Sarawak S-MM2H runs on its own rules, and they changed in January 2025
Sarawak is a self-governing state with its own second-home programme, administered separately from federal MM2H. If you are working from a pre-2025 summary, the deposit and income thresholds are both out of date. Here is what S-MM2H actually requires now, sourced from official Sarawak channels, and how it compares to the mainland scheme.
Why S-MM2H is not the same as mainland MM2H
Sarawak runs its second-home programme through the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP), not the federal MOTAC ministry that administers mainland MM2H. The two programmes share a name and little else.
Three differences matter most. There is no compulsory property purchase under S-MM2H. The annual minimum stay is 30 days, against 90 days on the mainland. And qualification turns on an income-or-savings test in addition to the fixed deposit, rather than on a tiered deposit alone. The trade-off is location: S-MM2H is a Sarawak-based pass, so Kuching becomes your residency base, not Kuala Lumpur.
The current rules took effect on 1 January 2025, following Sarawak cabinet approval in October 2024. The official S-MM2H FAQ still displays some pre-2025 income figures, which is why so much of the published guidance online is wrong. The numbers below reflect the enhanced 2025 requirements as confirmed by InvestSarawak and specialist immigration reporting.
The financial requirements
A fixed deposit of RM 500,000 must be placed with a Sarawak-based bank. This is a single requirement for the whole family unit, not split by single or couple. After the first year, 50% may be withdrawn for approved purposes: property, a car, medical expenses, or children's education at Sarawak institutions. The remaining half stays locked for the duration.
Separately, you must satisfy one of two financial-standing tests. The income route requires demonstrable monthly offshore income of RM 10,000 for a single applicant or RM 15,000 with dependants. The savings route requires RM 100,000 in liquid assets for a single applicant or RM 200,000 with dependants. It is an either-or test. Property and other illiquid assets do not count toward the savings figure.
| Requirement | Before Jan 2025 | From Jan 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed deposit (individual) | RM 150,000 | RM 500,000 |
| Fixed deposit (couple) | RM 300,000 | RM 500,000 (flat) |
| FD withdrawal after Yr 1 | 40% | 50% |
| Monthly income (single) | RM 7,000 | RM 10,000 |
| Monthly income (with deps) | RM 10,000 | RM 15,000 |
| Liquid assets (single) | RM 50,000 | RM 100,000 |
| Liquid assets (with deps) | RM 100,000 | RM 200,000 |
| Processing fee | None | RM 5,000 |
The 5+5 structure, the 30-day stay, and what property is not required
The pass is issued as a five-year multiple-entry visitor pass, renewable once for a further five years, for a maximum of ten. After the ten years, you reapply in full rather than simply resubmitting documents, a tightening introduced under the 2025 rules.
The minimum stay is 30 days per year in Sarawak, and it applies to the principal applicant only for renewal purposes. Dependants are not separately subject to a minimum stay. Thirty days is light by regional standards, but it is a residency-base requirement: S-MM2H is a Sarawak pass, and Sarawak is expected to be your primary base in Malaysia. Holders can travel to West Malaysia, though the inter-state position is governed by Sarawak's own immigration autonomy. Treat unrestricted mainland residence as something to confirm, not assume.
Property purchase is optional. This is the single clearest structural contrast with federal MM2H, where every tier compels a property purchase of between RM 500,000 and RM 2,000,000. Under S-MM2H you can hold the programme without buying anything beyond the fixed deposit. If you do choose to buy, the foreign minimum in Kuching mixed-zone residential areas is RM 500,000, and the 2025 rules allow sale after five years rather than the ten-year lock that applies on the mainland.
The minimum age is 30, with no maximum. That is higher than every federal tier, where the floor is 21 for SEZ and 25 for Silver, Gold, and Platinum, so a 28-year-old who qualifies for mainland MM2H would not yet qualify for Sarawak. For most of our client base, professionals in their 40s and 50s, age is not the binding constraint.
S-MM2H against the four mainland MM2H tiers
The comparison below sets Sarawak alongside the federal SEZ, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers. Federal figures are as published by MOTAC and are quoted in US dollars; Sarawak figures are in ringgit. At an assumed RM 4.4 to the dollar [Inference, mid-2026], the RM 500,000 deposit is roughly USD 113,000, below the Silver deposit of USD 150,000, and Silver still adds a compulsory property on top.
| Criterion | SEZ (Forest City) | Silver | Gold | Platinum | Sarawak S-MM2H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Deposit | USD 32K-65K | USD 150,000 | USD 500,000 | USD 1,000,000 | RM 500,000 (~USD 113K) |
| Property Purchase | RM 500K (compulsory) | RM 600K (compulsory) | RM 1M (compulsory) | RM 2M (compulsory) | Optional |
| Property Sale Restriction | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 5 years |
| Visa Duration | 10 years | 5 years | 15 years | 20 years | 5+5 years |
| Minimum Stay | 90 days (under 50) / None (50+) | 90 days/yr | 90 days/yr | 90 days/yr | 30 days/yr |
| Minimum Age | 21 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 |
| Work Rights | No | No | No | Director and shareholder | Officially none (disputed) |
| Offshore Income Test | No | No | No | No | RM 10K/15K pm or RM 100K/200K savings |
| Residence Zone | Forest City, Johor | Any West Malaysia state | Any West Malaysia state | Any West Malaysia state | Sarawak only |
| Agent Fees | MYR 40K-70K | MYR 40K-70K | MYR 40K-70K | MYR 40K-70K | ~RM 12K-14K |
| Programme Body | MOTAC (federal) | MOTAC (federal) | MOTAC (federal) | MOTAC (federal) | MTCP (Sarawak) |
The decision usually comes down to one question: do you need Kuala Lumpur? If your work, schooling, or network requires the Klang Valley, the mainland programme is the only route, and you can read the full tier breakdown in our MM2H requirements 2026 guide. If your priority is minimising locked-up capital and you are content to base yourself in Kuching, S-MM2H is materially cheaper and more flexible.
