Mainland China Buyers
State Minimum Prices for Foreigners
Why Malaysia has no single foreigner price floor, what Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang each commonly require, and why you must confirm the figure with the state before you commit.
Quick summary
Quick answer
Best for
Risk level
Buyer action
| Best for | Buyers comparing Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang who need to understand why the same budget behaves differently in each state. |
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| Risk level | Medium |
| Buyer action | Tell Lewis which state and budget you're considering and he'll confirm the current foreigner threshold for the specific unit before you spend time on it. |
Why Malaysia has no single national threshold
Land matters in Malaysia sit constitutionally with the states, not the federal government, and the power to set a minimum price for non-citizen purchasers is one of the levers each State Authority controls through its own Executive Council (EXCO). This means there is no single Act of Parliament you can look up for 'the' foreigner minimum price — 13 states and three federal territories each publish their own figure, and several distinguish further by property type (landed versus high-rise), by sub-district, or by whether the project sits within a designated zone such as Medini or a special economic corridor. A figure that is accurate for a condo in Kuala Lumpur tells you nothing reliable about a landed home an hour away in Selangor.
What Kuala Lumpur and Johor commonly require
Kuala Lumpur, as a Federal Territory, is commonly cited at a RM1,000,000 minimum for foreign purchasers across property types, and this figure has held broadly stable in recent guidance from conveyancing lawyers. Johor is commonly cited at the same RM1,000,000 floor state-wide, which matters for mainland buyers because Johor — particularly Iskandar Malaysia, Danga Bay and the Medini precinct — is the state most heavily marketed to Chinese buyers given its proximity to Singapore. Johor has also adjusted its foreign-purchaser approval fee structure in recent years, so the total cost of clearing state consent in Johor is worth confirming alongside the price floor itself, not just the headline minimum.
DISCUSS WITH LEWIS
I've watched buyers fall in love with a unit priced just under what they assumed was the threshold, only to find their specific state or district sets it higher. My rule with mainland clients is simple: I get the state consent requirement confirmed in writing for the exact unit before we talk numbers seriously, because the difference between RM980,000 and a RM1 million floor is the difference between a deal and a dead end.
Why Selangor and Penang are more complicated
Selangor is commonly reported as setting a higher minimum for landed property than for stratified units such as condominiums and apartments — meaning the same budget can buy a high-rise unit in Selangor but fall short of the landed-home threshold in the same district. Penang is the most distinctive case: the state has long applied a materially higher minimum on Penang Island than on the mainland side (Seberang Perai), reflecting the island's land scarcity and price levels. This split has been a consistent feature of Penang's foreign-ownership policy for years, but the exact figures on each side are adjusted periodically, so a project marketed as 'foreigner-eligible' on the mainland at a given price may not clear the island's threshold at the same price.
Where the number actually gets confirmed
The number that legally matters is not a figure from a blog, a developer's brochure, or even this article — it is the amount stated in the State Authority's consent approval process for your specific transaction, applied to your specific unit at its specific transacted price. Developers selling to foreigners typically know their state's current threshold and will only market eligible units to foreign buyers, but resale and secondary-market purchases carry more risk of a mismatch, since an individual seller or their agent may be working from outdated information. A Malaysian conveyancing lawyer engaged before you sign anything binding will confirm the live threshold directly with the relevant state land office as part of the standard due-diligence process.
What changes the threshold without warning
State minimum prices move for reasons that have nothing to do with your specific purchase — a change in state government policy, a periodic review tied to local property price trends, or a new special-zone designation that carries its own rules can all shift the figure with little public notice, since these are EXCO decisions rather than gazetted national law changes announced on a fixed cycle. This is precisely why every guide, including this one, should be read as a starting orientation rather than a number to build a budget around months in advance. If you are planning a purchase for later in the year, build in a buffer and re-confirm the threshold close to when you intend to sign, rather than relying on a figure you read even a few months earlier.
Buyer checklist
There is no one national minimum — each state sets its own foreigner price floor and can differ by property type or sub-district within the same state. Kuala Lumpur and Johor are commonly cited around RM1 million; Selangor is commonly cited higher for landed homes than for high-rise units; Penang famously splits the island from the mainland. All of it moves, so the number that matters is the one on your specific unit's consent letter, not a blog post.
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| 1 | Identify the exact state and district of your target unit, not just the general region |
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| 2 | Ask the developer or seller's agent for the current state consent threshold in writing |
| 3 | If comparing landed versus high-rise in the same state, confirm each has its own figure |
| 4 | For Penang, confirm which side — island or mainland — the unit sits on before comparing price |
| 5 | Have a Malaysian lawyer verify the live threshold with the state land office before signing anything |
| 6 | Re-confirm the threshold close to signing date if your purchase timeline stretches over several months |
Common questions
Is there one minimum price that applies across all of Malaysia?
No. Each state sets its own minimum through its Executive Council, and several states set different figures for landed versus high-rise property or by sub-district.
Roughly what should I expect in Kuala Lumpur and Johor?
Both are commonly cited around RM1,000,000, but this should be confirmed for your specific unit and district — figures move and this article is not a substitute for state confirmation.
Why is Penang split into two different minimums?
Penang applies a materially higher minimum on Penang Island than on the mainland side (Seberang Perai), reflecting the island's land scarcity — confirm which side your unit is on before comparing price against another state.
Who actually confirms the correct threshold before I sign?
Your Malaysian conveyancing lawyer, as part of standard due diligence, verifies the live threshold with the relevant state land office for your specific unit and transacted price.
Can the threshold change after I've started looking at a project?
Yes — thresholds are set by state EXCO decisions rather than a fixed national schedule, so they can shift with limited public notice. Re-confirm close to signing if your timeline is long.
Lewis Chong
REN 69566 · IQI GlobalProperty advisor helping KL, JB, and Penang buyers make data-backed property decisions.
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Identify the exact state and district of your target unit, not just the general region
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Ask the developer or seller's agent for the current state consent threshold in writing
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If comparing landed versus high-rise in the same state, confirm each has its own figure
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For Penang, confirm which side — island or mainland — the unit sits on before comparing price