Employment Visa Malaysia: Which Pass Does Your Foreign Hire Need?

MDEC's Expats Service Centre serves companies with Malaysia Digital (MD) status, or MSC Malaysia status, that are in operation and comply with the conditions of that status. It also serves ICT companies without MD status that are fully operational and use ICT as their core business, subject to a minimum paid-up capital, a physical office and an assessment by MDEC. Companies in non-qualifying activities, such as trading, staffing and staff augmentation, do not qualify.

MDEC states that the spouse and children under 18 are eligible for a Dependant Pass, and unmarried children over 18, parents and parents-in-law are eligible for a Long-Term Social Visit Pass. MDEC's charge is RM540 per applicant for each. Immigration's revised policy FAQ adds that Category III Employment Pass applications submitted from 1 June 2026 are subject to the revised policy for dependants, while passes issued under the earlier policy stay under the old rule, which does not permit dependants.

For a new Employment Pass, MDEC states that the applicant must be outside Malaysia when the Approval Letter is issued. The applicant may enter Malaysia only after obtaining the Reference Visa or eVisa, if one is required for the applicant's nationality. Someone who needs a visa must obtain a Visa with Reference while abroad.

MDEC's published charge is RM2,160 per applicant for an MD company and RM3,024 per applicant for a non-MD company, for new and renewal applications. A Dependant Pass or Social Visit Pass is RM540 per applicant, and an amendment of an approval letter is RM108. Immigration's own fees are on a separate Immigration schedule that MDEC links to, and this page does not quote them. Confirm the current amounts with MDEC before budgeting.

MDEC states that the holder may not take other paid employment in Malaysia without Immigration's consent, and that the pass covers employment with the hiring company. A move to a new employer is therefore a fresh application by that employer. Immigration's revised policy says the employment period starts from the date of employment with the new company.

MDEC states that companies are discouraged from nominating a third-party agent as the company's authorised person. The authorised person is named in the Authorised Person Letter on company letterhead and signs up through the company's own account. A consultant can still help prepare documents, check them against MDEC's checklist and advise on the route, while the company's own authorised person submits. Xpats Gateway separately says a Private Employment Agency may submit section 60K applications as an authorised representative, although its own wording on who counts as one is unclear.

The Employment Pass is the work authorisation. A Visa with Reference or eVisa is an entry visa that applicants of certain nationalities must obtain abroad before entering Malaysia.

No. A social visit pass is not a work pass. MDEC's process ends with the endorsed Employment Pass, after which the applicant may start work.

The sources reviewed do not describe a conversion route. A DE Rantau holder is employed outside Malaysia, so a new Malaysian employment would be a fresh Employment Pass application. Ask MDEC before advising the person.

MTEP is for tech founders and co-founders. Its FAQ says team Employment Passes become available after the company is set up in Malaysia, with guidance depending on Malaysia Digital status.

MDEC states Dependant Pass for children under 18 and disabled children of any age. Unmarried children over 18 are eligible for a Long-Term Social Visit Pass, and MDEC's fee note lists children aged 18 to 25 under that pass.

It is an Immigration Department pass for professionals visiting for specified purposes. This page does not cover its conditions. See Immigration's Professional Visitor Pass page.

MDEC's charges are RM2,160 or RM3,024 for an Employment Pass depending on route, and RM540 for a Dependant or Social Visit Pass, before Immigration's own fees. Choose the pass by the arrangement, not the price.