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at least 6 monthsMalaysia work visa
Short-term work visa for Malaysia
Malaysia business visa
Investor pass in Malaysia
Malaysia work visa requirements for Chinese citizens
Chinese who wish to work in Malaysia must first secure a work permit. This is a mandatory step before applying for a Malaysian work visa.
Work permit for Chinese in Malaysia
Malaysia's Employment Pass is designed for skilled professionals working in technical or management roles. Before applying, their Malaysian employer must obtain approval from the Expatriation Board or another authority. Depending on the job, this permit is issued for 1 to 5 years and can be extended.
Employment Pass categories in Malaysia for Chinese citizens
If you’re a Chinese citizen looking to work in Malaysia, you must apply for an Employment Pass under one of the three categories based on your job role and salary.
Category 1: Senior Leadership & Expert Roles
- CEOs, technical directors, project managers
- Salary requirement: RM10,000+ per month
- Contract length: Up to 5 years, renewable
- Can hire a foreign domestic helper
Category 2: Managerial & Professional Roles
- Marketing managers, architects, investment managers, teachers
- Salary requirement: RM5,000–RM9,999 per month
- Contract length: Up to 2 years, renewable
- Can hire a foreign domestic helper
Category 3: Skilled & Technical Roles
- Designers, craftsmen, food technologists
- Salary requirement: RM3,000–RM4,999 per month
- Contract length: Up to 2 years, renewable twice
- Cannot hire a foreign domestic helper
Malaysia work permit eligibility for Chinese citizens
To legally work in Malaysia, Chinese citizens must obtain a work permit. The key requirements include:
- Holding a degree or relevant qualifications related to the job.
- At least three years of work experience in a related field (additional experience may be required for lower academic qualifications).
- Employment in a role that requires managerial, supervisory, or specialized technical skills.
- Earning a salary that meets Malaysia’s work permit regulations.
- Avoiding employment in restricted industries.
Steps to obtain a Malaysian work permit for Chinese
If you’re a Chinese citizen seeking to work in Malaysia, your employer is responsible for securing your work permit before you arrive. The process includes:
- Job position approval. The employer must submit an application to the Expatriation Board or another authorized agency to approve hiring a foreign worker.
- Employment Pass application. Once approved, the employer applies for an Employment Pass through the Department of Immigration Malaysia by mail or in person.
What documents does your employer need for a Malaysia work permit?
When your employer applies for an Employment Pass on your behalf, they must submit the following:
- Completed application form
- A recent passport-sized photo (meeting Malaysia’s official specifications)
- A valid passport copy (minimum validity of six months)
- Official approval letter from the relevant regulatory authority (if required)
- A company authorization letter allowing the submission
- Your signed employment contract or job offer with an acceptance letter
- Your resume and supporting academic documents (certificates, diplomas)
- A copy of the employer’s company registration with Malaysia’s Companies Commission (SSM)
- Health insurance
Employment Pass applications are generally processed within three business days.
Malaysia work visa requirements for Chinese
A Visa with Reference (VDR) is necessary for most Chinese citizens planning a long-term stay in Malaysia. This visa requires prior approval from the Malaysian Immigration Department—such as an Employment Pass—before a Malaysian embassy or consulate can issue a visa.
A VDR acts as an entry visa for those coming to Malaysia for work or study.
- If you are a citizen of a visa-free country, you can enter Malaysia without a visa if you have an Employment Pass.
- Citizens who require a visa should contact the nearest Malaysian embassy or consulate.
Once in Malaysia, you must visit the immigration office, present your passport, and pay for the Employment Pass. Immigration officials will attach an Employment Pass sticker to your passport and issue you an expatriate card, confirming your legal stay.
Can family members join Chinese citizens working in Malaysia?
Yes, if you hold an Employment Pass in Malaysia, you can bring certain family members under a Dependant Pass:
- Your spouse
- Your children under 21
Other family members can visit you using a Social Visit Pass, including:
- Parents
- Spouse
- Children over 21
- Stepchildren
However, if your spouse wants to work in Malaysia, they must apply for their own work permit, as a Dependant Pass does not automatically allow employment.
Can Chinese get a temporary work permit in Malaysia?
Temporary Employment Pass for Chinese citizens. This permit allows Chinese citizens to work in sectors such as:
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Plantations
- Agriculture
- Services
However, this type of permit is only available to citizens from approved countries.
How can Chinese citizens qualify for a Malaysia work permit?
To be eligible for a temporary work permit in Malaysia, you must:
1. Work in an approved sector
- Construction
- Plantation
- Agriculture
- Services
- Manufacturing
2. Be a citizen of an approved country
- Bangladesh (only allowed in plantations)
- Cambodia
- India (not eligible for manufacturing jobs)
- Indonesia (men cannot work in manufacturing)
- Kazakhstan
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan (female workers cannot apply for any sector)
3. Meet general eligibility criteria
- Be between 18 and 45 years old
- Pass a medical checkup at an approved clinic
- Your employer must have an approved foreign worker quota
- You must pass the Immigration Security Certificate (ISC) verification in your home country
What is the process for Chinese to obtain a temporary work permit in Malaysia?
If you’re a Chinese citizen planning to work temporarily in Malaysia, your employer must apply for your work permit before you arrive.
Steps to obtain a temporary work permit:
1. Visa approval letter. Before you can travel to Malaysia, your employer must:
- Obtain your Immigration Security Certificate (ISC) verification.
- Get foreign worker quota approval from the Ministry of the Interior.
- Submit your work permit application to the Malaysian Immigration Department in person or online.
2. Visa application. After receiving the visa approval letter, you must apply for a Visa with Reference (VDR) in your home country before entering Malaysia.
