Recently, when chatting with friends about the topic of 'immigration', I found that the most mentioned place is not Japan, nor the United States, but Malaysia.
It sounds unexpected, but upon closer thought, it actually makes a lot of sense.
In Malaysia, you can speak Chinese, the cost of living is about 70% of Taiwan, and the quality of private healthcare ranks high internationally. Plus, it only takes a little over four hours to fly there. Whether it's for retirement or looking for a place to settle down, the conditions are quite reasonable.
But!
'Wanting to go' and 'being able to go' are two different things.
This article整理了幾個 you should think about before making a decision.
Malaysia is not somewhere you can just move to if you want.
Many people hear 'immigration to Malaysia' and think they can get permanent residency or citizenship, but the reality is that Malaysia doesn’t allow ordinary foreigners to obtain identity directly.
What you see online mostly talks about 'long-term stay visas,' which is quite different from actual immigration.
Currently, the most mainstream approach is to apply for MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home), which grants a long-term visit visa, not residency rights.
Make sure you don’t get this point wrong.
How much money do you need to prepare to live long-term in Malaysia?
This is the question everyone wants to know.
MM2H will be revamped into three tiers in 2024.
For the lowest threshold Silver plan, you need to deposit 150,000 USD in a Malaysian bank, which is about 4.8 million NTD.
In addition to the fixed deposit, you also need to buy a house worth at least 600,000 MYR (approximately 4.3 million NTD) within a year after approval, along with government agency fees of 40,000 MYR and other miscellaneous expenses.
So for the most basic plan, you need to prepare close to 10 million NTD to get started.
But the upside is, both the fixed deposit and the house are still your assets.
Moreover, while the capital needed for fixed deposits plus property purchase is quite high, after a year of fixed deposits, you can apply to withdraw up to 50% for approved uses such as buying property, medical expenses, education, and domestic travel.
In other words, the fixed deposit is not completely frozen; the actual usable capital threshold will be more flexible than the numbers on paper.
If you think this threshold is too high, the new SEZ special zone program launching in 2025 has a much lower threshold, with fixed deposits only needing 65,000 USD (about 2.1 million NTD), but the limitation is that you can only live in Johor's Forest City, and you must buy a new property there.
What other options are there besides MM2H?
Not everyone is fit for MM2H, after all, not all MM2H holders have the right to work in Malaysia.
If you're a remote worker, the DE Rantau digital nomad visa might suit you better.
The threshold is an annual income of over 24,000 USD, and the visa is granted for one year, with the option to extend for another year.
The benefits are quick application and low costs, but the downside is the short duration, which doesn’t count as true long-term residency.
Sarawak (East Malaysia) has its own S-MM2H program, with a fixed deposit threshold of around 150,000 to 300,000 MYR, which is much more affordable than West Malaysia's MM2H, and there’s no requirement to buy property.
But you can only live in Sarawak; you can’t just hang around in Kuala Lumpur or Penang for the long term.
If you’re not satisfied with the above options and can increase your budget, you might consider the PVIP Prestige Visa, which starts with a fixed deposit of 1 million MYR. The benefit is that you can work and do business in Malaysia, which MM2H doesn’t allow.
How's the quality of life in Malaysia?
Getting the visa is just the first step; the real consideration is the quality of life after you move there.
What really excites people is the food cost; a meal at a street stall costs less than 50 NTD.
Plus, there are plenty of international school options, and tuition fees are about half to a third of those in Singapore.
The standard of private hospitals is also very good, no waiting in line forever to see a doctor.
But don’t just highlight the advantages; Malaysia's weather is hotter than Taiwan, and it basically doesn’t feel like winter.
Moreover, outside Kuala Lumpur, public infrastructure is lacking, and you almost definitely need a car.
Additionally, you must pay attention to work issues.
The Silver and Gold tiers of MM2H cannot work locally, so your income source must come from outside Malaysia. (But there are ways to avoid this, which I won’t disclose.)
Taxes are also an issue that many people overlook.
If you stay in Malaysia for more than 182 days a year, you may be considered a local tax resident, and the tax situation between Taiwan and Malaysia can get quite complicated; it's recommended to consult a professional accountant.
So who is suitable for moving to Malaysia?
To put it bluntly, living overseas in Malaysia is not suitable for all Taiwanese people.
If you're looking to allocate overseas assets, want a place with a low cost of living where you can speak Chinese, or want your kids to go to international schools, then this could be a consideration.
I recommend flying over to live for a week or two to get a real feel for it.
After all, no matter how much I tell you, it can’t compare to you experiencing it yourself.
For a more comprehensive comparison of the program conditions and application process, you can refer to this article: https://www.rayskyinvest.com/137921/malaysia-migrant-mm2h
This article is for information sharing only and does not constitute any investment advice. Cryptocurrency investment is risky, so please assess it yourself.