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Southeast Asia has long been a haven for travelers and digital nomads looking for a low cost of living and a taste of the good life. However, regional tourist visas are short and digital nomad visas are scarce.
Some countries, like Thailand, are only getting more difficult and expensive with time.
Thailand had previously offered 90-day tourist visas on arrival in 2022 but reverted back to 30 days this spring while cracking down on visa runs. Their only digital nomad visa options fall under the Thai Elite Program: multiple tiers of VIP status for high-earning nomads willing to shell out over $17K.
Other countries are taking the opposite approach, hoping to boost their post-pandemic tourist industries and encourage foreign investment.
Vietnam is in the process of extending tourist visas from 30 to 90 days. Indonesia also announced a new digital nomad visa last summer.
Malaysia has long led the pack in long-stay tourist and business visas in Southeast Asia.
The Malaysian “social visit pass” visa on arrival has allowed travelers from the U.S., UK, Canada, and other countries to visit for tourism or business for 90 days.
Late last year, the Malaysian government took things a step further by announcing a new digital nomad visa scheme. The DE Rantau program’s self-proclaimed goal is to secure Malaysia’s position as the top digital nomad destination in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Now that the first few batches of digital nomad applications have been approved, it’s becoming clear that Malaysia has succeeded.
DE Rantau is undoubtedly the easiest, cheapest digital nomad visa option in Asia.
What is the DE Rantau Program?
DE Rantau is a new initiative from the government’s Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) investing in both local and foreign digital nomads.
The program includes DE Rantau “hubs” of pre-verified accommodation equipped for digital nomads, as well as support for digital nomad networking and community across the country.
What is the DE Rantau Nomad Pass?
The DE Rantau Pass is a visa and residency scheme for foreign digital nomads to live and work in Malaysia.
This falls under the larger category of “Professional Visit Pass” and carries a low fee of $225, of which 75% is refunded in case of application rejection.
The pass allows a stay of 3-12 months with the option for an additional 12 month renewal. Nomads in Malaysia under DE Rantau must register with Malaysia’s tax office and report their income.
The most valuable benefit of this program is that nomads will not have to pay standard Malaysian tax rates on income from foreign companies or clients.
While the exact tax structure unfortunately remains opaque, MDEC's DE Rantau FAQ page lists relevant tax codes and designated points of contact for tax-specific program questions.
Who Qualifies?
Digital freelancers, independent contractors, and remote workers making at least $24,000 per year (or $2,000 per month) qualify for a DE Rantau Pass.
Qualifying applicants must work in the digital domain, which MDEC defines as:
- IT, including software development, software support and sales, UX, UI, cloud, cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, machine learning, data related work, digital currencies support, etc.
- Digital marketing
- Digital content creation
- Digital content development
What Do Applicants Need To Apply?
Applicants to this new program will submit:
- Proof of Income – Latest 3 months of bank statements, either income statements or tax returns, and pay slips
- Proof of Employment – Active contract with a foreign company that has been active for at least the last 3 months and is valid for future work (remote workers); or, long-term established client or combination of clients with a contract(s) for a project(s) valid for 3 months (freelancers)
- Passport – 6 empty passport pages on a passport with 14 months validity
- Qualifications – Educational certificates and an up-to-date resume
- Proof of Tax Registration – Tax registration slip from Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia
- Proof of Insurance – Medical insurance policy valid in Malaysia
- Proof of Good Conduct – Certified letter from local police in your country of residence
- Personal Bond – $450 payment for US citizens and $224 for UK and European citizens, refunded when your pass expires
- Visa Fee – $225 for all applicants, 75% refunded if application denied
How To Apply?
Nomad Pass applications are completed entirely online. Applicants register online with MDEC’s foreign nomad portal, then submit scans and digital copies of the required documents.
Applications are processed in 6-8 weeks. There have been some reports of delayed approval (keep in view or “KIV” status) when documents or employers required additional manual verification. Still, many applicants have reported positive experiences with responsive support from MDEC while this young program blazes the trail for nomad visas in Asia.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
James
Monday 18th of March 2024
Waiting for the past 5 months, communication is very poor.
The application is sitting in KIV(keep in view) status, which means is missing documents or approvals.
I have emailed numerous time and they always reply the application is in progress and if they need additional documentation they will contact me but they never do and the application keep sitting in KIV.
Overall I do not recommend to apply. I really don't understand why they are so picky when in the end it's just a 12 months tourist visa. You can't work locally and cannot open a bank account or start a business.
My working holiday in Australia was approved in 20 minutes, ....and that was in 2008.
Feels like lots of useless jobs were created for this and now they are trying to justify the utility of these jobs by taking forever and being an extra picky for no reason.
not doing it
Thursday 28th of December 2023
it looks good on paper, though even when you fully qualify and submit every thing on the requirement list they come back to you asking for more and more and more and even for the same documents that you have already submitted they ask for them again. its just MAD business. I gave up
Malaysian
Sunday 3rd of September 2023
It's awesome to learn that Malaysia's latest effort in coming in so strongly to make its intention to be the most sought after location for digital nomads to pick Malaysia as base, which I guarantee is worth everything and I dare say most if not all would realize, Malaysia is freaking fantastic, way beyond anyone's expectations, hence, the magical moments will last!
While Malaysia is doing something other nations, particularly those already the hot spots to be extra red eyed with what the government goes all out to wanting to suck in a large pool of talents and more professionals into the country to further driving the economy to a whole other level.
One thing though, I'm not even sure why Vietnam is made to sound that it has outdone us, which I find it to be very hard to believe. I don't think the top 3 players listed are all that much more attractive compared to Malaysia.
Not to sound cocky or anything, let's get real, Singapore is scaring more people away with its extreme insane rentals and costs of living, not even operating in the island. It's fast dimming and it's a matter of time that Singapore is to become the one most undesired among all.
Thailand, while it may seem to be almost the same level as Malaysia, it is in many ways still lagging behind Malaysia in terms of business environment,take English speaking environment for example, it's already a big loser. Property in general is also much more pricey compared to Malaysia, then, u aren't exactly paying for more perks either.
As of Vietnam, well, it's so way behind Malaysia, nothing to even compare sorry. Look at the number of tourists both countries pull in, compare the statistics side by side, u can absolutely see the huge difference, and it's not hard to understand why Malaysia is a much stronger magnet to pull in tourism where Vietnam has been trying very hard to compete but nowhere it is near to rival Malaysia. The same rule applies to this nomad visas thing, and with the very known bureaucratic & corrupt system in how things run in Vietnam, it's one extra turn off to potential candidates considering it as option.
I'm very positive that Malaysia will outdo & outshine everyone to become the newest darling, perhaps even setting a new parameters for other players to role model after it!
Welcome to Malaysia, Truly Asia!
D
Thursday 25th of May 2023
In theory, yes, it is the easiest, but there are many reports of those who have been rejected with little to no explanation after 3+ months of waiting. I was personally approved, but being active in groups of other applicants is where I've heard the stories from others. That said, it is still a new program. MDEC seems to be improving the process in some aspects. Make sure your work aligns perfectly and be patient. Be extra thorough in your documentation. Then hope that the organization agrees your work fits the guidelines. In their defense, they do not want the program exploited and wish to attract only high quality applicants.
James
Monday 18th of March 2024
@D, not improving at all...March 2024