What you actually pay, and what the pass does and does not permit
Sarawak charges a one-off processing fee of RM 5,000 per application, non-refundable and introduced from January 2025. This is a government fee and is separate from agent costs.
Applications must go through a licensed S-MM2H agent. Under the 2025 transition, agents must be Sarawak-owned companies with RM 100,000 in paid-up capital, and a number of previously federally licensed operators lost their permits. Agent service fees vary by firm; one of the larger licensed agents quotes around RM 12,000 for a single applicant with roughly RM 2,000 per dependant. Critically, those agent fees cover document preparation, submission, and liaison with MTCP only. They exclude the medical examination, health insurance, visa stamping, and any property purchase costs. The headline agent fee is not the cost of the programme.
The medical examination must be conducted in Sarawak, not in your home country or West Malaysia. Health insurance is required; the specific post-2025 minimum coverage is not clearly published, so confirm the current threshold with MTCP or your agent rather than relying on the older figure. Processing runs to roughly 90 working days, and submission is in person at the MTCP office in Petrajaya, Kuching.
On work rights, the position is genuinely contested. The official FAQ states plainly that pass holders may not run a business or work in Malaysia. Some licensed agents read the 2025 amendments as permitting limited part-time professional work. Because the two sources conflict, treat the official no-work position as the operative one and verify any work intention directly with MTCP before acting on it. This is not a question to resolve from a blog, ours included.
The offshore-income exemption, and what the visa decision does not settle
S-MM2H carries a genuine tax benefit: offshore funds brought into Sarawak are exempt. For a European professional drawing a pension or living off an investment portfolio held abroad, that exemption interacts directly with how and when you remit money. It is one of the more useful features of the programme and is easy to overlook when the focus is on deposit size. The detail of what qualifies sits in our guide to the Malaysia foreign sourced income exemption.
The fixed deposit is a residency cost, not an investment. RM 500,000 sitting in a Sarawak bank at local rates is capital doing very little. How you structure the rest of your portfolio around that constraint is the real work, and it depends on your existing assets, your pension position, and your tax residency. The mechanics of the deposit, rates, and withdrawal timing are covered in our MM2H fixed deposit strategy guide, and the broader picture in our MM2H financial planning guide.
One trap deserves a flag. Spending 30 days a year in Sarawak does not, by itself, change your home-country tax residency. A British expat who keeps a UK home, a UK pension, and UK accounts may remain UK tax resident regardless of holding S-MM2H. Residency for immigration and residency for tax are different tests. Where you might land, and how the relevant treaties apply, is worth working through before you commit capital; our note on tax residency triggers is the starting point.
Sarawak S-MM2H requirements 2026: common questions
How is Sarawak S-MM2H different from federal MM2H?
S-MM2H is administered by the Sarawak state government through MTCP, not the federal MOTAC. The key differences: no mandatory property purchase, a lower fixed deposit than the Silver tier, a 30-day annual stay against 90 days on the mainland, and residency restricted to Sarawak rather than all of West Malaysia.
What is the S-MM2H fixed deposit requirement in 2026?
RM 500,000 with a Sarawak-based bank, the same for single applicants and couples. From January 2025 this replaced the old RM 150,000 individual / RM 300,000 couple structure. After one year, 50% can be withdrawn for property, a car, medical expenses, or education in Sarawak.
Do I need to buy property for Sarawak S-MM2H?
No. Property purchase is optional under S-MM2H, the clearest difference from mainland MM2H where it is compulsory for all tiers. If you do buy in Sarawak, the foreign minimum is RM 500,000 in mixed-zone residential areas, and the property can be sold after five years.
What income or savings do I need for S-MM2H?
You must meet one of two tests: monthly offshore income of RM 10,000 (single) or RM 15,000 (with dependants), or liquid assets of RM 100,000 (single) or RM 200,000 (with dependants). It is an either-or test, and illiquid assets such as property do not count.
How many days must I stay in Sarawak each year?
The principal applicant must spend at least 30 days per year in Sarawak. It is a renewal condition and applies to the principal only; dependants have no separate minimum stay. Sarawak is expected to be your primary base in Malaysia.
What are Sarawak S-MM2H agent fees and what do they cover?
The government processing fee is RM 5,000. Licensed agents charge separately, with one larger firm quoting around RM 12,000 for a single applicant plus roughly RM 2,000 per dependant. Agent fees cover paperwork and MTCP liaison only; they exclude the medical, insurance, visa stamping, and property costs.
Can I work on a Sarawak S-MM2H pass?
This is disputed. The official FAQ states pass holders may not work or run a business in Malaysia. Some agents read the 2025 amendments as permitting limited part-time work. Treat the official no-work position as operative and confirm directly with MTCP before relying on any work permission.
Is S-MM2H cheaper than mainland MM2H Silver?
On capital, yes. S-MM2H needs RM 500,000 (around USD 113,000) with no compulsory property. Silver needs USD 150,000 plus a compulsory RM 600,000 property, well over USD 300,000 in total. Silver's advantage is location: it allows residence anywhere in West Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur.
Weighing Sarawak against the mainland?
The right route depends on where you need to be, how much capital you are willing to lock up, and how the move interacts with your pension and tax residency. We will work through the numbers with you. No pitch, no pressure.
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