Malaysia visaWork in MalaysiaMalaysia Employment Pass for Indian professionals
A Malaysian employer registered with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) sponsors the Employment Pass online; the applicant does not apply personally. From 1 June 2026 the salary bands are Category I at MYR 20,000 and above (passes up to 10 years), Category II at MYR 10,000 to 19,999 (up to 10 years with a succession plan) and Category III at MYR 5,000 to 9,999 (up to 5 years, no dependants). The Immigration Department charges MYR 200 a year for the pass plus MYR 125 processing and a visa fee of up to MYR 50 for Indian passports; MIDA-regulated manufacturers pay a further MYR 2,000. Approvals take about 15 working days, after which the applicant enters on the approval letter and the pass is endorsed. Senior talent can move to the 10-year Residence Pass-Talent, and remote workers for foreign firms use the DE Rantau Nomad Pass instead.
6 min read Verified 29 October 2026 against imi.gov.my · How we verify
Malaysia employment pass: quick answers
- Who qualifies for an Employment Pass?
- A professional with a degree (or a diploma with 5 years' experience, or a certificate with 7 years) hired by a Malaysian company registered on ESD for a skilled role, earning at least MYR 5,000 a month in fixed basic salary under the June 2026 policy, with a passport valid for at least 12 months. The employer must have paid-up capital of MYR 250,000 to 500,000 depending on ownership, be tax compliant, have advertised the job on MYFutureJobs for new positions unless exempt (salary of MYR 15,000 or more, key posts, intra-company transfers) and hold approval from the relevant regulator for its sector.
- What does it cost?
- The Immigration Department charges MYR 125 to process and MYR 200 per year of pass validity (MYR 300 for MIDA key posts), plus a visa fee by nationality of MYR 6 to 50; MIDA charges MYR 2,000 per application in the manufacturing and selected services sectors and ESD companies pay MYFutureJobs and ESD service charges. All of it is the employer's cost; an 8 per cent service tax applies to agency fees.
- How long does it take from India?
- About 15 working days for the Employment Pass approval through ESD or MIDA once the company file is complete, then two to five working days for the visa with reference at the High Commission in New Delhi or the consulates in Mumbai and Chennai, or entry under the exemption with the approval letter followed by endorsement in about a week. Plan six to eight weeks from offer to first day.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa type | Employment Pass endorsed in the passport; validity by category and contract |
| Government fee | MYR 200 per year + MYR 125 processing + visa fee up to MYR 50; MIDA MYR 2,000 where applicable |
| Processing | About 15 working days (ESD or MIDA client charter) |
| Salary (from 1 Jun 2026) | Category I MYR 20,000+; II MYR 10,000 to 19,999; III MYR 5,000 to 9,999 |
| Duration | Category I and II up to 10 years; Category III up to 5 years |
| Dependants | Categories I and II only; Category III cannot sponsor |
| Premium tiers | Residence Pass-Talent (10 years), DE Rantau Nomad Pass (remote work) |
| Verified | 29 Oct 2026 against esd.imi.gov.my and MIDA |
Which pass fits: Categories I to III, RP-T and DE Rantau compared
| Pass | Salary and criteria (2026) | Duration | Dependants | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Pass Category I | MYR 20,000 a month and above | Up to 10 years in 1- to 5-year passes | Yes, Dependant Pass and maids | Senior managers, key posts |
| Employment Pass Category II | MYR 10,000 to 19,999, succession plan | Up to 10 years | Yes | Engineers, IT, finance professionals |
| Employment Pass Category III | MYR 5,000 to 9,999, succession plan | Up to 5 years, 12-month passes | No | Junior professionals, technicians |
| Residence Pass-Talent | 3 years on an EP in Malaysia, MYR 15,000 a month, degree | 10 years, any employer | Yes, with work rights for spouse | Experienced expatriates settling long term |
| DE Rantau Nomad Pass | Remote worker for foreign clients, USD 24,000 a year | 12 months, renewable once | Yes, MYR 500 each | Indian IT and digital freelancers |
The June 2026 policy, approved by the Cabinet in October 2025, doubled the thresholds that had applied since 2017 and attached a maximum employment duration to Categories II and III to push employers towards training Malaysian successors. Existing pass holders are unaffected until renewal, at which point the contract must meet the new band; an Indian engineer on MYR 7,000 who was Category II in 2025 becomes Category III, loses the right to sponsor dependants and faces the five-year cap unless the salary is raised.
Employers in regulated sectors apply through their regulator rather than ESD: MIDA for manufacturing and selected services (with the MYR 2,000 fee and a 15-working-day client charter), MDEC for digital companies, Bank Negara and the Securities Commission for financial firms, and the Ministry of Education for schools. ESD serves everyone else. Intra-company transferees and Category I hires skip the MYFutureJobs advertisement; others must advertise for five days and show no suitable Malaysian applied.
