Working visa to Malaysia for Filipinos
A work visa to Malaysia is issued only to those Filipinos who have already obtained a work permit. Without it, it is impossible to apply for a work visa.
Malaysia work permit for Filipino citizens
To work in Malaysia, Filipino citizens must apply for an Employment Pass, which is only given to skilled professionals in technical or management positions. The application process starts with the employer, who must secure approval from Malaysian authorities. Depending on the job contract, the permit is valid for 1 to 5 years and can be renewed.
What types of work permits can Filipinos apply for in Malaysia?
Malaysia categorizes Employment Passes (EPs) into three tiers, depending on the employee’s job role and salary.
Employment Pass Category 1. Senior & Executive Roles
- CEOs, project managers, directors, and high-level technical experts
- Minimum salary: RM10,000/month
- Contract duration: Up to 5 years, with renewal options
- Perks: Can hire a foreign domestic assistant
Employment Pass Category 2. Managerial & Professional Roles
- Architects, marketing managers, investment analysts, teachers
- Minimum salary: RM5,000–RM9,999/month
- Contract duration: Up to 2 years, renewable
- Perks: Can hire a foreign domestic assistant
Employment Pass Category 3. Skilled & Technical Workers
- Fashion designers, craftsmen, food technologists, specialized technicians
- Minimum salary: RM3,000–RM4,999/month
- Contract duration: Up to 2 years, renewable twice
- Restrictions: Cannot hire a foreign domestic assistant
How to qualify for a work permit in Malaysia as a Filipino citizen?
If you’re a Filipino citizen planning to work in Malaysia, you must ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for a work permit. The main requirements include:
- Relevant academic qualifications that match the job role.
- At least three years of work experience (or more if your education level is lower).
- A managerial, supervisory, or technical position requiring specialized expertise.
- A salary that aligns with Malaysia’s employment pass regulations.
- Your profession must not fall under restricted industries.
Malaysia work permit process for Filipinos
The process involves:
- Securing an expatriate position. Your employer must get approval from the Expatriation Board or a designated authority to hire a foreign worker.
- Submitting an Employment Pass application. Once approval is granted, the employer applies for an Employment Pass through the Department of Immigration Malaysia, either by mail or in person.
What documents does a Malaysian employer need to sponsor your work visa?
When an employer in Malaysia applies for an Employment Pass on your behalf, they need to submit the following:
- A completed application form
- A passport photo (as per Malaysian specifications)
- A copy of your valid passport (must have at least six months left)
- An official approval letter from a relevant authority (if required)
- A company authorization letter for submission
- A signed employment contract or job offer letter with acceptance
- Your resume and educational certificates
- A copy of the company’s registration with Malaysia’s Companies Commission (SSM)
- Health insurance
The processing time is usually around three business days.
Malaysia work visa process for Filipinos
If you’re planning to work in Malaysia, you may need a Visa with Reference (VDR). This visa requires prior approval from the Malaysian Immigration Department—typically in the form of an Employment Pass—before a Malaysian diplomatic office can issue your visa.
The VDR serves as an entry visa for Filipino citizens who come to Malaysia for a long-term stay, such as for work or study.
- If you are a citizen of a visa-free country, you do not need a separate visa - just an Employment Pass approval letter.
- Citizens who need a visa to enter Malaysia should apply to a Malaysian embassy or consulate.
Upon arrival in Malaysia, you must report to the immigration office, provide your passport, and make payment for the Employment Pass. Officials will affix an Employment Pass sticker to your passport and issue an expatriate card confirming your status.
Can Filipino citizens on a work visa bring their families to Malaysia?
If you’re an Employment Pass holder, you can bring:
- Your spouse
- Your children under 21 years old
Other relatives can visit you with a Social Visit Pass, including:
- Your parents
- Your spouse
- Your children over 21
- Stepchildren
If your spouse wants to work in Malaysia, they must apply for a separate work permit, as a Dependant Pass does not grant work rights.
Temporary work permit in Malaysia for Filipinos
Malaysia offers temporary work permits for employment lasting up to two years. There are two main categories:
1. Temporary Employment Pass for Filipino workers. This permit allows Filipino citizens to work only in specific sectors:
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Plantation
- Agriculture
- Services
However, only citizens from approved countries can apply.
2. Temporary Work Permit for domestic helpers (FDH). This permit is granted only to women from approved countries. It allows employment in private homes, specifically where the employer has young children or elderly parents needing care.
Work permit requirements for Filipino citizens in Malaysia
If you are a Filipino citizen and want to work in Malaysia, you must meet the following requirements for a temporary work permit:
Work in an approved sector:
- Construction
- Plantation
- Agriculture
- Services
- Manufacturing
Be from an eligible country:
- Bangladesh (only allowed in plantations)
- Cambodia
- India (not allowed in manufacturing)
- Indonesia (men cannot work in manufacturing)
- Kazakhstan
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan (female workers are not eligible for any sector)
Meet age and health requirements:
- You must be between 18 and 45 years old.
- You need to pass a medical exam at an approved center.
Employer and security clearance:
- Your employer must have a foreign worker quota approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, OSC center.
- You must pass the Immigration Security Certificate (ISC) verification at an ISC center in your country.
