MM2H - How to apply
 

I'm a Brit living in the UK and about to retire. My wife and i have decided for a variety of reasons that we would like to resettle in Malaysia and after a quick tour down the west coast of the peninsula this summer have picked on Penang. We are about to start our application and are gutted that MM2H.info has shut down. There was so much useful info there. I've decided to note on this forum how we go about the application for others to follow. I will try and post details of each step followed by a comment on the outcome. If successful that will be it but if we get a challenge at any stage I'll post details of how we solved the issue.

Someone will probably tell me this should be a blog but I haven't figured out how to do that and I'm not sure blogs are as visible as posts.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Ok where to start. The application form would seem a good place but there is one piece of information that will take time to get and that is the Letter of Good Conduct so I'll start there.

If you google LGC in the UK you will find your local constabulary will have a message that they do not issue letters of good conduct. You do get two other options though. The first is known as a Subject Access Request (SAR) and the application form is available from your local constabulary. It costs £10 and can take up to 40 days. The alternative is a ACRO Police Certificate. The form can be downloaded from http://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx. The cost here is £45 but only takes 10 days. This is the mandatory route for a visa for a number of countries and probably the one that will be needed for the Malaysian Authorities. It is the one we have chosen to apply for. If anyone has managed to get MM2H with a SAR please let us know.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Hi Neon Hippy,

That's a great idea and will be helpful to many people I'm sure.

Pick of Penang (a Brit) did something similar a couple of years ago and his blog has some very useful tips on applying for MM2H - See:

Pick of Penang

Good luck with your application

JC3

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Great initiative Neon :thumbup:

I think the problem with blogs AND forum posts is keeping the info up to date. Rules change, bloggers get bored and bugger off to somewhere else, etc etc. so that's great to get up to date info from someone doing it now (Neon). That was another plus for my2home with newbies always posting about their visa experiences.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Thanks JC that is a very useful link with the kind of detail that I am hoping to post. As BB says things do get out date and I certainly found some of the links are now broken so I feel this is worth doing again.

One snippet in the blog that is relevant to post #2 is that the SAR will be accepted by MM2H. So applicants who plan ahead can save money but in my case the timing doesn't work so I'm happy to pay the extra and get my LGC quicker.

NeonHippy

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

With the LGC application in the post the next thing to think about is the application letter. I've looked at a few examples and they seem to vary from very brief to nicely detailed. I prefer to put as much detail in as I can to ensure that MoTour understand what I want, how I've tried to meet their requirements and for any variance why I believe I am offering an equivalent alternative. I've attached a redacted copy of my application for others to use as a template. It should be obvious from what is left the kind of thing you need to write to fill the spaces Key points are

• Address the letter to MoTour
• Briefly describe who you are are what you are applying for
• State the criteria you are applying under
• Describe why you want to live in Malaysia
• List anyone else coming with you and those not coming
• Describe how you will meet the income and savings requirements
• Summarise your finances in an easy to read table
• Sign the letter and give your passport number
• Optional: List the enclosures

Given the poor interest rates in UK bank accounts these days few will have £70,000 languishing in the bank but MoTour should accept shares (ISAS) as a liquid asset. But it doesn't hurt to state this explicitly.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

It is likely that I shall soon be applying for an mm2h visa, so I will follow your progress with much interest.

One question: Is there a need to supply a birth certificate (either original or certified copy)? I do not have my birth certificate so if it is needed I could be in trouble. Presumably MoTour need to check your age, but perhaps they do this from other documents (e.g. passport).

