MM2H vs PVIP: which Malaysia long-term visa is right for you in 2026?
Published by Lugen MM2H | Reading time: 8 minutes
MM2H vs PVIP is the most important question to answer before you do anything else. Choosing the wrong visa can stop you from working, force you to buy a property before you are ready, or tie you to 90 days in Malaysia when your life does not work that way. So let us go through it properly.
The quick answer to MM2H vs PVIP
If you are fully retired and your monthly income is modest, MM2H Silver is almost certainly the better fit. It is simpler, cheaper to set up, and more than enough for a comfortable life in Malaysia.
If you are still earning a high income, want to keep working, or need the freedom to come and go without counting days, PVIP is built for you.
Still not sure? The five questions below will make it clear.
Side by side: MM2H Silver vs PVIP
Feature | MM2H Silver | PVIP |
Visa | 5 years, | 20 years, |
Fixed | USD 150,000 | RM 1,000,000 |
Income | No set | RM |
Principal fee | RM 40,000 | Contact Lugen |
Dependent fee | Contact Lugen | Contact Lugen |
Property | RM 600,000 | Optional. You |
Minimum | 90 days per | None. Come |
Can I | No (except | Yes. Work, |
Bring | Yes | Yes |
Processing | 3 to 6 months | 3 to 6 months |
Best for | Retirees and | High earners |
Five questions that tell you which visa to pick
In our experience at Lugen, five questions separate MM2H clients from PVIP clients almost every time.
1. Do you need to work or run a business in Malaysia?
This one decides it for a lot of people. MM2H does not allow you to work in Malaysia unless you are on the Platinum tier, which requires a USD 1,000,000 fixed deposit. So if you want to
consult, run a company, or take on clients while living in Malaysia, you need PVIP.
Example: A 44-year-old Australian software consultant came to us thinking he wanted MM2H because a friend had it. Five minutes into our call it was clear he was still billing clients in Sydney remotely. MM2H would have made that legally complicated. He applied for PVIP instead and now runs his consultancy from Kuala Lumpur with no restrictions.
2. How many days a year can you spend in Malaysia?
MM2H requires 90 days a year in Malaysia if you are below 50 years old (For the main applicant). For someone fully retired and planning to live there most of the year, that is easy. But for a professional who travels constantly, 90 days is a hard constraint that can catch you off guard.
PVIP has no minimum stay at all. You could spend 10 days in Malaysia one year and 200 the next. Your visa stays valid either way.
3. Are you ready to buy a property right now?
MM2H requires you to purchase residential property in Malaysia. Silver means at least RM 600,000. If you want to rent first, get to know the city, and decide where you actually want to live
before buying, MM2H forces your hand too early.
PVIP does not require a property purchase. You can rent indefinitely or buy when you are ready. It is your choice, not a condition of the visa.
Honest note: Some agents push you toward buying immediately because they earn commission on property sales. At Lugen we tell you what suits your situation, not what suits our income.
4. What is your monthly offshore income?
PVIP requires RM 40,000 per month in offshore income. That is roughly GBP 7,000 or AUD 13,000 a month. If your income is comfortably above that, PVIP is accessible. If it is below that, MM2H is the realistic route.
MM2H does not set a hard income figure, but you need to show you can support yourself. The fixed deposit is the main financial proof the government looks at.
5. How long do you want certainty for?
MM2H Silver gives you a 5-year renewable visa. That is enough time to settle in, and you can renew it. But every renewal means paperwork and fees.
PVIP gives you 20 years from day one, with the option to renew for another 20. If Malaysia is your long-term base, PVIP removes the uncertainty entirely.
What about cost?
MM2H Silver total setup for one person: a USD 150,000 fixed deposit that earns you interest, a property of at least RM 600,000 that you own, and a Lugen all-in fee of RM 40,000 that covers
everything. PVIP total setup for one person: a
RM 1,000,000 fixed deposit that earns you interest, a non-refundable RM 200,000 government participation fee for the main applicant and RM 100,000 for each dependent, and a Lugen professional fee. Contact us for your personalised PVIP quote.
The one thing nobody tells you about MM2H vs PVIP
There is a deeper question underneath the MM2H vs PVIP decision. How serious are you about actually livingin Malaysia?
If the answer is that you want to try it for a few years and see, MM2H Silver is the right starting point. Lower cost, lower commitment.
If the answer is that you have done your research and you know Malaysia is where you want to be, PVIP is the better investment. You pay more upfront and you never have to think about it again for 20 years.
We see people choose MM2H because it is cheaper, then realise two years in that they actually wanted PVIP. Switching is possible but it means starting the process again and paying twice.
Still not sure which one is right for you? Book a free call with Lugen. Bring your situation, your questions, your family details. We will give you a straight answer on what actually fits your life.