Moving to Malaysia from Taiwan

Moving from Taiwan means choosing a visa (usually MM2H), sorting money and banking, and deciding where to live — with a money side that is far easier than mainland China's, since Taiwan permits large individual remittances. Malaysia offers a familiar Chinese-speaking base at lower cost than Taipei. Here's the journey, in order.

Figures verified June 2026 · MOTAC framework; cross-checked vs Wise, Golden Visa Map, IMI Daily (MM2H 3.0, June 2024)

Get a personalised plan MM2H for Taiwanese

The short version

Why people move from Taiwan to Malaysia

A large Mandarin-, Hokkien- and Hakka-speaking community, strong English-medium international schools, lower cost than Taipei, and a short direct flight home. We make the full case on our MM2H for Taiwanese guide.

Step by step

The relocation journey, in order

Choose your visa

For most movers from Taiwan it's MM2H (a long, renewable base) or DE Rantau (remote workers). The full Taiwan-specific breakdown — tiers, the money side and the catches — is on our MM2H for Taiwanese page.

MM2H for Taiwanese

Budget the cost of living

A comfortable life in Malaysia costs a fraction of most high-cost cities. Size your own monthly budget against home before anything else.

Cost-of-living comparison

Choose where to live

Penang for island life, KL/Selangor for amenities and healthcare, Johor for space and Singapore access. Start from your priorities, then read the neighbourhood guides.

Best places to retire & live

Sort money & banking

Open a local account, set up the MM2H fixed deposit, and bridge with a multi-currency account until your account is live.

Banking in Malaysia

Plan tax & money

Money movement is easy (up to ~USD 5M/year). The planning item is the 183-day residency test and the lack of a formal DTA. Confirm with a cross-border adviser.

Taiwan tax & money detail

Arrange healthcare & insurance

Private cover in Malaysia is excellent and a fraction of most home-country private rates — arrange it before you arrive.

Healthcare in Malaysia

Schools, if you're bringing children

A deep network of British, IB and American international schools at competitive fees — apply earlier than you'd expect.

International schools

Handle the logistics

Shipping or replacing your home, your pet, your driving licence and document legalisation — the Taiwan-specific practicalities are below.

Taiwan practicalities

The one to plan first

Money is easy; the tax-residency test is the planning point

Unlike mainland China, Taiwan permits individual overseas remittances of up to about USD 5 million per year, so funding any MM2H tier is logistically simple. The planning point is tax: Taiwan uses a days-based residency test (under 183 days in Taiwan generally means non-resident, taxed only on Taiwan-source income). There is no formal Taiwan–Malaysia tax treaty, but a bilateral arrangement reduces double taxation on some income. Confirm your position with a cross-border adviser before restructuring.

The Taiwan-specific bits

Shipping, pets, licence & documents

Shipping your home

Sea freight from Taiwan to Port Klang runs a few weeks; many movers ship a part-load and rebuy furniture and electronics locally, where they are cheaper.

Bringing pets

Requires an import permit from Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), microchipping, up-to-date vaccinations and the right paperwork. Quarantine requirements depend on your country's rabies category — confirm the current DVS rules and start months ahead.

Driving licence

Drive short-term on a Taiwanese licence with an International Driving Permit; a Taiwanese licence can often be converted via JPJ. Confirm the current process.

Document legalisation

Taiwan is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so Taiwanese documents are authenticated via MOFA and the relevant Malaysian/Taiwanese representative offices rather than apostilled. Confirm the current authentication route with your MM2H agent.

Flights & time zone

Taipei–Kuala Lumpur is roughly 5 hours nonstop. Malaysia shares Taiwan's time zone (UTC+8).

Community

Malaysia's Chinese community speaks Mandarin, Hokkien (dominant in Penang), Cantonese and Hakka — the same mix most Taiwanese families have, so the landing is immediate.

Timeline & budget

How long does it take — and what does the move cost?

How long it takes

Plan on 3–6 months end to end. A realistic order:

Months 1–2: decide the visa, budget, and a shortlist of areas
Months 2–4: MM2H application + fixed deposit; bank and property
Months 3–5: shipping, pets, schools, and notifying home-country bodies
Months 5–6: fly out, settle in, finalise the local account

Indicative — MM2H processing times vary, so start the visa early.

What the move itself costs

Separate from living costs — the one-off move (indicative, for a couple):

Sea-freight shipping (part-load to full container): ~USD 2,500–8,000
One-way flights, per person: ~USD 150–400
Pet relocation, per pet all-in: ~USD 2,500–5,000
MM2H agent & application fees: see the MM2H guide
Plus the refundable fixed deposit — your capital, not a cost

Indicative ranges; many movers ship light and rebuy locally. Size living costs with the cost-of-living comparison.

Before you fly

The Taiwan → Malaysia pre-departure checklist

The Malaysia side (everyone)

· Confirm your visa route (MM2H tier or DE Rantau)
· Line up the MM2H fixed deposit and a local bank account
· Choose your area and secure housing (renting first is wise)
· Arrange private health insurance before you arrive
· Apply to international schools early (if bringing children)
· Book shipping and set up bridging funds (Wise / local e-wallet)

The Taiwan side (Taiwan-specific)

· Confirm your 183-day tax-residency position with an adviser
· Plan remittances (large individual transfers are permitted)
· Authenticate documents via MOFA (no apostille route)
· Review household-registration and health-insurance changes
· Confirm driving-licence conversion with JPJ
· Set up a cross-border banking arrangement

Bringing a spouse or children? They join your MM2H application as dependents — see the MM2H for Taiwanese guide and schools guide.

Get the free relocation checklist (PDF)

Our 50-point Malaysia Relocation Readiness Checklist — emailed to you instantly.

How we help: we coordinate the visa, property and the cross-border referrals so you’re not stitching it together from two time zones — and we represent you, not developers. — Marcus Tan, ExpatMove Editorial Team.

Common questions

Moving from Taiwan: FAQ

Are there forex limits moving money from Taiwan?

Taiwan's rules are far more permissive than mainland China's — individual remittances of up to about USD 5 million per year are generally allowed without special approval, well above any MM2H tier. Banks may ask for source-of-funds documentation on larger transfers.

Is there a Taiwan–Malaysia tax treaty?

There is no formal double tax agreement (Malaysia's official treaty is with the PRC), but a bilateral arrangement reduces double taxation on certain income types. It doesn't cover every scenario — confirm how it applies to your income with an adviser.

Can I bring my pet from Taiwan to Malaysia?

How are my documents legalised without apostille?

Taiwan isn't part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so documents are authenticated through MOFA and the relevant representative offices rather than apostilled. Your MM2H agent can confirm the current route.

How far is Malaysia from Taiwan?

Taipei to Kuala Lumpur is about 5 hours nonstop, and Malaysia shares Taiwan's time zone (UTC+8), so staying connected is easy.

Read the full MM2H for Taiwanese guide

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