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Great stuff Neon :thumbup:

Another good place to get info on applying is on the Joy-Stay website. Actually an agent, but worth looking at the site even if you are doing DIY. Here's a link:
Malaysia My Second Home

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Hi NeonHippy,

I read your draft application letter. Here's some suggestions:

1. Avoid the detail. Keep it very simple. Remember it will be read by someone whose first language is not English.
2. Do not say anything negative, it may create unnecessary alarm.
3. If you intend to buy a house, apartment, car etc in Malaysia, say so. Malaysia wants you to spend your money here.
4. Add a table detailing your financial capability to your cover letter, e.g. that lists your Liquid Assets, Fixed Assets, Current Annual Income, Current or Future Pension Income (show all values in sterling and RM). Whilst this is optional, I think it can help to quickly illustrate you are wealthy enough to support yourself in Malaysia which is basically what they want to know.
5. Remember the MM2H visa is available to people who are still working in their home country and possibly just want a second home in Malaysia, it's not only for retirees who plan to live in Malaysia full time. So you can use your current salary (if still working) to help meet the criteria now.
6. Add your 'phone number so MM2H staff can call you with any questions if necessary.

Good luck

JC3

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Hi TeeJayDee, attached is the current checklist from the official web site. My reading of this is that you do not need to include your birth certificate only for accompanying dependents under 21. I presume to prove they meet the dependents criteria. Also the list includes your parents if they accompany you to demonstrate that they are over 60.

Don't forget also that if you are bringing your wife as a dependent you will need to include a certified copy of your marriage certificate. Good luck if you do decide to go for MM2H

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

You can always get a copy of your birth certificate from https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Thanks JC3 I will revisit my letter with these points in mind.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Many thanks for your response NeonHippy. I agree with your reading of the birth certificate requirements. I am surprised they do not want the birth certificate of the applicant, given the two paths (over and under 50) towards the mm2h visa. I would have thought they would wish to be sure an applicant claiming to be over 50 was indeed over that age. They are presumably happy to take the date of birth from the applicant's passport as proof.

Thanks also for the link to the source of replacement birth certificates. I think I should get one anyway, as it is useful to have in case it is needed for other purposes.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Document Certification

Our police checks came back last week, so it was time to get everything printed out, collected and checked prior to getting the required documents certified. The purpose of certification is to verify that any copied material is a true copy of the original. So in theory if you submit original bank statements or payslips they do not need certifying. However the MM2H website clearly states that certified copies of bank statements and payslips are required so I would suggest that to avoid any confusion you get these documents certified even if they are the originals.

But in this internet age everything is stored on line so I didn't have actual originals of my bank statements or payslips. Fearing this might be a problem I emailed MOTAC who quickly replied stating a stamp on the bank statement or a letter from the bank would be helpful. HSBC were less than helpful, suggesting that I get my GP to verify their bank statement as it is their policy not to certify statements. A demand to see the manager eventually got me a letter stating that the attached documents were my last three statements and that it was not bank policy to certify them.

HR were kind enough to stamp my payslips so that just left the printout of my investments which comprise the bulk of our savings and are needed to meet the RM350,000 for three months criteria. This I thought might be troublesome so I prepared to go armed with the login details on my phone to demonstrate to the person certifying the documents that they were a true record.

Now a frequent comment about MM2H is that the rules keep changing. Earlier posts that I have read implied that certification could be done by a UK solicitor but that is certainly not indicated by the current MM2H information. If you are in Malaysia then certification can be done by a range of professions but the only one listed for The UK is the Malaysian consulate in London. I decided to play safe and plan a trip to London. The address is 45 Belgrave Square, Westminster, London SW1X 8QT. When you get there the bit you need is down in the basement between House numbers 45 & 46 (see photo).

