Startup visa for Malaysia

How the programme works

The tech entrepreneur programme is run by Malaysia's state digital economy corporation. It is designed for founders building their own technology product: software, fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, health and agricultural technology, smart cities and other digital fields. There is no mandatory investment, no revenue requirement and no local hiring quota, but the corporation assesses whether the project is real and useful for the country's digital economy. The application is filed online from any country, and there is no need to travel to Malaysia before approval.

Two tracks: new and experienced entrepreneur

A new entrepreneur who shows results within two years can move to the experienced track.

What it costs

Funds in the account are not an expense: RM50,000, about $12,240, must have been in the account for the last 3 months. Company registration in Malaysia, accounting, housing and health insurance are paid separately, and a consultant calculates the cost of our support in the chat. Dollars are converted at the European Central Bank rate of 5 October 2026 and rounded up.

Documents

• A passport valid for at least 12 months.
• A business plan or pitch deck: product, market, revenue model, team and a first-year plan.
• Founders' CVs with technology and business experience.
• Bank statements showing a balance of at least RM50,000 over the last 3 months.
• For the experienced track, documents of the operating company and its financials for at least 2 years.
• A police certificate and a photo.
• For family on the experienced track, marriage and children's birth certificates.

Step by step and timelines

1. Project check and choice of track, about a week.
2. Business plan, CVs, statements and company documents, usually 2-4 weeks.
3. Filing on the digital economy corporation's portal and paying the fees.
4. Review, usually 6-10 weeks, sometimes with an interview or a request for documents.
5. Registering the company in Malaysia, an agreement with one of the digital hubs for the new track, and issuing the pass.
6. Renewal: on the new track apply 2-3 months before expiry, on the experienced track 3-4 months before.

How to get approved the first time

• The project is not technological: reselling, consulting or trading without its own product.
• The business plan is generic, without numbers, a market or a first-year plan.
• Less than RM50,000 in the account, or the money appeared just before filing.
• For the experienced track, no company financials for 2 years or no 3 years of running a business.
• Documents contradict each other: figures in the business plan do not match the statements and CVs.
• More than two founders on the new track or unclear shares.

Before filing we review the project through the corporation's eyes and strengthen the weak points of the business plan.

Taxes for the company and founder

A Malaysian small or medium company pays 15% corporate tax on the first RM150,000, 17% on the next RM450,000 and 24% on the rest. A founder living in Malaysia for more than 182 days a year becomes tax resident and pays income tax at 0-30% on a scale. Foreign income a resident brings into the country is exempt until 31 December 2036. We handle tax registration of the company and founder right after the company is registered, and an accountant in Malaysia keeps the annual accounts. See taxes in Malaysia.

Family

On the new entrepreneur track the family is not included: the spouse and children arrange their own status, for example via the nomad visa if one of them works remotely. On the experienced entrepreneur track the spouse and children receive status with the founder and are allowed to work. If the spouse is also involved in the project, on the new track they can join the application as the second founder, but their role and stake must be real.

Alternatives in Asia

Malaysia is cheaper than Singapore in fees and living costs and requires no investment, but expects a real technology product.

What changes in 2026

Programme terms and fees in 2026 are unchanged: two tracks, RM50,000 in the account for a new entrepreneur and 6-10 weeks of review. The corporation looks more closely at whether the product and team are real, so applications with a working prototype or first customers go through noticeably more easily.

Renewal and moving to the experienced track

At renewal the corporation looks at how the project has progressed: whether there is a working product, first customers, revenue or investment, and whether the company files accounts and pays taxes. A new entrepreneur can stay on this track for up to two years and then, if there are results, move to the experienced track with a 5-year residence pass and family. So from the first month we keep records of the project's progress: contracts, reports and user data, so that renewal does not become a new application from scratch.

Funds in the account and the company's bank

The RM50,000 can be held in a personal account in any country and currency, as long as its equivalent has not fallen below the threshold over the last 3 months. After registering the company you will need a corporate account with a Malaysian bank: the bank will ask for company documents, passports of directors and shareholders and a business description. The check takes from several weeks, so we prepare the bank file in parallel with registration.

Who it suits and who it does not

The programme suits founders of tech startups who need a base in Southeast Asia with English in business, low living costs and access to neighbouring markets. The experienced track suits entrepreneurs with an operating company and accounts who want to bring their family. It does not suit trading, consulting, restaurants or other businesses without their own technology product, nor those hoping for quick permanent status or a passport.

A company in Malaysia: what to know

After approval the founder registers a private limited company with the Companies Commission of Malaysia. In most digital fields a foreigner can own the company in full. The company must have at least one director who ordinarily resides in Malaysia and a licensed company secretary, and accounts are filed annually. A Malaysian bank account is opened after registration, and the bank checks both the company and the founder, so we prepare its documents in advance.

Digital hubs

A new entrepreneur signs an agreement with one of the digital hubs recognised by the digital economy corporation: coworking spaces, accelerators and tech parks in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya, Penang and other cities. The hub provides an office address and access to the startup community, mentors and investor events. The choice of hub affects both costs and the project's environment, so we choose it to suit the startup's stage and sector. The hub agreement is usually signed for a year and renewed together with the pass.

Life as a founder in Malaysia

Most founders live in Kuala Lumpur or near Cyberjaya, where tech companies are concentrated, while Penang is chosen for a calmer life and strong healthcare. A one-bedroom flat in the centre of the capital costs from $400 a month, and living costs for one person excluding rent are about $600. Business communication and most documents are in English, so the local language is not needed to start.

Where to start

Send us in the chat a description of the product, the project's stage, the founders and, if the company already operates, its accounts for the last two years. We tell you which track is open to you, what needs strengthening in the business plan and how long the whole path from filing to pass will take. If the project does not yet meet the programme's criteria, we suggest the Malaysia nomad visa or another country's startup programme.

What we do

Murblz specialists check the project, choose the track, prepare the business plan and documents, file the application and support the review, then register the company in Malaysia and track renewals. If the programme does not fit, we suggest the nomad visa or another country. A consultant calculates the cost in the chat, and we fix the estimate in writing before work starts.

Every way to get residency in Malaysia

This is one route. All the other grounds for residency in Malaysia, with conditions, amounts in dollars and timelines, are compared on How to get residency in Malaysia in 2026: every route.

Advantages of the Malaysia startup visa

How to get a startup visa in Malaysia: step by step

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