Opening a bank account in Malaysia

Hi all,

is it difficult for expats to open a bank account in Malaysia ?

Which documents are required to open a bank account in Malaysia ?

How long does it take to open it ?

Is there any restriction for expats regarding the services (loans for instance)  ?

Which bank would you recommend ?

Thanks in advance for your participation,

Julien

Hi Julien,

I'm trying to open a bank account myself. I have been advised MayBank as they offer good services and have the most offices around KL.

I first need to get my work visa though as that's essential to opening a bank account.

Sorry, can't help you on your other questions.

Working in Malaysia with valid work permit / employer letter
Studying in Malaysia with valid student pass / letter acceptance for Institution of Learning
Participate in Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) with conditional approval from Malaysia Immigration Department to open acct
Own a property in Malaysia not purchased under MM2H program
Own business registered in Malaysia where foreigner is a sole proprietor/partner/shareholder/director
Spouse & child of foreigners where the foreigner meets any 1 of the following criteria
Working in Malaysia with valid work permit
Studying in Malaysia with valid student pass
Participate in MM2H
Own Property in Malaysia
Own business registered in Malaysia
Possess a valid passport with multiple visit to Malaysia of min 10 visit in a year.

The Initial deposit of opening a Savings Account will be RM250.00 and RM1000.00 for current account.

You will require a letter of authorization from your employer/sponsor and the banks minimal deposit. It takes a few days to get banking approval but most can be open in the same day if visa and passport are in order.

Hi,

I live alone in Malaysia and all my salary is being paid in Malaysia, I asked my bank (HSBC Premier) if I could give a power of attorney to my parents or sisters in the event something were to happen and I needed someone else to access my funds here...  and the answer was no... also opening a joint account would not work as they would need a proper visa.. an another bank card also not possible.

Does anyone here have any experience in this field? Or a bank that does allow this for expats?

Thanks!

The good thing about HSBC Premier is that you can open a bank account in Malaysia even if you only have a tourist visa, as long as you have your Primary HSBC Premier account already in another country.

I used to have joint accounts with one of my sons while he lived in France and had never lived in Malaysia. I also issued subsidiary Premier Mastercard credit cards for three of my children who lived in France and had never lived in Malaysia. If I had given my log in information to my son then he could have transferred from my other accounts into the joint account and accessed funds that way. Also with those subsidiary Premier Mastercards my children were able to access emergency funds US$2,000) at any time.

Why did I issue Premier Mastercards to three of my children in France? Because they already had ordinary HSBC savings accounts in England (not Premier), and whenever they entered an HSBC bank in Paris they were treated like crap by snooty bank staff and sometimes asked to leave. They were students and looked young and perhaps scruffy. Once they had the Premier Mastercard they were treated with respect.

So if you give your log in information to your sisters or parents and they have HSBC accounts in Switzerland or wherever, then they could theoretically transfer funds out of your account to theirs.