You need to visit the consulate in the morning to register your documents for certification. Aim to arrive around 10:00. Go down The steps and head for the reception desk. You need to sign the register and then sit down and wait to be called by the receptionist. This person's role is to triage the visitors so eventually your name will be called and after ascertaining that you require certification of documents you will get a ticket with a number. What they don't tell you is that the four lanes are for different purposes and they each have a different number sequence. Imagine my surprise having seen the ticket display click from 15 to 16 and then be handed ticket number 405! It was actually only a short wait from 404 to our being called. Proceed down the hall to your allocated booth. You will need to hand over the ticket before the clerk will talk to you. Each document to be certified will cost just £3 so the total cost is not high but they only accept cash so be sure to go to the ATM first. You will need a copy of your passport certified along with a copy of each dependant's passport. If any of the passports are less than a year old you will also need to get a copy of the old one certified. The clerk will check each copy against the original so don't forget to take your passports. You also need to get copies of all the documents pertaining to any dependants certified. That is marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificates for children under 21 or parents over 60. Again be sure to take the originals for comparison. Finally you need copies of the last three payslips, current account bank statements showing the salary pass through your account and a statement showing the equivalent of RM350,000 in liquid assets for at least three months. My fears over this last one were soon dispelled when I handed over the money. At this point your original documents will be returned to you along with a slip of paper giving you a time to collect your certified copies. This will be in the afternoon, in our case 3:30 to 4:00. This whole process only took about 30 minutes.
When you return in the afternoon, there is no need to get a ticket just return to the same counter and your documents will be returned with a stamp on every page.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

:goodpost:

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Having got the relevant documents certified the next challenge is to get everything together and delivered to the MM2H office. You may think this a bit OCD but in my profession we cannot accept failure, we are used to checking our work, rechecking it and just when we are sure its right getting someone else to check it. I would recommend making a list of all the forms and evidence you need in excel with a line for each item, then as column headings things you need to do such as completed, certified, signed, dated, witnessed etc. In each intersection state if required Y/N. Then when you are ready to send of check each item and tick that you have completed all the required bits. This in effect is what your agent would do for you. It will pay dividends if you have missed something and want to avoid the delay of having the HH2H office chasing you for a missing signature.

Once you are satisfied it can all go into a robust envelope. Royal Mail offer an international tracked option which allows you to track your package so you will know when it has arrived safely. Sending documents, paper weight, by this method only costs between 10-15 pounds depending on the weight. Ours was posted Wednesday morning last week and Thursday this week I awoke to see the package had been delivered. 6 working days which didn't seem too bad. So this is the method I would recommend.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Sorry NeonHippy, but I couldn't resist.:lol:

Seriously though, many thanks for this latest update. Now it seems you can relax and await the response of the mm2h office. I am sure you feel relieved to be this far on. It's a good idea to use the international tracked service, just in case you need to prove delivery.

Presumably you took a photocopy or a scanned copy of the entire contents of the envelope before sending it?

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

:o You've got me banged to rights there teejaydee.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

I am watching this posted very closely, but it does seem to be a bit of a mine field. It's much more complicated than I first imagined.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Not really, the MM2H forms don't require anything that you will struggle to answer, you just need to be careful and make sure that you do answer all the questions and tick all the right boxes. The form that requires your signature to be witnessed is unusual in that the witness needs to include their passport number. So warn the person that you want to witness your signature that they need to dig out their passport. Also read carefully the guidance if you have any non-standard dependants. For example if you are the legal guardian of a minor rather than the parent, or you are the step parent to your partners child.

The main bit of red tape so far has been certification of copies. Basically the MM2H office wants to know that anything that is copied rather than the original has not been doctored. Hence the need to get the consulate to certify copies against the originals.

But if you are worried, rather than be put off by the process, engage an agent to process the paperwork for you. Part of their service is to ensure that all the paperwork is properly completed and presented in the best possible light.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

I would definitely recommend using an agent for the MM2H application. They will have done it loads of times and know exactly what is required and can also give great advice. You can also do nearly all of it remotely. Afterwards they can help you with driving licence, buying a tax-free car etc

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Someone once posted that there are three types of applicant, those that easily meet the financial requirements, those that don't meet the financial requirements and those that are borderline on the financial requirements. That only last of these three require the services of an agent.

If you are happily married with 2.4 kids of your own issuance I would agree with this statement. But I would add another category that would benefit from an agent and that is anyone who intends bringing dependents that are not of the applicants direct blood line.

