Sabah, like Sarawak, runs a second-home programme separate from the federal MM2H, and its cheapest tier asks for the same RM500,000 deposit as Sarawak’s. It differs on the two points that matter most to a retiree: buying a home is compulsory, and the pass is for living in Sabah and nowhere else.
Everything below comes from the Sabah-MM2H portal run by Sabah’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS), which the ministry’s own site links to, read on 24 September 2026. The portal shows it was last updated on 8 September 2026. It lists 28 licensed agent companies, with licences valid into 2027, and carries no notice that applications are closed or suspended. It publishes no intake window, so confirm with an agent that files are being accepted before you move any money.
Three tiers, and only Silver is priced in ringgit
| Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed deposit | RM500,000 | US$500,000 | US$1 million |
| Processing fee (one-off) | RM3,000 | RM3,000 | RM200,000 |
| Renewal fee | RM1,500 | RM1,500 | RM1,500 |
| Monthly income | RM10,000, or RM15,000 with dependants | Not stated | Not stated |
| Home you must buy | High-rise, RM600,000 or more | RM1 million or more | RM2 million or more |
| Pass | 5 plus 5 years | 15 years | 20 years |
| Work | Not allowed | Not allowed | Permissible |
Every tier opens at 25. The deposit goes into one of the programme’s panel banks in Sabah, and every tier allows a “Maximum withdrawal of 50%” of it after one year in the programme, for buying a residence, education or medical care in Malaysia.
Only the Silver page states an income test. The Gold and Platinum pages list the deposit and nothing else under their financial requirements. The portal’s home page speaks of “verified offshore income and a trust fund deposit” without giving figures, so ask the agent whether an income test applies on the higher tiers.
The house is compulsory
The portal’s home page says the programme “mandates the purchase of property within the state”. On Silver, the term reads “All applicants must purchase and own a high rise property in Sabah” after approval, at RM600,000 or more. As written, a landed house does not meet the Silver requirement. Gold and Platinum say “a residence”, at RM1 million and RM2 million.
The home is then locked in:
Selling of property is not allowed for 10 years. However, the house can be sold after 5 years with a new purchase of a value equivalent to the minimum as specified above or higher.
That is slightly looser than the federal rule, which allows only an upgrade to a dearer home during the ten years. It still commits you to a Sabah condominium before you have lived there, so rent in Kota Kinabalu first.
You live in Sabah, and only Sabah
Each tier’s page states: “Sabah MM2H can only reside in SABAH.” It adds that “Travelling to Peninsular states will need approval from Immigration”, which the page describes as a simple application with same-day approval.
If you picture a base in Kota Kinabalu with long stretches in Penang or Kuala Lumpur, that changes the plan. The page does not say how often approval can be sought or how long a peninsular trip may last.
The minimum stay is light: a “Minimum cumulative stay period of 30 days per year in Sabah.” Existing federal MM2H holders living in Sabah are covered too. The page states that their pass “will indicate SABAH only”, with renewal approved on the previous criteria.
Who can apply, and who can come
Applicants must be citizens of a country with diplomatic relations with Malaysia, “except Israel, Nigeria and Bangladesh.” Dependants may be a spouse, parents and parents-in-law, and children below 21 or in full-time study without employment. Medical insurance is listed as required, and a medical check-up is due after the conditional pass is issued.
If the principal dies, the pass “is transferable to the spouse until the end of ten (10) years term.” The page says ten years on every tier, including the 15-year Gold and 20-year Platinum passes. Ask the agent how that applies to the longer ones.
Agents, and what they may charge
Every application goes through a company licensed by KePKAS: the applicant page states “ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY A LICENSED” Sabah-MM2H agent. Unlike the federal programme, Sabah publishes what those agents may charge. Its licensing guidelines, in Malay, cap the service charge at “RM15,000.00 bagi peserta SABAH-MM2H” (RM15,000 per participant), and allow “pengambilan deposit maksimum sebanyak 20%” (a deposit of at most 20%) of it up front, with the balance due after approval.
The applicant documents include an Immigration security bond form. The form leaves the sum blank, and the portal does not state the amount.
Sabah, Sarawak and the federal programme, side by side
| Sabah, Silver | Sarawak | Federal, Silver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 25 | 30 | 25 |
| Deposit | RM500,000, Sabah panel bank | RM500,000, Sarawak panel bank | US$150,000 |
| Income test | RM10,000 a month (RM15,000 with dependants) | Pension or income at the same levels, or savings | None |
| Home | Compulsory, high-rise, RM600,000 or more | Optional | Compulsory, RM600,000 or more |
| Time in the state | 30 days a year in Sabah | 30 days a year in Sarawak | 90 days a year, with an age question the ministry’s pages disagree on |
| Pass | 5 plus 5 years | 5 plus 5 years | 5 years, renewable |
| Programme fee | RM3,000 | RM5,000 | RM1,000 |
Sabah’s Silver tier takes Sarawak’s ringgit deposit and income levels and adds the federal programme’s compulsory home. Sarawak’s terms are in Sarawak’s MM2H in Kuching, the federal tiers in what federal MM2H asks of a retiree, and the upfront sums for those two in what each programme ties up before you arrive.
What this page does not cover
It covers the English terms on the Sabah-MM2H portal. It does not cover Sabah’s own land rules for foreign buyers, which the state sets separately, or any charges on the purchase itself. The portal also publishes the terms in Chinese, which we did not compare. For the order in which to settle a move like this, see the retirement planning sequence for the region.