How can Filipinos apply for a temporary work permit in Malaysia?
If you are a Filipino citizen looking for a temporary work permit in Malaysia, your employer is responsible for submitting the application before you arrive.
Step-by-step process:
1. Get a visa approval letter
Before you can travel to Malaysia, your employer must secure a visa approval letter from the Malaysian Immigration Department. You will need a Visa with Reference (VDR), which requires prior approval.
To apply for the visa approval letter, your employer must:
- Obtain your Immigration Security Certificate (ISC) verification from the ISC center in your home country.
- Get foreign worker quota approval from the Ministry of the Interior.
- Submit the completed application and necessary documents to the Malaysian Immigration Department either in person or online.
2. Apply for a Malaysian visa
Once the Immigration Department issues the visa approval letter, you must apply for a Malaysia visa in your home country using the Visa with Reference (VDR) process.
What documents are required for a Malaysia temporary work permit application?
To apply for a temporary work permit in Malaysia, your employer must submit the following documents:
- Visa application forms (IM.12 and IM.38)
- Quota approval letter from the Ministry of the Interior
- A copy of your passport
- Passport-sized photo that meets Malaysia’s photo requirements
- Your medical examination results from an approved medical center in your home country (valid for three months)
- Immigration Security Certificate (ISC) verification results
- Proof of foreign worker fee payment
- Security bond
- Workers’ compensation insurance for foreign employees
- Health insurance (SPIKPA). Health Insurance Protection Scheme for Foreign Workers
What are the 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 comply with the following conditions:
- You cannot change your employer or switch to a different job sector.
- You are not allowed to marry a Malaysian citizen or another foreigner while in Malaysia.
- You cannot work in frontline positions.
- You are not permitted to bring family members with you.
Validity and renewal:
- The permit is initially valid for 12 months and can be renewed annually for up to 10 years.
- Your employer must apply for renewal at least three months before the permit expires. If they submit the application after the expiration date, it will be rejected.
Work permit in Malaysia for Filipino citizens
If you are a Filipino citizen, you may be eligible for a Temporary Foreign Domestic Helper (FDH) work permit in Malaysia if you meet the following conditions:
Who can apply?
- You must be female and between 21 and 45 years old.
- You must be a citizen and resident of one of the following countries:
- Cambodia
- India
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- You must pass a medical examination at an approved medical center.
- You must obtain Immigration Security Certificate (ISC) verification from the ISC center in your country.
Employer requirements
You can only work for an employer who:
- Has a minimum income of 3,000–5,000 ringgit.
- Has children under 15 years old.
- Has a sick or elderly parent who requires care.
An employer cannot hire more than one foreign domestic helper unless they provide a valid reason.
Malaysia work permit process for Filipinos
If you are a Filipino citizen looking for a foreign domestic helper (FDH) work permit in Malaysia, your employer must apply for approval before you travel. They can either submit the application directly or use a recruitment agency.
Steps to obtain a work permit
1. Employer applies for a visa approval letter
- Approval from the Malaysian Immigration Department is required before you can apply for a visa.
2. You apply for a visa with reference
- Submit an application for a Visa with Reference (VDR) at the nearest Malaysian embassy or consulate in your home country.
- A letter of approval from the Malaysian Immigration Office is required.
3. Arriving in Malaysia and completing the process
- Within one month of arrival, you and your employer must report to an immigration office.
- You must complete a FOMEMA medical check-up.
- Your employer must submit a temporary work permit application.
- If approved, a work permit sticker will be placed in your passport, confirming your legal work status.
What documents does your employer need for your Malaysia Temporary Employment visa application?
- Foreign domestic worker application (PRA1 form)
- IM.12 and IM.38 visa application forms
- Personal bond form with RM10.00 income stamp
- Employment contract: two originals and two copies, signed by both employer and employee, each stamped with RM10.00
- Your passport copy
- Passport-sized photo (complying with Malaysian photo standards)
- Health certificate issued by your home country's clinic and certified by a Ministry of Health Malaysia-approved medical center
- Employer’s ID copies (for both husband and wife, if married)
- Marriage certificate of your employers
- Documents proving the need for domestic help (children's birth certificates, medical certificates, etc.)
- Employer’s financial proof: EPF records, last three months’ payslips
- For non-Muslim employers: two declaration forms from the Malaysian Immigration website:
- Declaration for Hiring Muslim Foreign Domestic Workers
- Declaration for Muslim Foreign Domestic Helpers
- If applying personally without an agency, employers must include a signed declaration confirming they haven't used any registered agency services.
Conditions and duration of a Malaysia temporary work permit for domestic helpers
If you're coming to Malaysia as a domestic helper (FDH), here’s what you’ll need to follow:
- Only domestic chores are allowed.
- Accommodation and basic amenities must be provided by your employer.
- Employers must respect your religion. You should have freedom to practice your religion, fast during Ramadan, pray five times a day, and refuse any work against your religious beliefs.
- Marriage in Malaysia is not allowed.
- Changing employers or job fields without approval from Malaysian Immigration is prohibited.
- You can’t apply for permanent residency or entry permits.
The temporary work permit lasts 12 months, and your employer can request an extension three months before it expires.
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.
Malaysia