MyMM2H

Sabah runs a third scheme, with a 30-day stay

Sabah MM2H. A long-stay residency programme run by Sabah through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, separate from both the federal Malaysia My Second Home programme and Sarawak S-MM2H, requiring applicants to be at least 25 years old, to stay a minimum of 30 cumulative days a year in Sabah, and to place a fixed deposit with a bank on the Sabah panel.

Sabah is the third Malaysian scheme, run by the state Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment. Like Sarawak, it is not the federal programme and its figures do not transfer.

What Sabah publishes for every category

These conditions are stated identically across the state’s category pages.

Sabah MM2H
AgeAt least 25
EligibilityCountries with diplomatic relations with Malaysia, except Israel, Nigeria and Bangladesh
Minimum stay30 cumulative days a year in Sabah
Processing feeRM3,000 one-off, non-refundable; RM1,500 at each renewal
Medical insuranceRequired
Medical check-upProof required after a conditional pass is obtained
Fixed depositHeld with a bank on the SABAH-MM2H panel, in Sabah
Deposit withdrawalUp to 50 percent of principal after one year of participation, for a residence, education or medical activities
DependantsSpouse, parents, parents-in-law, and children under 21 or in full-time study without employment

The two figures that stand out

Thirty days a year. The federal programme requires 90 cumulative days across every category. Sabah asks for a third of that, which matters a great deal to anyone splitting the year between countries.

Withdrawal after one year. Federal participants may draw down half the deposit once approved. In Sabah the same 50 percent unlocks only after a year of participation.

Where we stop short, and why

Sabah’s individual category pages carry the deposit and property figures, but the pages do not render their own category names: the heading reads “CATEGORY” with nothing after it. The figures visible across those pages range from a RM500,000 deposit with monthly income proof, through a USD500,000 deposit, to a USD1 million deposit with an RM200,000 processing fee and employment permitted, alongside a residence requirement of RM1,000,000 in Sabah.

We are not going to attach those numbers to category names we cannot read off the source. Quoting a deposit without naming the category it belongs to is the single most common error in published MM2H writing, and it is not one worth repeating for the sake of a fuller table.

Read them at the state’s own pages, linked below, and confirm the category before committing to anything.

Three schemes, one country

Peninsular Malaysia runs the federal programme in four categories. Sarawak runs S-MM2H with its own age routes and a sponsor requirement. Sabah runs this. An applicant who reads figures for the wrong one will plan around requirements that do not apply to them.

Common questions

Is Sabah MM2H the same as the federal programme?
No. Sabah runs its own scheme through the state Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, with its own categories, its own fees, its own panel of banks and a much shorter stay requirement. Federal figures do not apply in Sabah, and neither do Sarawak figures.
How long must I stay in Sabah each year?
A minimum cumulative stay of 30 days per year in Sabah. That is the shortest presence requirement of the three Malaysian schemes: the federal programme requires 90 cumulative days a year across all four of its categories.
How old must I be to apply for Sabah MM2H?
At least 25. Sabah also states a nationality restriction the federal programme does not: it is open to individuals from countries with diplomatic relations with Malaysia, except Israel, Nigeria and Bangladesh.
Where must the Sabah fixed deposit be placed?
With a bank on the SABAH-MM2H panel, in Sabah. Up to 50 percent of the principal may be withdrawn after one year of participation, for a residence, education or medical activities, which is a later withdrawal point than the federal programme allows.
Can I work on a Sabah MM2H pass?
It depends on the category. The state publishes one category where career opportunities are not allowed and a separate pass must be requested, and another where they are permissible. That mirrors the federal split, where only Platinum opens employment.

Published 2026-08-24 by MyMM2H, an independent reference with no affiliation to the Government of Malaysia. Read from: SABAH-MM2H official site, SABAH-MM2H category terms. Where this page and the ministry disagree, the ministry is correct.

Related guides

See also the four MM2H categories, what the programme requires, and the register of 242 licensed MM2H companies.