As for the extras that follow on from a successful application I am sure that there will be plenty of support on this forum to assist.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

That's what, I'd probably do at this moment in time, however I'd imagine the more I read about it and familiarise myself about then the kess 'foggy' I am sure it'll become.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

I learnt today that my application has been approved. Rather unfortunate that the letter is winging its way west just as I have flown east but that's sods law for you. I hope to resume posting shortly on the next steps.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Congratulations :thumbsup:. I bet you're pleased you didn't use an agent. You weren't kept waiting too long for a decision either, and I assume the mm2h office didn't ask for further information or clarification etc.?

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Thank you for the thumbs up. No, there were no further questions or requests. I was concerned that most of our savings are in ISAs rather than the bank so we didn't meet the requirement for money in the bank for 3 months and I wasn't sure if Fidelity would release the information but all seems to have gone well. We are both very pleased but missing the bottle of champagne that is home waiting for this moment.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

CONGRATULATIONS !!

No champers....never mind, have a virtual glass of plonk :drinkwine:

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

a quick update on how long it took. On the mm2h progress page our application is dated 14/11/14 and the approval date is listed as 16/12/14. It seems to have taken slightly longer to be informed than it did to be approved. To be fair there was Christmas and New Year in between but I think the lesson is 'don't be afraid to chase progress'. I was possibly too laid back giving them the full three months and could have been in a better position to use this month in Penang if I'd known about the approval.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Thanks BB we made do with several glasses of red wine instead. If you are coming to the Viva food court on Tuesday we will be the two pale faces looking particularly bemused. Please come over and say hello.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

No, sorry, I cannot go. Have some ongoing "home problems" at the moment.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Congrats from me too. I'd share a few :drinkwine:in lieu of BB being there but far to far away in New Zealand.


One day perhaps for all of us.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

You want to retire to Penang? :sneaky:

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

The provisional letter will come with a set of standard clauses that are all covered in the mm2h.gov.my Web site so should not hold any surprises but to precise them, you will have six months to complete the requirements in section 3 and go to Putrajaya to collect your visas. The social visit pass will be issued for the duration of your passport upto 10 years. You may not participate in any political cal or sensitive activities and after 1 year you may withdraw RM50,000 of the RM150,000 fixed deposite. And of course you must not commit any crimes.

In section 3 there is a list of each of the fees and documents required to be presented when you go to Putrajaya. I will cover each of these in separate posts as and when we complete them.

First up is the fixed deposit. And the first question to be answered here is which bank to use? This can be confusing as each will display their rates and charges in different ways and with different bands for interest rates etc. So unless you have a very tight reign on how you use your money it is impossible to predict which will be cheapest to use whilst paying the best interest on funds you hold with the bank. But as a general rule you will get slightly better interest rates from malaysian banks than you will the international banks. So if your money is not based in the UK one of the national banks may offer slightly better deals.

On the other hand if like me you are emigrating after spending most, if not all, of your working life in the UK and your savings and pension are UK based then picking a UK bank that operates internationally will be a better bet as it can make moving your funds a bit easier in some circumstances. When we looked into choosing a bank a couple of years back there seemed to be two to choose from. These were HSBC & Lloyd TSB. We chose HSBC and this seems to have been a good choice as I have not come across a L/TSB bank in Penang whilst there are three branches of HSBC on Penang Island (interestingly there is a branch of RBS right next to the HSBC branch in Georgetown so if you are an RBS customer already that may be another option).

In the UK I could never see the advantage to being a premier customer with HSBC but with banking needs in two countries it starts to make more sense. As you will need to keep RM100,000 in a fixed deposite account (RM150,000 initially) you are already half way there as you only need RM200,000 to be a premier customer in Malaysia.

