Malaysia Professional Visit Pass

The Professional Visit Pass (PVP), known in Malay as Pas Lawatan Ikhtisas, lets foreign professionals provide services or undergo practical training with a Malaysian company on behalf of an overseas company, for a limited period. A Malaysian sponsor applies. The holder may work only for the company named in the pass.

Passes run up to 12 months per issuance. PVP holders can't bring family on a Dependant Pass.

The PVP isn't a route for independent remote workers. Digital nomads use the DE Rantau Nomad Pass, a separate type of Professional Visit Pass that the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) issues.

• Eligible activities: Short-term professional work or training with a Malaysian company on behalf of an overseas company: technical experts (machinery installation or repair, ICT experts, trainers, auditors, secondees, visiting lecturers or professors), researchers, interns and industrial trainees, volunteers and expo participants with agency support. The Immigration Department handles other categories such as jockeys, exchange students, religious teachers and foreign film crews or performers (via PUSPAL)

Technical experts and researchers must keep an employer abroad that pays their salary. Each entry covers one purpose, contract or project at a time. Industrial training at a factory or hotel is capped at six months.

The pass is for people who stay employed abroad. Someone hired by a Malaysian company needs an Employment Pass instead.

MIDA route

Sponsors in manufacturing and selected services sectors under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) follow MIDA's own criteria. The professional must be employed by an overseas company, hold recognized professional qualifications or specialized skills, have no Immigration blacklist or police criminal record and carry a passport valid for at least a year.

Source

The sponsor files the documents; the professional can't apply directly.

• Application letter: from the Malaysian company, covering the professional's details, the assignment, its duration and the work schedule in Malaysia
• Passport: a copy of every page, with at least six empty pages
• Bond: a personal bond or security bond, required for all nationalities
• Assignment papers: the employment contract or letter of award, a memorandum of understanding for training and supporting letters from the relevant agency, where they apply

MIDA-route applications also need approval from the Labour Department (JTK) under section 60(k) of the Employment Act 1955, proof of related work experience and a passport valid for at least a year. MIDA sets the experience bar at three years with a degree, five with a diploma and seven with a certificate.

Machinery installation, maintenance or repair jobs need the customs K1 form for the imported equipment. If the equipment hasn't reached Malaysia yet, MIDA accepts a purchase order and bill of lading instead. Documents in another language need a certified English translation.

Source

• Application fee: MYR 1,296 per application, which is MYR 1,200 plus 8% SST, paid by the sponsor. It has applied since Sept. 1, 2024.
• Pass fee: MYR 90 for every three months approved, paid at endorsement
• Visa fee: for nationalities that need a visa; MIDA puts it at MYR 6 to MYR 50
• Bond: a personal or security bond; the Immigration Department's PVP pages don't publish bond amounts

Sponsors on the MIDA route pay MIDA a processing fee of the same MYR 1,200 before SST.

Source

The sponsoring company applies online through its ESD account (esd.imi.gov.my) for expert, research, internship, volunteer and expo categories; other categories go to the Immigration Department's Visa, Pass and Permit Division in Putrajaya, and film or performance crews through PUSPAL.

Since June 1, 2026, sponsors in manufacturing and selected services sectors under MIDA must file through the MIDA Expatriate System via the Xpats Gateway. MIDA no longer accepts their applications through ESD Online or the legacy Xpats Gateway channel.

• Before entry: the sponsor applies while the professional is still abroad. The Immigration Department says applicants must be in their country of origin when the application is made.
• Processing: the national portal for non-citizens lists 5 working days for a complete application. MIDA's client charter for its route is 15 working days, including the Immigration Department's part.
• Visa: after approval, the sponsor arranges a visa through a Malaysian mission or eVISA for nationalities that need one.
• Entry and endorsement: the professional enters Malaysia only after approval. The pass is endorsed once the pass fee is paid.

Source

• Length: up to 12 months per issuance
• Maximum stay: 12 months
• Renewal: Extensions only within the 12-month maximum; holders must leave Malaysia when the approved period ends

MIDA's guideline describes the pass as not extendable on its route. The pass doesn't confer long-term employment rights or immigration privileges, MIDA says.

The pass settles immigration status only. The PVP guidance from ESD, the Immigration Department and MIDA doesn't explain how pay from an overseas employer is taxed.

The Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) decides tax residence mainly by days in the country: 182 days or more in a calendar year, with further tests for linked and repeated stays. Sponsors and overseas employers should confirm withholding and filing duties with LHDN before a long assignment.