Visas in Malaysia

[ktectropy]

I'm hoping to move overseas for a while, probably about a year and I'm considering different places. A friend of mine in Thailand, and my own research, has indicated that staying there for an extended period of time is difficult. Malaysia is supposed to be easier. What are the legal requirements to stay there more than a few months? I'm self employed and work over the Internet. I wouldn't need employment, but I might consider it once I'm there. I am not of retirement age.

Also, I want to live cheap. I don't need much of an apartment. Small, beat up, and cheap is better than big and expensive. How cheap can one work out living arrangements in Malaysia? I will need Internet access; is that expensive or difficult to obtain?

What locations in Malaysia would you recommend for cheap living?

Thanks.

[tumbleweeds]

Originally Posted by ktectropy

I'm hoping to move overseas for a while, probably about a year and I'm considering different places. A friend of mine in Thailand, and my own research, has indicated that staying there for an extended period of time is difficult. Malaysia is supposed to be easier. What are the legal requirements to stay there more than a few months? I'm self employed and work over the Internet. I wouldn't need employment, but I might consider it once I'm there. I am not of retirement age.

Also, I want to live cheap. I don't need much of an apartment. Small, beat up, and cheap is better than big and expensive. How cheap can one work out living arrangements in Malaysia? I will need Internet access; is that expensive or difficult to obtain?

What locations in Malaysia would you recommend for cheap living?

Thanks.

You get a 90 day social visit pass when you arrive in Malaysia - if you're from the USA, you are visa exempt. After 90 days, you can just head across the border for the day and return for a fresh 90 day visa. You can do this indefinitely - I know many people who have lived in Malaysia for years this way, and I lived there for 2 years just making runs to Singapore every 3 months. Alternately, you can apply for an MM2H Social Visit Pass and Visa. There is a recent thread on this forum with a lot of information about this visa. Note that you do need to make a fairly sizeable investment in a Malaysian bank, amongst other things, to qualify. You can get an MM2H visa regardless of your age. For many people, though, just getting the social visit pass is quite adequate.

Rents are cheap. Even in KL, which is about the most expensive place to live in Malaysia, you can easily find a place for well under 1000 RM a month (about US$300). Look at the on-line listings for apartment rents in the Star and the New Straits Times. Outside of KL, you should be able to find some cheap digs for under 700 RM a month without any problem. However, you will need to commit to at least 6 months and, for most places, a year's lease. Otherwise, you'll probably be stuck staying at a hostel. Internet is widely available. I used IZZI, which uses a 4-G modem and has excellent coverage in KL. I think I was paying about 70 RM a month for it. You could also use internet cafes, which charge roughly 3 RM (US 90 cents) an hour. Very easy to obtain - bring your passport. No deposit required, though you need to sign up (and pay) for at least 6 months.

Most people end up living in either KL or Georgetown, though ex-pats are spread throughout the country. Kuching, on the island of Borneo, is another area with a growing ex-pat population. Ipoh, which is very cheap, has a small ex-pat population and it's a nice place to live, about midway between Georgetown and KL.