Relocating to Malaysia
Understand the country before you commit to the move.
44% verifiedMalaysia had about 34.2 million people in 2025 and 34.4 million in 2026; Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the most densely populated area.
Ask about moving to Malaysia
Answered only from Atlas's verified Malaysia guides — if it's not covered yet, we'll say so rather than guess.
Life in Malaysia
What will life actually be like?
Where should I live?
Living: Major Cities
What will daily life cost?
Living: Cost of Living
What is healthcare like?
Healthcare: Average Costs
What about schools?
Living: Education
How will I bank?
Banking: Best Banks
How will I get around?
Living: Transportation
Cities
Where should I live?
Malaysia had about 34.2 million people in 2025; the main hubs for foreign residents are Kuala Lumpur, Penang (George Town) and Johor Bahru, and DOSM publishes figures by state rather than by city.
Read the cities guide →Residency
Find your residency route
Your best route depends on how you plan to live, work and invest. These are the guides Atlas currently holds for Malaysia.
How do you plan to support yourself in Malaysia?
Residency: Citizenship
Under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution, a person aged 21 or over can apply for citizenship by naturalisation if they have lived in the Federation for a…
Residency: Digital Nomad Visa
The DE Rantau Nomad Pass lets qualified foreign digital nomads work remotely from Malaysia for up to 12 months, renewable for another 12 months, and is issue…
Residency: Permanent Residency
The Immigration Department of Malaysia's residence pass is a long-term pass category with its own criteria: a valid passport, a valid long-term pass and a Ma…
Residency: Processing Times
Malaysia does not publish a single processing time for visas and residence programmes; time depends on the category, the documents and the authority assessin…
Residency: Required Documents
The documentation required for Malaysian visas and residence permits depends on the immigration category, purpose of stay and the applicant's personal circum…
Residency: Retirement Visa
Malaysia's long-term residence programme for financially independent retirees and other foreigners is the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, run by th…
Residency: Visa Overview
Malaysia offers multiple visa and residence pathways for foreign nationals, including employment passes, professional visit passes, long-term social visit pa…
Residency: Work Visa
MDEC's Expats Service Centre handles employment passes for companies with Malaysia Digital (MD) status. It lists three Employment Pass categories: Category 1…
Property
A home is a relocation decision
Taxes
Understand the cost of your move
Banking
Banking
Healthcare
Healthcare
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Business
Business
Business: Accounting (e-Invoicing)
Verified guideBusiness: Annual Compliance
Verified guideBusiness: Company Formation
Verified guideBusiness: Hiring Employees
Verified guideBusiness: Limited Company (Sdn Bhd vs LLP)
Verified guideBusiness: Payroll
Verified guideBusiness: Social Security
Verified guideBusiness: Sole Proprietorship
Verified guideFrom the Journal
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