Fees and who pays them
| Item | Fee | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration processing fee | MYR 125 | Employer |
| Employment Pass issuance | MYR 200 per year (MYR 300 MIDA key post) | Employer |
| Visa with reference (Indian passport) | Up to MYR 50 | Employer or applicant |
| MIDA application (manufacturing, selected services) | MYR 2,000 | Employer |
| Dependant Pass | MYR 60 per year each | Employer or applicant |
| Residence Pass-Talent | MYR 5,000 (TalentCorp) | Applicant |
| DE Rantau Nomad Pass | MYR 1,000 (+ MYR 500 per dependant) | Applicant |
There is no skills levy for Employment Pass holders (the levy applies to foreign workers on Visit Pass Temporary Employment) and no health surcharge; expatriates pay Malaysian income tax at resident rates after 182 days and contribute to SOCSO. Vistolane's partner prepares the employer's ESD file and charges the MYR 200 pass fee at the official rate.
How the application runs, step by step
- 1
Employer registers on ESD (or its regulator)
Company profile, paid-up capital, tax and SSM documents; a projection of expatriate posts is approved first.
- 2
Advertise and prepare the applicant file
MYFutureJobs for 5 days unless exempt; passport valid 12 months, degree certified, stamped contract, CV, photo.
- 3
Submit the Employment Pass application
ESD or MIDA decides in about 15 working days; the Immigration Department issues the approval letter and visa reference.
- 4
Visa with reference and travel
Single-entry visa at the New Delhi High Commission or Mumbai and Chennai consulates in 2 to 5 working days, or entry under the exemption with the approval letter.
- 5
Endorsement in Malaysia
Employer submits the passport within the approval validity; the pass sticker and i-Pass card follow in about a week.
Timeline for an Indian hire
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration and projection | 2 to 4 weeks (first hire) | ESD or regulator approves expatriate posts |
| Advertisement | 5 days | MYFutureJobs, unless exempt |
| Pass approval | About 15 working days | ESD or MIDA client charter |
| Visa with reference | 2 to 5 working days | High Commission or consulate |
| Endorsement | About 1 week | Passport submitted after arrival |
Renewals are filed three months before expiry and must meet the salary band in force; Category III holders should discuss a raise above MYR 10,000 before their fifth year, after which no further Category III renewal is possible.
After arrival: changing employers, dependants and permanence
The pass is tied to the employer; a new job means a new application by the new employer (a transfer of endorsement is possible without leaving Malaysia if the current pass has at least three months left). Leaving a job requires the employer to cancel the pass and gives a short grace period, so line up the next approval first. Category I and II holders sponsor a spouse and children under 18 on Dependant Passes and parents on a Long-Term Social Visit Pass.
After three years on an Employment Pass with MYR 15,000 a month and a degree, Indian professionals can apply to TalentCorp for the Residence Pass-Talent: 10 years, freedom to change employers, work rights for the spouse and no renewal paperwork. Permanent residence under the points system needs five years of residence and is granted sparingly; most settle on the RP-T.
Document checklist: applicant
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport valid 12 months with 6 blank pages | All pages scanned for ESD |
| Degree or diploma, certified | Translated to English where needed; experience letters for diploma holders |
| Employment contract, stamped by LHDN | Basic salary of MYR 5,000 or more by category |
| CV, photo and job description | Uploaded by the employer |
Employer
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| ESD or regulator registration | Paid-up capital MYR 250,000 to 500,000 by ownership |
| Expatriate post projection | Approved before individual applications |
| MYFutureJobs advertisement | 5 days for new posts, unless exempt |
| Tax and SSM documents | Compliance checked at each application |
On arrival
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Approval letter and visa with reference | Entry within the approval validity |
| Passport for endorsement | Submitted by the employer |
| Dependants' certificates, apostilled | Marriage and birth certificates for Dependant Passes |
Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix
Salary below the 2026 band
Contract under MYR 5,000, or allowances counted as basic salary.
The fix. Set the fixed basic salary at the band; allowances do not count.
Employer not registered or under-capitalised
Company not on ESD or below the paid-up capital rule.
The fix. Register and top up capital before applying; Vistolane's partner pre-checks the employer.
Qualification mismatch
Degree unrelated to the job, or experience letters missing for diploma holders.
The fix. Attach experience letters and a job description aligned to the degree.
Advertisement skipped
No MYFutureJobs record for a Category II or III post.
The fix. Advertise for 5 days or document the exemption.
Passport validity under 12 months
Application rejected at ESD.
The fix. Renew the passport first; the pass cannot exceed the passport's validity.
Official sources
- ESD: revised Employment Pass salary policy effective 1 June 2026 ↗
- ESD: Employment Pass ↗
- MIDA: Employment Pass guidelines and fees (1 June 2026) ↗
- TalentCorp: Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T) ↗
- MDEC: DE Rantau Nomad Pass (eligibility, fees and FAQ) ↗
- High Commission of Malaysia, New Delhi: consular services ↗
Malaysia employment pass questions
Other Malaysia routes
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Visa-free entry with the MDAC
Free under the visa exemption to 31 Dec 2026; MDAC free
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Study in Malaysia
Student Pass
MYR 60 Student Pass per year (EMGS processing extra)
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Join family in Malaysia
Dependant Pass and Long-Term Social Visit Pass
MYR 60 per year per dependant
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Remote work from Malaysia
DE Rantau Nomad Pass
MYR 1,000 main applicant (MYR 500 per dependant)
Read the route