Visiting
The US State Department says US citizens do not need a visa for business or tourism of 90 days or less. The border officer stamps a social visit pass, and extensions are possible but not guaranteed. All travellers must complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card online. We found no official statement that remote work is allowed on a visit.
- The United States is not on Malaysia's list of countries that must apply for a visa, but it is also not on the list of countries that need no visa for any purpose of entry. Confirm with Malaysian immigration before a work trip.
- Malaysian immigration lists a card submitted three days before arrival among its e-gate conditions.
- MDEC, the agency that runs the nomad pass, says a tourist pass cannot be converted to it.
Sources: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), US Department of State, Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia). Checked 15 October 2026.
Staying a year or longer
The DE Rantau Nomad Pass is a Professional Visit Pass for 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, so 24 months at most. For tech and digital roles, plan for income of more than US$25,000 a year. Other listed roles, including founders, consultants, finance, sales and legal work, need more than US$61,000 a year. Remote employees must work for a company not registered in Malaysia, and contracts must have started at least three months before you apply.
- The pass covers Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan only, not Sabah or Sarawak. Sarawak runs its own version of MM2H, called S-MM2H.
- MM2H, for longer stays, asks for a fixed deposit in a Malaysian bank: Silver, more than US$160,000; Gold, more than US$510,000; Platinum, more than US$1.1 million. It also asks for at least 90 days a year in Malaysia and the purchase of a home. Silver and Gold do not allow career work.
- An Employment Pass needs an employer in Malaysia and a basic salary of more than RM 5,100 a month from 1 June 2026. After three years on it, the Residence Pass-Talent has a higher salary test, more than RM 16,000.
Sources: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Ministry of Tourism, InvestSarawak (Sarawak state investment agency), Immigration Department of Malaysia, Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp). Checked 15 October 2026.
Documents, fees and timing
Employees need a signed contract showing remote work, job title, salary and the foreign employer's details, plus three months of payslips and bank statements with matching deposits. Freelancers need signed client contracts, three months of invoices, proof of payment and three months of statements. Everything must be in English or a certified translation, as PDFs. MDEC says applications take six to eight weeks.
- An employer letter is strongly recommended. Your passport needs more than 14 months of validity.
- Fees are RM 1,080 per applicant and RM 540 per dependant, non-refundable, plus an immigration fee of RM 360 a year.
- If MDEC acts as your sponsor, US citizens pay a refundable bond of RM 2,000.
More detail
The approval letter lasts six months. After you enter Malaysia with a passport stamp, not the e-gate, you must complete endorsement within one month and stay until the pass is issued. The e-pass arrives about a week after endorsement.
To collect the pass you also need health insurance covering Malaysia and a tax registration slip from the tax authority (LHDN). Since 1 August 2026, rejections cannot be appealed.
Sources: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Checked 15 October 2026.
Tax
US citizens abroad file on worldwide income. Malaysia taxes employment exercised there even when you are paid from abroad, and you are resident there after 182 days. Malaysia has only a limited agreement with the United States, not a comprehensive income tax treaty, so no treaty tie-breaker applies. There is no social security agreement either.
- LHDN says 60 days or less in a year can be exempt. MDEC says remote workers become taxable from 61 days.
- The 2026 foreign earned income exclusion limit is $132,900, and you cannot take a foreign tax credit on income you exclude. The physical presence test needs 330 full days abroad within 12 months.
- Foreign accounts above $10,000 in total at any time need an FBAR. Any Malaysian account counts toward that threshold.
- US self-employment tax applies to net self-employment profit even when that income is excluded from income tax.
More detail
Malaysian residents pay rates from 0% to 30%. The latest published table covers 2023 to 2025, with 25% on chargeable income from RM 100,001 to RM 400,000. Non-residents pay a flat 30% on Malaysian income with no reliefs.
A foreign income exemption for Malaysian residents applies under conditions to the end of 2026. We found no official source confirming it beyond 2026, so that is unknown.
Malaysia is not on the Social Security Administration's list of agreements in force. We found no official source on how your US state treats you after you move, so that is unknown here.
Sources: Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN / HASiL), Internal Revenue Service, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), US Social Security Administration, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Checked 15 October 2026.
Setting up
The nomad pass requires health insurance covering Malaysia for the whole pass. Medicare usually does not cover care outside the United States, and hospitals and clinics require foreigners to pay before care. We found no official source for private insurance prices, so that cost is unknown.
- Foreign individuals register for a tax number online through e-Daftar, with a copy of a valid passport.
- MDEC says most banks do not accept the pass for opening an account. Plan to rely on US accounts or cards at first.
- MDEC strongly advises against significant expenses, such as a tenancy deposit, before your pass is approved and endorsed.
Sources: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), US Department of State, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN / HASiL), Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Checked 15 October 2026.
Living in Kuala Lumpur
The US State Department says hospitals and doctors require payment up front before service or admission, and that medical staff in rural areas may speak limited or no English. It describes flooding as one of the most common natural disasters in Malaysia. Landslides are most likely in the northeast monsoon from November to March, and haze from forest-fire smoke typically occurs in the dry season from August to September. We found no official source for rents, transport or other living costs, so they are unknown here.
- If air quality matters to you, check air conditioning, filtration and the building's flood history.
- Check which hospital your insurer pays directly.
Sources: US Department of State. Checked 16 October 2026.
Other places we looked at
The research also looked at George Town and Johor Bahru, for contrast. UNESCO lists George Town with Melaka as World Heritage, for a multicultural townscape built over 500 years of trade between East and West. Penang is in Peninsular Malaysia, which the nomad pass covers. We found no official source for rents in either place, so they are unknown here.
- Johor Bahru: the MM2H SEZ/SFZ category is tied to buying a home in Forest City, Johor.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Ministry of Tourism. Checked 15 October 2026.
United States
Malaysia