Sarawak MM2H records over 800 approvals, education drives growth
Sarawak’s MM2H scheme has approved 825 foreign applicants since 2023 and taken in RM176.9 million in fixed deposits. Schooling is what brought many of them.
The short version
- 560 applications approved in 2025; another 265 by mid‑May 2026
- More than 800 approved in total since the MM2H scheme began
- RM176.9 million now sits in fixed deposits in Sarawak banks
- Education and the Japanese market are the state’s new focus
Approval numbers
Sarawak’s tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told the state legislative assembly that 560 applications were approved last year. A further 265 were cleared by mid‑May this year, taking the total past 800 since the scheme began. Bernama reported the figures from the sitting.
Karim said the state is now looking to Japan, after a rise in Japanese visitors. The decision rests with applicants, he said, but the pattern matches interest from Europe and China, where Sarawak is seen as safe and well served by hospitals.
Economic impact of deposits
Approved applicants have placed RM176.9 million in fixed deposits with banks in Sarawak, according to the minister. The money is locked for the life of the visa.
Karim called the deposit requirement a core part of the programme. Every visa holder puts capital into the state directly, on top of what tourism and other sectors bring in.
Education and new target markets
Schooling is a large part of the draw for foreign families. International schools across Sarawak run curricula that suit expatriate children, and Karim named education as a main reason recent applicants came forward.
The state now plans to market the MM2H programme harder in Japan, on the back of the growing tourist traffic. Pairing the visa with schools and hospitals is how Sarawak hopes to keep approvals climbing.
“It’s up to them (the Japanese) to see what Sarawak has to offer, but from what I can observe, especially from applicants from Europe or China, they see Sarawak as a safe place with good medical facilities,”
What it means
What this changes for an applicant
- Approval comes with a fixed deposit that stays locked for the life of the visa. It joins the RM176.9 million already placed.
- Families with school‑age children have the strongest case: Karim named education as a main draw.
- Japanese applicants should expect promotion aimed at them.
Source
This article was written by Malaysia Visa Guide, based on reporting by Free Malaysia Today. We summarise and explain the news in our own words; we do not reproduce it. Read the original report for the publisher's full account.
Last updated 27 July 2026.
News is a starting point, not advice.
For what this means in your own case, the verified figures live in the Sarawak MM2H guide, or run the eligibility checker.