Short term visa and property lease

4POSTS

last year

Hi everyone. I am a retired US citizen and would like to spend 3-6 months a year in KL. Ideally I would like to rent an apartment for 1-3 years. I would also love to buy a motorcycle and tour the country with it.

I'd be doing an exit and re-entry once or twice a year to the Philippines to renew the 3 months visa. Can anyone tell me if any if this is possible? Or am I dreaming in vane?

As a side note, I do own a property in Port Dickson which I purchased around 15 years ago (purchase price was 600K RM). Would that have any bearing on my situation?

Your advice would be very much appreciated.

With warm regards,

Saeid

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Ziggy With It Active member

28POSTS

last year

@Saeid Momtahan Thank you for asking this! I'm in much the same position and plan to do "visa runs" every time the 90 days runs out. But I'd really like to learn about how to own a bike/car when I won't have a "permanent" residence.

wyngrove60 Serial expat

430POSTS

last year

Are visa runs still allowed? I used to do them about 20 years ago for many years, but then a few years ago I started reading here that immigration frowned upon it. Back then I travelled around Asia quite a bit and when not, I'd take a coach down to Singapore and come back that way as I felt that immigration there were pretty unconcerned. However, if might be worth getting more up to date info on what immigration thinks about visa runs.

Ziggy With It Active member

28POSTS

last year

I'm still in 'Murica!!! at the moment so I don't have first-hand experience. But the YouTube channel Vegabond Awake recently said that Malay immigration is "cracking down" on visa runs. Another YouTuber (Ben Fishermin) recently said pretty much the same thing.

My plan would be to spend my 90 days in Malaysia and go somewhere else for a month. I don't know if immigration will allow this, but I will try. It should be less egregious than those who leave Malaysia for a day or two and hence (hopefully) not frowned upon as severely.