Documents needed for a Malaysia work permit for Chinese citizens
If you’re applying for a temporary work permit in Malaysia, your employer must provide the following paperwork:
- Visa application forms (IM.12 and IM.38)
- Approval letter for a foreign worker quota from the Ministry of the Interior
- Copy of your passport
- Passport-size photo (as per Malaysian guidelines)
- Medical check-up results from a certified medical center in your country (must be issued within three months)
- ISC verification results
- Proof of payment for the foreign worker fee
- Security bond
- Foreign worker compensation insurance
- Health insurance (SPIKPA) – required under Malaysia’s Health Insurance Protection Scheme for Foreign Workers
Conditions for obtaining a temporary work permit in Malaysia
If you are applying for a temporary work permit in Malaysia as a foreign worker, you must meet the following requirements:
- You cannot change your employer or switch to a different job sector.
- Marriage to a Malaysian citizen or another foreigner is not allowed while you hold this permit.
- You are not allowed to work in frontline positions.
- Bringing family members with you is not permitted.
Validity and renewal
- The permit is initially valid for 12 months and can be renewed annually for up to 10 years.
- Your employer must submit a renewal application at least three months before the permit expires. Late applications will be rejected.
Malaysia business visa
An approved business-visa for Malaysia allows its owner to enter the country for business events, such as attending meetings and seminars, signing contracts and fulfillment of agreements.
There is no special online application form for a Malaysian business-visa at the moment. However, those, willing to enter Malaysia with business goals that do not foresee payment for work, may do this with the help of one of Malaysian tourist visas.
Tourist online-visa for Malaysia can be obtained via a simple online-application and issued as one of the following one- or multiple-entry electronic visas:
- 30-day one-time electronic visa;
- 30-day multi-entry electronic visa;
- eNTRI visa for stays of up to 15 days (for Chinese and Indian nationals only).
While it is currently necessary to apply for a tourist visa online to travel to Malaysia for business, the Malaysian government plans to launch a new eVisa for business purposes in the technology sector, the Blockchain Visa, in the nearest future.
Documents required to apply for a business visa to Malaysia
To apply for a business visa online, applicants must meet the requirements for a Malaysian visa and provide the following documents when filling out the form:
- A passport of the corresponding country, valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival to Malaysia, that has at least 3 blank pages;
- Three copies of a passport-size photograph, that meets the requirements for eVisa photos;
- Bank statements from the past 3 months that prove the availability of sufficient financial resources to cover the entire stay;
- Confirmed return plane tickets with the flight details.
- Additionally, provide a filled application form for a business-visa with these documents. A simple online form can be filled out in just a few minutes with basic personal, passport and travel information.
To apply, you must also answer a few health and safety questions and pay the business visa fee using a valid debit or credit card.
The applicant must also provide a current email address to which a copy of the approved Malaysian business eVisa will be sent. They should then print a copy to carry with them when they travel to Malaysia.
Upon arrival in Malaysia, the business eVisa holder must show the following documents to the border officer to enter the country:
- The same passport that was used to apply for a visa to Malaysia;
- Color printout of an approved business eVisa;
- Confirmation of the availability of sufficient funds to cover accommodation;
- Boarding pass and confirmed return tickets;
- Travel itinerary for the stay;
- Proof of residency in Malaysia.
- The same passport used to complete the application must be used to enter Malaysia as the approved eVisa is linked to this passport.
- If the passport associated with the e-Visa expires while the online visa is valid, a new online form will need to be submitted to continue traveling to Malaysia.
What is the Investor Pass?
The Investor Pass is an entry permit for foreign investors who frequently travel to seek business opportunities in Malaysia. It allows you to stay in the country for up to 12 months (6 months with the possibility of extension). The pass uses a Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) system based on an existing Social Visit Permit (SVP).
It came into force on April 1, 2025.
Who can get an Investor Pass?
There are three categories of investors:
- New investors - those who do not yet have an investment in Malaysia.
- Investors in process - those who are negotiating or have applied for investment approval.
- Existing investors - those who already have companies registered in Malaysia but are not operating any of them.
What industries are covered by the Investor Pass?
- For new and potential investors, all sectors of the economy are covered.
- For existing investors - only manufacturing and selected service sectors (with MIDA approval).
What positions are eligible for Investor Pass?
Business owners, founders, members of the board of directors, shareholders, and senior executives.
Can I apply while I am in Malaysia?
No, the applicant must be outside Malaysia at the time of application.
What are the eligibility criteria for the Investor Pass?
- The age of 18 years or older.
- No undesirable persons or criminal records.
- Official employment in the country of origin.
- Exclusively business purposes of the trip (without the right to be employed in Malaysia).
- Passport valid for at least 6 months.
How to apply for Investor Pass?
The application must be submitted through the Xpats Gateway. MIDA issues a letter of support, and the final approval is given by the Malaysian Immigration Department.
What documents are required?
- A copy of your passport (all pages).
- Certificate of incorporation of the parent company.
- Audited financial statements.
- An official invitation from a government agency (if required).
How long does it take to process the application?
- Letter of support from MIDA - 3 business days.
- Approval from the Immigration Service - 2 business days.
Can I extend my Investor Pass?
Yes, you can apply for another 6 months 30 days before the expiration date.
Can I convert my Investor Pass into a work visa?
Yes, if necessary, it can be changed to Employment Pass (EP), Professional Visit Pass (PVP) or other types of permits.
Can I bring my family with me?
No, the Investor Pass does not allow the entry of dependents. They can come on a standard social visa.
How is the Investor Pass different from the Social Visit Pass?
The Investor Pass is a multiple entry visa (MEV) that allows you to stay in Malaysia for up to 12 months, while the standard social visa is a single entry visa.
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