Malaysia’s immigration policies are liberal and welcoming to expatriates. Besides general work permits for expatriates1, several specialised visa types cater for all types of stays in Malaysia – including, inter alia, short business trips, urgent work deployments, remote working in the digital industry, long-term residency permits and retirement options.
Visa applications can usually be submitted online and are processed within one to two weeks. In-person appointments or submissions of original passports to a consulate or visa centre are normally not required. Even the final endorsement of the visa is done via electronic passes which can be downloaded and printed.
However, as is often the case, the devil is in the details. Applications for long-term visas generally require the prior registration of the employer with the Immigration Department and the requirement of additional approvals in certain sectors may delay the application process. For some positions, local employees would
