Skip to content
Lewis Chong logo

MM2H Benefits & Requirements

MM2H's Dropped Offshore Income Rule: What Changed in 2024

A specifics-first look at the dropped offshore income requirement, for buyers comparing MM2H against other long-stay options.

Quick summary

Quick answer

Best for

Prospective MM2H applicants and their families trying to understand the program's real requirements and trade-offs before committing capital.

Risk level

Low

Buyer action

MM2H's property purchase requirement means qualifying is also a real estate decision — ask Lewis which current Penang projects clear your tier's minimum value and make sense as a long-term hold.

The Dropped Offshore Income Requirement: The Numbers That Actually Matter

Under the current MM2H rules, the offshore/monthly income proof requirement that used to apply has been completely dropped for all tiers — qualification now rests entirely on the fixed deposit and property purchase, not a separate income test. These are the hard numbers that decide whether this applies to a given applicant — everything else in the MM2H program is built on this baseline.

How Different the Old Rules Were

The 2021 framework demanded a RM 1,000,000 deposit, RM 40,000/month offshore income, RM 1,500,000 in liquid assets and a minimum age of 35 — a bar strict enough that applications fell 85% before MOTAC scrapped the income and asset tests on 1 June 2024.

How Different the Old Rules Were

Tier

MM2H Silver

Fixed Deposit

USD 150,000

Property Floor

RM 600,000+
Show all details

Participation Fee

RM 1,000

Visa Duration

5 years

Work Rights

Not permitted

Tier

MM2H Gold

Fixed Deposit

USD 500,000

Property Floor

RM 1,000,000+
Show all details

Participation Fee

RM 3,000

Visa Duration

15 years

Work Rights

Not permitted

Tier

MM2H Platinum

Fixed Deposit

USD 1,000,000

Property Floor

RM 2,000,000+
Show all details

Participation Fee

RM 200,000

Visa Duration

20 years

Work Rights

Permitted

What I'd Verify Before Committing

Confirm this abolition still stands with MOTAC or a licensed agent before applying — it took effect 1 June 2024, and a rule that dropped an income test once (from RM 40,000/month) could in principle be revised again.

Buyer checklist

MM2H's tier structure trades a bigger deposit and property commitment for a longer visa — know the exact numbers before assuming any tier is 'the affordable one'.

1

Confirm current fixed deposit amount for your target tier

2

Confirm current mandatory property minimum

3

Check renewal fees and cycle length

4

Check whether the tier permits employment/business

5

Verify figures directly with MOTAC or a licensed agent

Common questions

Is the dropped offshore income requirement negotiable or fixed?

These are fixed program requirements set by MOTAC, not negotiable per applicant — though the program's overall rules have changed over time, so always check the current version.

Does a higher tier get processed faster?

Tier level affects the deposit, property and privileges, not processing speed by default — ask your agent about current processing timelines for your specific tier.

Lewis Chong REN 69566

Lewis Chong

REN 69566 · IQI Global

Property advisor helping KL, JB, and Penang buyers make data-backed property decisions.

Related reading

Use one buyer framework across different news.

Prefer Lewis to contact you?

Tell Lewis your budget and area — get a hand-picked 3-project shortlist with price, rental and risk notes on WhatsApp.

Usually replies within a few hours, 9am–9pm MYT (same as SGT).

Prefer to chat directly? WhatsApp Lewis

Decision check

Want Lewis to apply this to your shortlist?

Send your budget, preferred area, purpose and timeline. Lewis can turn the news into a practical project comparison.

Send

Confirm current fixed deposit amount for your target tier

Send

Confirm current mandatory property minimum

Send

Check renewal fees and cycle length

Send

Check whether the tier permits employment/business

WhatsApp Lewis