So with your provisional letter in hand go to HSBC. Branches in Georgetown, near the airport and over by Butterworth are set up for premier customers, do not use the branch in Tanjung Tokong next to Island Plaza. I can recommend the Georgetown branch. The relationship managers there are fully used to MM2H and the requirements. Ours suggested without prompting that we should put our MM2H FD into two separate accounts of RM100,000 and RM50,000 to make it easier to withdraw the second part after 1 year. She was also very comfortable with setting up a third FD of RM50,000 so that we have established the requirements for premier customer earning 3.x% interest and we only need to keep a minimal sum in the premier account for day to day living. To get to the bank take a bus to Jeti and head away from the bus station into Georgetown until you get to Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai), turn right and you will find the HSBC Bank on the corner with Lebuh Downing.

The following working day you will be able to pop back in and collect your debit card, security device and the a/c number. Your relationship manager will walk you through the process of activating everything. Also remember to ask for the swift code so you can transfer money into your account.

The one downside to banking with HSBC is that there are few HSBC ATMs around and you will be charged by the other banks if you use your HSBC debit card in their ATM to draw cash. Once settled I will probably open a local account with a small sum of money just for ease of access to cash.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

For this next section I am deeply indebted to Pick of Penang although as it turns out some of the information in that excellent blog is now out of date so I will explain changes here. The reason for recommending HSBC in Georgetown is that everything else you need to do is in either the immediate vicinity or a short bus ride away.

Having visited HSBC to activate your account, exit through the door in Lebuh Downing, turn right towards the post office which is on the same side of the street as HSBC. You need to go through the second entrance, queue for a counter and buy a RM10 stamp which is fixed to the ST form. It is a good idea to fill in the forum in advance as your signature needs to be witnessed. Oops missed that one but our ever friendly relationship manager came to the rescue. Filling in the forum is a bit of a challenge and sadly the link that pick of penang gives to the now defunct mm2h forum run by Scott no longer works. The form seems to be the same one used for both individual application and application through an agent and makes much more sense if read from the perspective of an agent. It is also very repetitive. Here are the answers I wrote, if this proves to be wrong at a later date I will post an update. Fill the blanks in the following way:-
"Social Visit Visa", your name, your address, your name, RM1500 (may differ depending on your nationality), "Social Visit Visa, your name, your passport number, your address, your name,"Social Visit Visa", your name, RM1500, leave blank, date, "Penang", "Penang", your signature, witness details.

With the completed form now with a stamp attached you need to go back up Lebuh Downing and turn right along Lebuh Pantai. Proceed almost to the end of the road and opposite the immigration building is the chamber of commerce. Go up to the forth floor and explain to the receptionist that you want to get your form chopped. The receptionist will direct you to a bench where you fill in another buff coloured form. It is in Malaysian but the receptionist will help you. With both forms ready the receptionist will give you a ticket. Wait for your ticket to be called and proceed to the displayed counter number. Hand both forms over. Your SB form will get chopped (stamped) and handed back to you.

Your next stop is a clinic for a medical. The clinic mentioned by pickofpenang is no longer there but if you return back along Lebuh Pantai past the HSBC bank there is a clinic on the right hand side of the street directly opposite the Malaysian Tourism Office. They will perform a medical and fill out the form for you. The cost is just RM 60.

Finally you will want to organise medical insurance. I will deal with that in the next post.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Hi NeonHippy,
Great info. Here are the notes from the old my2home site on how to fill in the security bond form (this format worked for me in Nov 2014):

Where's it is a condition of the issue of a MM2H SOCIAL VISIT PASS to me the said NAME OF APPLICANT (PRINCIPAL) of ADDRESS OF APPLICANT (PRINCIPAL) IN MALAYSIA that there furnished by me / on behalf of the said NAME OF APPLICANT (PRINCIPAL) security in the sum of (RM ......) as a guarantee that I / the said will comply with the provisions of the above Ordinance and of any regulation made there under and with any conditions imposed in respect of or instructions endorsed on such MM2H SOCIAL VISIT PASS pass.

