor and that one assignment.
Benefits of the PVP
A legal way to do defined professional work in Malaysia, without an Employment Pass.
Up to 12 months
Stay for the length of the assignment, far longer than the 30 days a social or business visit allows.
Multiple entry
Enter and leave Malaysia freely while the pass is valid, with no separate re-entry permit.
Do the professional work
Carry out the services, training, research, or performance set out in your approval, legally.
No salary threshold
Unlike the Employment Pass, the PVP sets no minimum salary, since you are not on a Malaysian payroll.
Who can apply for a PVP
- Consultants, technical experts, and trainers
- Knowledge transfer, research, or training at ESD-registered companies
- Performing and stage artists: singers, musicians, dancers, actors
- Film production and screen-arts specialists
- Religious workers and missionaries
- Government officials on official duties
- Jockeys
- Volunteers
- International students on mobility or industrial-training programs
- Exhibitors under the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau
Rules and limits of the PVP
The PVP is narrow by design. It is tied to the one sponsor and the one assignment named in the approval, so you cannot work for another company or take on unrelated work alongside it. It does not allow dependent passes, so family members cannot join you on it.
It is also not a step into a permanent role. The pass cannot be converted to an Employment Pass while you are in Malaysia: that needs a fresh Employment Pass application, and you would have to leave the country first, with a possible cooling-off period. For anything ongoing or beyond twelve months, the Employment Pass is the right route from the start.
PVP vs the Employment Pass
The choice between the two comes down to who employs you and for how long.
| Professional Visit Pass | Employment Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays you | Your overseas employer | Your Malaysian employer |
| Duration | Up to 12 months | 1 to 5 years, renewable |
| Salary minimum | None | RM5,000 to RM20,000 by category |
| Dependents | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Best for | A defined, temporary assignment | An ongoing local role |
If the work is a short, fixed project for an overseas employer, the PVP fits. If it is a job with a Malaysian company, the Employment Pass is the route.
Documents required for the Professional Visit Pass
The ESD simplified the document list in 2024. For most PVP applications you need:
- An application letter from your sponsor, an ESD-registered company, setting out the purpose and length of the visit.
- A copy of your passport, all pages, with at least six empty pages.
- Passport-sized photographs.
- A security bond, for Chinese and Bangladeshi nationals, or a personal bond, for other nationalities.
- A Letter of Award or contract, where applicable.
- A Memorandum of Understanding, where applicable.
- Any other supporting documents the assignment calls for.
We confirm which of the conditional documents apply to your assignment and prepare the full set with the sponsor.
How to apply for the Professional Visit Pass
The sponsor applies for the PVP before you travel, so the order of steps matters.
Register the sponsor with the ESD
The Malaysian sponsoring company registers on the ESD portal. If you do not have one, we act as the registered sponsor.
Submit before you travel
We file the application and documents through the ESD while you are still abroad, since the pass must be sponsored before entry.
Approval
The ESD and Immigration review the application. We respond to any queries to keep it moving.
Enter and have the pass endorsed
You travel to Malaysia and the pass is endorsed for the assignment, valid up to twelve months.
Bringing in a foreign professional?
Tell us about the assignment and we'll confirm whether the PVP fits, sponsor it if you need a Malaysian entity, and handle the ESD application.
PVP FAQs
The questions companies and professionals ask most about the Professional Visit Pass.
What is the Professional Visit Pass?
It is a short-term pass for a foreign professional on a temporary assignment in Malaysia, up to 12 months, providing a service or training with a Malaysian company on behalf of an overseas employer. It is sponsored by a Malaysian company and applied for before you enter.
Can I be paid in Malaysia on a PVP?
No. You stay employed and paid by your overseas company. If a Malaysian company is paying you, you need an Employment Pass instead. Who pays you is the test that decides between the two.
How long is the PVP valid?
Up to 12 months, set to the length of the assignment. It is meant for defined, temporary work, so for an ongoing role or anything longer than a year, the Employment Pass is the right route from the start.
Can I bring my family?
No. The PVP does not allow dependent passes, so family members cannot join you on it. If you need to bring family, a longer-term pass such as the Employment Pass is the route.
Can I work for more than one company?
No. The pass is tied to the one sponsor and the one assignment named in the approval. You cannot take on work for another company while you hold it.
Can I switch to an Employment Pass later?
Not from inside Malaysia. Moving to an Employment Pass means a fresh application, and you would normally have to leave the country first, with a possible cooling-off period. If a permanent role is likely, it is cleaner to apply for the Employment Pass at the outset.
Who can sponsor my PVP?
A Malaysian company registered with the ESD. If your overseas business does not have a Malaysian entity, Emerhub can act as the registered sponsor and apply on your behalf, so the assignment is not held up.
Talk to our Malaysia team
A free, no-obligation call: thirty minutes with our Malaysia team to confirm whether the PVP fits the assignment, walk through the ESD application, and discuss sponsoring it if you don't have a local entity.
Kampung Datuk Keramat
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia