Malaysia Long Term Social Visit Pass for spouses and children

• The spouse of a Malaysian citizen. The spouse must be a foreign national.
• Family members of Malaysia Employment Pass holders:
  • Common-law spouse
  • Children over 21. They must be single.
  • Parents or parents-in-law
• Foreign nationals who travel to Malaysia to undergo medical treatment in Malaysia. They are allowed to bring 1 companion.

What are the Required Documents for a Malaysia Long Term Social Visit Pass?

Several documents are required for applying for a Malaysian Long Term Social Visit Pass. Each type of eligible applicant (mentioned above) must collect certain documents. Applicants must collect the following documents and submit them to the Immigration Department of Malaysia:

• The visa applications form IMM.12, IMM.55, and IMM.38. Two copies of either of them are required.
• Copies of all pages of the applicant’s passport. These copies must include personal information pages, previous visa pages, and the cover.

The following documents are required for the spouse of a Malaysian citizen:

• A copy of their marriage certificate
• The form of the Malaysian Sponsor Statement
• Security Bond. This bond must be stamped with an RM10.00 income stamp.
• Pictures. Each spouse must have two passport-size photos.
• Statutory Declaration. This document proves the status of marriage and shows that it is still in effect.
• If they have children, copies of their children’s birth certificates.
• Photocopies of their birth certificates
• Copies of their ID cards
• Wedding pictures
• Accommodation address of Malaysian citizen
• If the Malaysian citizen is employed: A letter of support from the Malaysian citizen’s employer.
• If the Malaysian citizen is self-employed, they need one of the following documents:
  • Trading License
  • ROC form
  • Form J
• The Malaysian citizen’s income statements

The following documents are required for the family members of Employment Pass holders:

• Two letters from the Employment Pass holder’s employer
  •  A letter of support
  • A letter of authorization
• Pictures of the applicant/s (These pictures must be passport-sized that are taken recently)
• Their marriage certificate
• If they have children, birth certificates of children, or adoption papers (in case of adoption)
• Custody papers of their children
• Photocopies of all the pages of the applicants’ passports
• Approval letter of the Employment Pass holder
• If the Employment Pass holder has elderly parents with no one to take care of them in their home country, they need:
  • Personal Bond. This bond must be stamped with an RM10.00 income stamp.
  • A Statutory Declaration from the Malaysian citizen or permanent resident
  • The ID of the sponsor
• Security Bond. This bond must be stamped with an RM10.00 income stamp.

The following document is required for medical treatment:

• Written confirmation from the appropriate government department or specialist hospital.

Note: The documents listed above are not the complete required documents. Applicants and their sponsors must visit the Malaysia Immigration Department and ask about a full list of documents. Read our article to learn about the complete Malaysian visa requirements.

All copies have to be presented with the original at the time of submitting the documents. In addition, a specific Embassy or Consulate of the country has to certify the birth/marriage certificate as a true copy.

All the documents have to be translated into English. The relevant Embassy or Consulate or Institut Terjemahan Buku Malaysiamust translate them.

How Can I Apply for the Malaysia Long Term Social Visit Pass?

The Immigration Department of Malaysia has the obligation of issuing the Long Term Social Visit Pass or spouse visa.

Before the foreign national arrives in Malaysia, the Malaysian citizen or Malaysian Employment Pass holder must submit the application along with the required documents to the Immigration Department. In addition, the spouse of the Employment Pass holder or Malaysian citizen must obtain a Malaysia Visa with Reference.

Applicants who are the spouses of Malaysian citizens are required to be present with the Malaysian spouse when applying for a Long Term Social Visit Pass at the Immigration Department.

Malaysia Visa With Reference for a Long Term Social Visit Pass

Foreign nationals must obtain a Visa With Reference (VDR) from the nearest Malaysian embassy or consulate before traveling to Malaysia. Before applying for a Malaysian Visa With Reference, foreign nationals need a Visa Approval Letter from the Immigration Department.

A Malaysia Visa with Reference (VDR) is appropriate for all travel purposes except tourism. There is a list of required documents for a Malaysia Visa With Reference below:

• Visa applications forms, such as forms IMM.12, IMM.55, and IMM.38.
• Questionnaire form of Visa With Reference
• Photographs of both spouses or applicants (There must be two pictures that are taken recently)
• Passport or applicant copies of both spouses
• Malaysian sponsor/spouse’s ID card
• A photocopy of the marriage certificate
• Statutory Declaration. This declaration is regarding the status of marriage to show whether it is active.
• Security Bond. This bond must be stamped with an RM10.00 income stamp.
• Children’s birth certificate
• Evidence of the sponsor’s financial income

Note: The list of requirements above is not a complete list. Applicants can check the website of a Malaysian embassy or visit an embassy to learn of the complete requirements and their opening hours.

How Long is the Malaysia Spouse Visa Valid?

The Long Term Social Visit Pass or spouse visa is valid from a minimum of six months to a maximum of five years. This type of Malaysia pass can be renewed before it expires.

Malaysia Spouse Visa Fee

The Long Term Social Visit Pass can be used to enter Malaysia by foreign nationals of Malaysian citizens or expatriates.

Can I Work with a Malaysia Long Term Social Visit Pass?

When family members of Employment Pass holders come to Malaysia, they cannot start working with a Long Term Social Visit Pass. In order to get permission to work, they need to find an employer and apply for their own Employment Pass.

On the other hand, spouses of Malaysian citizens do not need to change their Long Term Social Visit Pass into an Employment Pass. Instead, they can start work in Malaysia by getting an endorsement to work in their passport from the Immigration Department of Malaysia. This endorsement is free.

Applying for the work endorsement for the spouse of a Malaysian citizen needs:

• An application letter
• A letter of appointment or company registration evidence
• Their marriage certificate
• Their valid Long Term Social Visit Pass to the Visa
• Pass and Permit Division of the Immigration Headquarters or the nearest state Immigration office.

If a work endorsement is acquired for a Malaysia Long Term Social Visit Pass holder, they can work in any profession without any problems.

The Bottom Line…

A Malaysian Long Term Social Visit Pass or spouse visa is designed for Employment pass holders and Malaysian citizens to bring their spouse to Malaysia. Besides spouses, Employment pass holders can bring their children (single, 21 years old or higher), parents, or parents-in-law. The process of obtaining a Long Term Social Visit Pass has two parts. Employment pass holders and Malaysian citizens must collect the required documents and submit the application; in addition, the foreign national must apply for a Visa with Reference. Both parts must be done before the foreign national arrives in Malaysia. If Visit Pass is approved, the foreign national will receive a Pass for 6 months to 5 years.