Now I, NAME OF APPLICANT'S SPOUSE NRIC No SPOUSE'S PASSPORT NO of ADDRESS OF SPOUSE IN MALAYSIA do hereby bind myself that I / the said NAME OF APPLICANT (PRINCIPAL) will comply with the provisions of the above Ordinance and of any regulation made there under and with any conditions imposed in respect of or instructions endorsed on such MM2H SOCIAL VISIT PASS pass. And in case of my / the said NAME OF APPLICANT (PRINCIPAL) making default therein, I hereby bind myself to forfeit to the Government of Malaysia the sum of (RM ......) Which I do hereby deposited with the Government of Malaysia vide Receipt No ..........

Dated this ..... day of ...Signature of the abovenamed..Etc.
Witness signature, etc.

Another thing from the old my2home site: the OP originally did the form wrong but ... "When we went to immigration, we were told that we hadn’t filled the Security Bond correctly. No matter, said the lady at the desk, while she whitened out the “wrong” portions, handed me an Instruction Sheet (sample form with generic filled in portions), and had me write the “correct” things on the whitener!" The thing he had done incorrectly was not specifying the spouse's name and passport in para 2. Nice to know that it might be ok if not done perfectly.

We received the Instruction sheet referred to above with the Conditional Letter of Approval.

We initially put our Canadian address in both address fields but the Hasil/Tax office told us to put a Malaysian address for the spouse's address. So we put the address of our hotel in KL as the spouse's address.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Thanks Montacute. I wish I had this info yesterday. Hopefully they will let me correct it at immigration but for the cost of a Rm10 stamp I might just do it again.

Security Bond for Direct Applicants
 

I have now got the MM2H conditional approval letter. As part of next step, I need to fill in the security bond form (applicable to direct applicants) and I am not sure how to fill it correctly.
1- I do not have an address in Malaysia, the sample form indicates address of applicant/sponsor/witness "Address in Malaysia". Can I give the address of the KL-hotel where I shall be staying, should I also maintain the name of the hotels as well.
2- Can my wife sign in place of sponsor, I donot have a sponsor and have applied directly.
3- In KL, from where can I get the medical form signed by the medical clinic
4- Any recommended insurance companies
5- How to get around from KL to MM2H immigration office located at Putrajaya, MALAYSIA

Appreciate and thank you for all the advise I can get on how to complete the next steps.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Hi, Congrats on your conditional approval! Here are my answers based on our experience Nov 2014:

1- Yes. We used our KL hotel address. We used the street address and did not indicate the name of the hotel.

2- Yes your wife can sign in place of sponsor. See post# 35 above in this thread for details how to fill out the security bond form.

3- I found a clinic via google maps - I searched nearby our KL hotel for 'klinik'. I called a couple in advance to confirm they could do the report, their opening times and price. We were staying in KLCC and Klinik Wisma was nearby. 20 minutes to do report, cost per person: MYR 70, closed 1 to 2pm, walk-in, Address: Wisma MCA,163, Jalan Ampang, +60 3-2171 1868. Take your passports.

4- Our goal was to get/pay the minimum required so we used Pacific Insurance Berhad and got Medi-Major coverage. You can find their premium charges on their website ::: The Pacific Insurance Berhad ::: KL office phone +60 3-2176 1188. Go to level 5 at Menara Prudential, you can simply walk-in. Assuming you do not have a current illness/disability, you should have your insurance within an hour (unless you go at noon-time because staff takes a lunch break). Use your hotel address for this also. Take your passports!

5- If you are downtown KL, consider calling Putrajaya Taxi 03 8888 4000 to take you. They were much cheaper than the taxi from our hotel. From KLCC it was 30min-45min one way. Our taxi driver was willing to do some local fares in Putrajaya and then come get us. So we checked with immigration to see how long it would take and arranged a time for the taxi to come pick us up again. Although immigration is open until 5 pm, arrive well before 4:30 since they cannot process any payment after around 4:30pm and check other open/closing/lunch times of course.

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

:goodpost: Montakute

....and Welcome to the forum and Congrats, Kjarkarta

Re: MM2H - How to apply
 

Montakute/Bakedbean, thank you for the valuable information, much appreciate it.