Malaysia (DNV)
DE Rantau Nomad Pass
Launched 2022.
- Income req
- $2K/mo
- Initial validity
- 1 yr
- Renewable
- Yes
- Application fee
- $250
- Permit fee
- $280
- Processing
- 4-8 wks
- Path to PR
- No
- Path to citizenship
- No
Income requirements
- Monthly minimum (USD): $2K
- Monthly minimum (native): 24,000 USD
USD 24K+/yr income (IT) or USD 60K (other sectors initially; eased 2024)
USD 24,000/yr (initially USD 36K, eased to USD 24K in 2024). Open primarily to IT/digital professionals.
Tax treatment
- Becomes tax resident: After 182 days; Malaysia territorial tax exempts most foreign income for individuals
- Special regime: Foreign-sourced income exemption for individuals through 2026 (under Finance Act 2021/2022); review pending
- Foreign income: Foreign-source income remitted to Malaysia exempt from PIT (individuals) through 2026. Malaysian-source income at progressive 0-30%.
Malaysia's individual foreign-income exemption is set to expire end-2026 under Pillar 2 discussions. Currently effective zero-tax on foreign income.
Remote work requirements
- Must work for foreign employer: Yes
- Local clients allowed: Yes
- Local employment allowed: No
- Self-employed accepted: Yes
- Salaried vs freelance: both
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Dependent adult children: No
- Parents dependent: No
Family inclusion fee MYR 500/person.
Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residency
- Available: No
DE Rantau Nomad Pass does NOT count toward PR. MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home, USD 150K deposit) is the de-facto long-term route — see /research/rbi/MY.json.
Citizenship
- Available: No
Malaysian citizenship requires 10+ years PR + renunciation of US.
Eligibility requirements
- Non-Malaysian
- USD 24K+/yr income (IT sector)
- Remote employment for foreign company
- Clean criminal record
- Health insurance
Disqualifiers
- Malaysian employer
Recent changes
- 2022-10
DE Rantau Nomad Pass launched.
- 2024
Income threshold reduced from USD 36K to USD 24K; expanded eligibility.
- 2025-2026
Individual foreign-income exemption sunset scheduled end-2026 — monitor Budget 2026.
Notes
Malaysia DE Rantau = USD 24K floor + foreign-income tax-exempt (through 2026) + Kuala Lumpur infrastructure + English+Malay. Better long-term option: MM2H (RBI). DE Rantau is good 2-year base for tech-sector nomads.
EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.