S-MM2H provides a multiple-entry Social Visit Pass. The guide describes an initial five years and an extension process for years six through ten; continuing beyond ten years requires a new application. It does not automatically lead to permanent residence.
Sarawak · a distinct residence route
Choose the place. You don't have to buy a home.
Sarawak's own MM2H program is for people who see the state itself as a second home. You do not have to buy property. You do need a substantial fixed deposit, evidence of financial means, and time in Sarawak every year.
THE ROUTE AT A GLANCE
Understand the route before you commit.
A programme name says little about the rights you and your family will actually be able to use.
Applicants age 30 and older need an RM 500,000 fixed deposit at an approved Sarawak bank, plus pension or offshore income of RM 10,000 a month individually or RM 15,000 with dependents. The guide also lists savings evidence of RM 100,000 or RM 200,000, respectively, subject to panel approval. Property purchase is optional.
Full-time employment is excluded. Professional part-time work in specified sectors, up to 20 hours a week, requires separate state approval; the S-MM2H pass alone does not authorize work.
After ten years, continuing S-MM2H requires a new application. The program does not automatically confer permanent residence or citizenship.
01 / STARTING POINTS
What could this route make possible for you?
A residence right is valuable when its effect fits your life, family or business purpose.
Choose the place first
Weigh Kuching and other locations against daily life, healthcare, and family connections before you commit.
Live there without a forced purchase
Compare renting and ownership as a life decision; the residence program does not require a property purchase.
Bring family with a plan
Check the documents each eligible family member needs and whether a child needs a Student Pass.
02 / LEGAL EFFECT
What the status grants. And what remains separate.
Residence, work, family and tax are not compressed into one promise.
LEGAL INSTRUMENT
Sarawak · a distinct residence route
S-MM2H provides a multiple-entry Social Visit Pass. The guide describes an initial five years and an extension process for years six through ten; continuing beyond ten years requires a new application. It does not automatically lead to permanent residence.
03 / BASIS AND CAPITALProperty purchase is optional. Limited professional part-time work requires separate approval.
What qualifies for this route.
RM 500,000
Fixed deposit with a Sarawak panel bank, alongside income or savings evidence.
30 days
Annual time in Sarawak for continued renewal consideration.
5 + 5 years
A renewal process follows the first five years; a fresh application is needed after ten.
04 / LIFE BEHIND THE PERMIT
Residence alone does not settle daily life.
Who may join you, what you may do locally and how tax is affected are three distinct questions.
Family and daily life
A spouse, parents, and eligible children may be included. Children continuing their studies in Sarawak must apply for a Student Pass; each family member's documentation is reviewed separately.
Work and business
Full-time employment is excluded. Professional part-time work in specified sectors, up to 20 hours a week, requires separate state approval; the S-MM2H pass alone does not authorize work.
Tax position
A residence permit does not determine tax residence on its own. Home, actual presence, activity and applicable treaties require separate review.
05 / MAINTENANCE AND OUTLOOK
Keeping the status is part of the decision.
A sound plan considers admission alongside presence, renewal and the longer outlook.
Presence
The principal must spend at least 30 days in Sarawak each year; the guide makes this a condition for consideration of extension and renewal.
Renewal and duties
Keep the deposit with an approved bank, document annual stays, and prepare updated medical, insurance, and financial records for extension.
Later status
After ten years, continuing S-MM2H requires a new application. The program does not automatically confer permanent residence or citizenship.
06 / PROCESS AND COSTS
The next step begins before applying.
Choose the location and family plan, prepare financial evidence and an approved bank, then apply through a sponsor or licensed S-MM2H agent. The guide lists a one-time, nonrefundable RM 5,000 processing fee.
Calculate the whole decision.
Where minimum amounts are stated, they are legal eligibility thresholds at the documented source date, not estimates of total cost. We review fees and other costs for the individual case before filing.
- Qualifying investment or economic basis
- Government fees and translations
- Legal and tax review
- Family, insurance and location
- Ongoing duties and renewal
- Potential exit or status change
07 / FIT AND LIMITS
When this route belongs on your shortlist.
A suitable permit serves a specific purpose. Where its rights or duties do not fit, comparison with another route begins.
The deciding question
Would you choose Sarawak as a place to live even without the visa benefit—and can you spend time there every year?
Where this route stops
This is not federal MM2H with its thresholds and permissions. A person seeking full-time work or merely a backup address needs a different plan.
08 / WHAT NBF EXAMINES
Choose Sarawak as a place, not just a status.
Get a practical decision map for actual presence, the deposit, family and renewal without assuming a property purchase.
Place and daily life
Test Sarawak against schooling, care and the life stage you are planning.
Means and evidence
Bring the deposit, additional income or savings evidence and fees together.
Staying power
Plan presence, any permitted activity and the five- and ten-year milestones.
09 / SOURCES AND REVIEW
The basis for the decision stays visible.
Programme brochures can explain routes. Responsible authorities and the current case determine their legal effect and conditions.
EDITORIAL VERSION · 3 OCTOBER 2026Sources and reviewView sources
The stated rules are grounded in the linked sources. Conditions, administrative practice and fit for your case are checked again before an individual recommendation.
The official guide dated July 31, 2025 was accessible on October 3, 2026. Family rules, fees, and part-time approval were checked against it; reconfirm the current edition before an individual application.
THE NEXT DECISION
Could Sarawak truly become your second home?
Property purchase is optional, but the place and its ongoing conditions must fit your life. Test the family plan and capital commitment against Sarawak's own programme.
