Malaysia: New Digital Nomad Program Forthcoming

• Minimum annual earnings. Foreign nationals and their dependents, including digital freelancers, independent contractors and remote workers earning a sufficient minimum income according to government regulations will be able to apply for the new Nomad Pass.
• Proof of work. Digital freelancers and independent contractors will be required to show proof of an active project contract or contracts with an accumulated duration of over three months with either a local or foreign company. Remote workers, on the other hand, will be required to show proof of an active project contract/employment with a duration of over three months with a foreign company.
• Validity. Nomad Pass holders and their dependents will be allowed to stay for three to 12 months in Malaysia and will be able to renew their Nomad Pass for up to 12 months at a time. Furthermore, Nomad Pass holders will benefit from multiple entry rights for the duration of the Pass.
• Fees. Principal applicants will be required to pay a fee of MYR 1,000 and an additional MYR 500 for every dependent included in the application.

• Longer duration. Eligible foreign nationals will benefit from multiple entries and a longer duration of stay, compared to the tourist visa which is usually single-entry with a maximum duration of stay of three months.
• Multiple contracts. Furthermore, digital freelancers and independent contractors with Nomad Passes will benefit from being able to work with multiple local and foreign companies, compared to a regular short-term Professional Visit Pass, which only allows foreign nationals to work exclusively for a Malaysian company.  

The Malaysian government introduced the new Nomad Pass program to attract foreign nationals who can work from anywhere. This is in line with other countries in the region such as Sri Lanka and Thailand, where the government recently introduced new visa options for ‘work from anywhere professionals’ and tourists.

It is likely that the Malaysian government will introduce further immigration schemes that will be beneficial to foreign nationals, such as longer visa durations or special work visas, to attract more foreign nationals to come to Malaysia for both work and tourism.