Expat Guide

Are you planning to move to Malaysia? This complete guide walks you through every step, from visa application to your final relocation. Kuala Lumpur, a cosmopolitan capital of 8 million people, attracts thousands of French speakers every year: corporate expats, entrepreneurs, retirees and digital nomads. Malaysia wins them over with its affordable cost of living, tropical climate, safety and remarkable quality of life.

This guide is organised into four phases that mirror the real expat journey: planning and preparation (documents, visa, budget), moving and logistics (housing, bank, SIM), arrival and the first weeks (formalities, transport, health), then long-term settlement (community, schools, tax, daily life). Each phase contains practical advice, checklists and links to our detailed guides.

Moving to Malaysia cannot be improvised: preparation is the key to a successful relocation. This first phase, which usually lasts 2 to 6 months, conditions everything that follows. Expats who take the time to prepare their documents, budget and research experience a far smoother transition than those who arrive in a rush.

The very first decision concerns your status: for most expatriates, your employer in Malaysia must apply for an Employment Pass (EP) on your behalf. You cannot work in Malaysia with a tourist visa, and the process can take several weeks to several months depending on your permit category and the responsiveness of Malaysian immigration. Start the paperwork as soon as your contract is signed.

• • Passports: Make sure your passport (and your family's) has at least 18 months of validity. Most Malaysian permits are issued for the passport's duration, so a soon-to-expire passport can shorten your visa.
• • Birth and marriage certificates: Get recent official copies. If they are not in English, have them translated by a certified translator. An apostille is required for some documents depending on your country of origin.
• • Diplomas: Your employer will need originals or certified copies of your university degrees for the work permit application. Also plan a certified English translation if needed.
• • No-claims letter: If you plan to drive, ask your current insurer for a no-claims bonus letter. It can significantly reduce your car insurance premium in Malaysia.

Also think about health: take out international insurance covering Malaysia from day one, or check that your future employer provides health coverage. Malaysian private hospitals are excellent and affordable, but an unexpected hospitalisation can cost tens of thousands of ringgit.

The most common mistakes made by new expats: arriving without a work visa, underestimating the initial budget, or failing to check the recognition of their diplomas. Also anticipate your children's schooling: international institutions like the French School of Kuala Lumpur (FSKL), ISKL or Alice Smith require complete applications several months in advance.

• • Initial budget: Plan a 3 to 6 month expenses buffer as a safety net. The cost of living in Kuala Lumpur is 40 to 60% lower than in Paris or London, but the first months include significant expenses: housing deposit, furniture, bank deposit, transport.
• • Housing search: Start exploring Kuala Lumpur neighbourhoods remotely: Mont Kiara, Bangsar, Damansara Heights, KLCC or Desa ParkCity. Rents range from RM 2,500 for a studio to RM 8,000 for a pool villa.
• • Schools: If you are coming with children, international schools have waiting lists, sometimes 6 to 12 months. Start your applications before you even leave.

Once your visa is approved and your documents are ready, it is time to plan your physical move to Malaysia. This logistics phase is often underestimated: shipping your belongings, choosing your neighbourhood, opening a bank account and setting up your daily life require rigorous organisation.

For your international move, get several quotes from specialised movers (sea freight by container takes 4 to 8 weeks). Think about what is really worth shipping: bulky furniture often costs more to send than to rebuy locally. IKEA and local furniture stores like Lorenzo or Harvey Norman offer very reasonable prices.

Open a Malaysian bank account as soon as possible after arrival. You will need a local account to receive your salary and for daily transactions. Major banks — Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, Hong Leong — accept expats with passport, residence permit and proof of address. Most allow online account opening before you arrive.

Get a local SIM card immediately on arrival. Prepaid SIMs are available at the airport from Celcom, Maxis, Digi, U Mobile and other operators. Plans start from RM 30 per month with generous 4G/5G data. Check coverage in your future neighbourhood: Maxis and Celcom have the best national coverage.

Do not forget to notify your home bank and mobile operator of your departure, and check how to keep your accounts accessible from abroad. If you regularly transfer money between your home country and Malaysia, solutions like Wise or Revolut offer far better rates than traditional banks and are widely used by the expat community.

• • Electricity and water: Register the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Air Selangor accounts in your name as soon as the lease is signed. The deposit is usually two months of estimated consumption.
• • Internet: Unifi, Maxis Fibre and Time Fiber offer fibre up to 1 Gbps from RM 89/month. Book your installation 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
• • Postal address: For official documents (bank, permits), a stable address is essential. Plan a change of address with your home bank and tax office before departure.

Welcome to Malaysia! The first weeks are dedicated to settling in, understanding your new environment and completing essential administrative tasks. It is an intense but exciting period: every day brings discoveries, from the smells of street food to the buzz of scooters.

Your first-week checklist: register with your embassy (consular registration makes assistance easier in case of problems), get your Touch 'n Go card for public transport, and explore your neighbourhood to locate supermarkets, clinics and ATMs.

• • Transport: The Touch 'n Go card is essential: it works on the metro (MRT, LRT, Monorail), RapidKL buses, highway tolls and even parking. The MRT now connects KL's main districts with great reliability.
• • Healthcare: Locate private hospitals near you: Gleneagles, Prince Court, KPJ, Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Most accept international insurance with direct billing.
• • Driving: If you plan to drive, you can use your foreign licence for up to 90 days. After that, a Malaysian licence is required: the conversion process is simple and fast.
• • Currency: Open a Wise or Revolut account before departure for low-cost international transfers during your first months.

Also take time to understand and adapt to the climate: Kuala Lumpur's humid heat (30-33°C all year round) requires a few weeks of acclimatisation. Stay hydrated, favour air conditioning during the hottest hours and discover the many air-conditioned shopping malls that shape local life.

During the first week, do not overload yourself: the time difference is minimal (6 to 7 hours in winter, 5 to 6 in summer from France), but the heat and paperwork tire you out. Alternate formalities and discoveries: a Sunday in Bukit Bintang, a sunset in Mont Kiara, a local market at the weekend are enough to feel at home.

Now that the essentials are done, it is time to build your new life in Malaysia. The settling-in phase is about creating routines, finding your community and exploring your new home. It is also the moment to move from prolonged tourist to resident: your driving licence, your insurance, your consumption habits will take shape.

• • Cost of living: Use our interactive budget simulator to estimate your monthly expenses in Kuala Lumpur. A family of 4 spends on average RM 12,000 to RM 18,000 per month, housing included, depending on lifestyle.
• • Exploring Malaysia: Weekends are perfect for discovering the country's incredible diversity: Malacca 2h away, Cameron Highlands 4h, the beaches of Langkawi or Perhentian, the Taman Negara jungle. Domestic flights with AirAsia are very affordable.
• • Professional network: Join chambers of commerce (French Malaysian Chamber of Commerce), LinkedIn groups and expat networking events to grow your local network.

Learning a few words of Malay (Bahasa Melayu) — terima kasih (thank you), selamat pagi (good morning) — is much appreciated and opens many doors. Malaysia is one of Asia's most welcoming countries for expats: 60% of the population is Muslim, but society is multicultural and tolerant, blending Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions.

On the tax side, find out about your status: Malaysia taxes residents (staying more than 182 days a year) through an annual declaration system via the LHDN portal. Rates are progressive up to 30% for very high incomes, but many expenses are deductible (insurance, pension savings, investment funds).

Finally, think about your long-term future: schemes like Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) or the De Rantau Nomad Pass allow some expats to extend their stay beyond the initial work contract. And if the Malaysian adventure ends, your experience here — network, skills, knowledge of Southeast Asia — will be a major asset for the rest of your international career.