A Guide To MDEC Employment Pass Applications (Updated For 2026)

For companies granted MD Status under the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), expatriate work visa applications are assessed and approved via the MDEC eXpats portal. 

However, application submission is done via a separate platform called Xpats Gateway that connects employers to regulatory bodies to obtain supporting documents. 

It’s a lot to take in, and this guide explains the basics of ensuring a smooth application process, broken down into:

• types of MDEC expatriate visas
• employer requirements
• expatriate requirements
• key evaluation factors
• application journey and timeline
• fees and required documents, and
• the pros of engaging a service provider

Of course, you’re welcome to skip the guide and get in touch directly with our EP experts.

Otherwise, let’s begin.

MDEC Employment Pass categories

MDEC Employment Passes are issued for MD Status companies to employ an expatriate full-time in a key position that cannot be filled by local talent, with three categories for different seniority levels.

A successful application requires role, salary, and expat to align with category, and here are the differences between them as of 2026.

Category	Minimum pay	Validity period	Dependents	Common roles
1	RM20,000	10 years	Permitted	Directors, C‑suite executives, senior management
2	RM10,000	10 years	Same as Category 1	Managers, professional specialists, subject‑matter experts
3	RM5,000	5 years	Same as Category 1	Technical specialists, junior executives

Category 2 and 3 EP applications must also include a clear succession plan detailing how the company will eventually replace the expatriate’s role with a local within a specified period.

All three categories allow dependents, and MDEC facilitates the following dependent visas:

• Dependent Pass for legal spouses and children below 18
• Long-Term Social Visit Pass for common law spouses, parents / in-laws, and children 18 years old and above

These dependent visas can be applied for together with the principal EP, and our advice is always to do them together when possible. 

Employer requirements

Employers meet several requirements to be eligible for an EP application under MDEC.

Local company with MD Status

We apologise for stating the obvious, but for the sake of clarity, we have to include the most foundational requirement: The employer must be a locally incorporated Sdn Bhd granted MD Status.

On the surface, all it requires is that the business:

• has a company incorporated under the Companies Act 2016
• proposes to or already carries out an MD-approved activity

There are further requirements to maintain the certificate, and the list of activities are very specific, so readers without this are advised to start with our guide to MD Status applications. 

Paid‑up capital 

The MD Status company must meet minimum paid‑up capital requirements tied to foreign equity:

• 100% Malaysian‑owned: RM250,000
• Joint venture with ≥30% foreign equity: RM350,000
• 100% foreign‑owned: RM500,000

WRT / USS license (foreign‑owned entities)

Companies with >50% foreign ownership in trade and service sectors may need a Wholesale, Retail & Trade (WRT) or Unregulated Services Sector (USS) license.

Both licenses require a minimum paid-capital of RM1 million, and sometimes more – see our guide to WRT license applications for details.

MDEC eXpat account registration

Eligible companies must register and activate an eXpats employer account through which all visa applications are submitted, tracked, and renewed.

Operational credibility

MDEC officers use supporting documents to assess the applying company’s substantive business presence in Malaysia, including:

• active operations
• tax compliance
• financial capacity to support expatriate salaries, and
• approvals from sector regulatory bodies

The more established an operation, the higher the chance of a successful application.

Expatriate requirements

Resume and background must satisfy MDEC’s definition of ‘foreign knowledge worker’ while visa history should demonstrate good conduct in other countries.

Academic qualification and experience

The expatriate must meet at least one of the following qualification thresholds:

• Degree or above from an institution of higher learning
• Diploma in multimedia / ICT or relevant subject AND at least 2 years’ experience in a relevant field, OR
• has held a professional, executive, management or technical work position in ICT enabled services

Exemptions may be given to expatriates who will be employed in roles that require:

• locally scarce knowledge-based skills that are key to the MD activity
• creative talent to produce creative work for an MD Status company

All academic qualifications must be Certified True Copy (CTC).

Immigration history

Applicants are expected to have a clean immigration record, and previous overstays, blacklisting, or improperly cancelled work passes may negatively affect approval prospects and should be addressed before submission.

Role requirements

The role must be related to the approved MD activities as specified in the company’s MD Status.

Additionally, roles paying <RM15,000 require attempts to hire locally through job postings on MyFutureJobs for at least 14 days and a Hiring Outcome Report explaining why local interviewees were unsuitable.

Application fees

As of April 2026, MDEC charges the following for expat visa applications:

• EP (all categories): RM2,000
• PVP: RM1,200
• Dependent Pass: RM500
• Long-Term Social Visit Pass: RM500

Note these do not factor in SST (currently at 8%) or third party charges.

There is also an immigration fee that varies by country and duration of visa endorsement which can be found here.

Required documents

While there may be additional supporting documents needed, a typical EP application under MDEC requires the following:

• full colour copy of passport
• Certified True Copy academic certificates
• updated resume or CV
• stamped employment contract
• job description on company letterhead
• MyFutureJobs support letter (if applicable)
• sector‑specific approval letters

Depending on the expatriate’s nationality and the role being filled, there will often be specific supporting documents, and while outdated, this checklist from MDEC is still fairly reliable – and of course readers are welcome to get in touch with us.

Application journey & timeline

Including MD Status application, a visa application through MDEC typically takes six to eight months, depending on completeness of supporting documents and volume of applications being processed.

Stage	Description	Estimated time
1. Company incorporation & MD Status application	Registering Sdn Bhd with SSM and securing MD Status from MDEC	~2 months
1. eXpats registration & activation	Company profile registration and activation on the XPATNOVA portal	~2 months
2. JTK / XPats Gateway approval	Workforce approval and issuance of support letter (where applicable)	~1 month
3. MyFutureJobs compliance (if needed)	Job advertisement and local interview process (if required)	~1 month
4. Expatriate work visa application	Full EP / PVP application submission, review, and MDEC assessment	~2–3 months
5. Approval & visa issuance	Approval letter and issuance of VDR or eVisa	~2 weeks
6. Endorsement & ePass	Entry into Malaysia and final endorsement (sticker or ePass issuance)	~2 weeks

Two things to note:

1. For future applications, there is no need to register on eXpats.
2. Roles paying above RM15,000, especially for directors under Category 1 can skip the MyFutureJobs compliance stage.

Thankfully, renewals are much faster and can often be done in one to two months, provided all the Category requirements are met and MD Status maintained.

And with that, all that’s left is a shameless plug for our services!

Why engage an expatriate visa agency

While employers can handle their own EP applications, the process is far from straightforward and new applicants have a high risk of being delayed because one form wasn’t stamped correctly.

An experienced visa service provider reduces risk by:

• pre‑evaluating eligibility
• ensuring correct EP category selection
• managing eXpat and MyFutureJobs compliance, and
• verifying documentation before submission

For an additional fee, employers and expatriates both enjoy a smoother application free from mistakes they might have unknowingly made.

This applies to any capable visa application service provider – but we’d obviously prefer you to hire MISHU!

Let MISHU handle your MDEC EP application

Our team enjoys a 98% success rate across our Employment Pass applications and renewals over the years and can provide end-to-end assistance for MD Status companies including eXpat account registration, handling MDEC queries, and more.