Mainland China Buyers
MM2H Tiers for Mainland Applicants
A plain breakdown of MM2H's Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers after the 2024 revision — deposit levels, property requirements, visa length — and an honest read on which tier fits most mainland applicants.
Quick summary
Quick answer
Best for
Risk level
Buyer action
| Best for | Mainland families weighing whether MM2H residency should be part of their Malaysian property decision, and which tier's numbers actually fit their situation. |
|---|---|
| Risk level | Medium |
| Buyer action | Tell Lewis which MM2H tier you're weighing and he can point you to projects that already clear that tier's property-value requirement in Iskandar Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur. |
Why MM2H changed in 2024, and why old numbers still float around
Malaysia's My Second Home programme was suspended for review and relaunched in 2024 with a materially stricter tiered structure, replacing the older, lower-threshold single scheme that had made Malaysia one of the more accessible long-stay visa options in the region. The revision was widely reported as a response to concerns that the previous version's low bar wasn't attracting the calibre of long-term resident the programme was designed for. Because agent marketing material and older blog posts frequently haven't been updated, a mainland applicant researching MM2H online will still run into pre-2024 figures — smaller deposits, lower property thresholds — that no longer apply. Confirming the current 2024-onward requirements directly, rather than trusting the first search result, is the first real step.
Silver: the entry tier, and what it actually commits you to
The Silver tier requires a fixed deposit of USD 150,000, locked for the first year, with a portion releasable afterward against approved categories such as the property purchase, education or medical expenses. Silver also requires property investment of RM600,000 and currently carries a visa validity around 5 years, renewable. This is the tier most accessible to a mainland buyer whose Malaysian property budget is already in the RM600,000-1,000,000 range, since the property requirement and a realistic purchase can effectively be the same transaction. The shorter visa term means more frequent renewal administration, which matters if your planning horizon is a child's full secondary education or a long-term retirement base rather than a shorter-term arrangement.
DISCUSS WITH LEWIS
The tier question usually resolves itself once I ask a client one thing: is the property purchase the point, or the visa? If it's the property and the visa is a bonus, Silver's RM600,000 property requirement pairs naturally with plenty of solid Iskandar and Klang Valley stock. If the 15-year runway matters more, Gold is the tier I actually see mainland families commit to — it's the one that gives you both a real property and a residency horizon long enough to plan a child's schooling around.
Gold: the tier most mainland families who commit actually choose
Gold steps up to a USD 500,000 fixed deposit and a RM1,000,000 property requirement, in exchange for a visa validity extended to around 15 years. In practice, this is the tier that best matches a mainland family planning around a child's schooling in Malaysia, since 15 years comfortably spans international or private education through to university, without the renewal frequency of Silver. The RM1,000,000 property threshold also happens to sit close to the foreigner minimum purchase price already required in several states, meaning the MM2H property requirement and the purchase you'd likely make anyway can often be satisfied by the same unit, provided it's structured and documented correctly.
Platinum: a real option, but the numbers are a genuine filter
Platinum requires a USD 1,000,000 fixed deposit — separate capital from the RM2,000,000 property requirement, not overlapping with it — in exchange for a visa validity around 20 years and, notably, work rights that the lower tiers do not carry, along with the ability to bring domestic help. This tier is genuinely useful for a mainland applicant with substantial liquid assets who wants both a long residency horizon and the option to work or run a business in Malaysia, but the combined USD 1 million-plus-RM2 million capital commitment puts it out of reach for most buyers whose primary goal is simply owning a Malaysian property, rather than a full relocation.
Medical insurance, the SEZ pathway, and the fine print that trips people up
Beyond the headline deposit and property numbers, MM2H approval requires applicants under 60 to maintain valid medical insurance coverage in Malaysia for themselves and dependents, plus a medical examination at a government-approved panel clinic after conditional approval. A newer, separate SEZ/SFZ pathway with a lower deposit requirement has also been introduced, tied to specific zones such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone rather than the general nationwide programme — this is a different track with its own conditions, not a fourth general tier, and applies only within its designated geography. None of these details are optional paperwork; missing the insurance requirement or misunderstanding which pathway an agent has actually enrolled you in is one of the more common reasons applications stall.
Buyer checklist
MM2H now runs three tiers: Silver (USD 150,000 fixed deposit, RM600,000 property, 5-year visa), Gold (USD 500,000 deposit, RM1 million property, 15-year visa) and Platinum (USD 1 million deposit, RM2 million property, 20-year visa, work rights). For most mainland applicants weighing this against a property purchase, Silver or Gold is the realistic conversation — Platinum's USD 1 million locked deposit, separate from the property itself, is a high bar even for buyers comfortable with Malaysia's RM1-2 million project range.
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| 1 | Confirm which of Silver, Gold or Platinum you're actually being quoted — not a pre-2024 figure |
|---|---|
| 2 | Check whether the property you're considering already clears your target tier's property-value requirement |
| 3 | Confirm the fixed-deposit and property amounts are separate capital, not overlapping |
| 4 | Ask whether medical insurance and the medical exam requirement have been factored into your timeline |
| 5 | If a zone-specific SEZ/SFZ pathway is mentioned, confirm it's genuinely relevant to the property location you're buying |
| 6 | Verify every figure directly at mm2h.gov.my or with the Immigration Department before applying |
Common questions
What are the three MM2H tiers after the 2024 revision?
Silver (USD 150,000 deposit, RM600,000 property, around 5-year visa), Gold (USD 500,000 deposit, RM1,000,000 property, around 15-year visa) and Platinum (USD 1,000,000 deposit, RM2,000,000 property, around 20-year visa with work rights).
Can my property purchase count toward the MM2H property requirement?
It can, if it meets your tier's minimum value and is structured and documented correctly for the application — the deposit and property requirements are separate capital, so the property itself doesn't reduce the fixed-deposit amount.
Which tier do most mainland families actually choose?
Gold tends to be the most common realistic choice for families planning around a child's education, since its roughly 15-year visa spans a full schooling timeline without Silver's more frequent renewals.
Is old MM2H marketing material still accurate?
Often not. The 2024 revision raised deposit and property thresholds materially, and many agent sites and older articles still show pre-2024 figures — confirm current requirements at mm2h.gov.my.
Does MM2H allow me to work in Malaysia?
Only the Platinum tier carries general work rights; Silver and Gold do not, so if working or running a business in Malaysia matters to you, that needs to factor into the tier decision.
Lewis Chong
REN 69566 · IQI GlobalProperty advisor helping KL, JB, and Penang buyers make data-backed property decisions.
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Lewis Conclusion
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Decision check
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Confirm which of Silver, Gold or Platinum you're actually being quoted — not a pre-2024 figure
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Check whether the property you're considering already clears your target tier's property-value requirement
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Confirm the fixed-deposit and property amounts are separate capital, not overlapping
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Ask whether medical insurance and the medical exam requirement have been factored into your timeline