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Malaysia work visa requirements for Indonesian citizens

For Indonesia passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15

Route available

Malaysia takes a large share of Indonesian placements, under employer-held permits and a SIP2MI on the Indonesian side.

What the employer must have

  • The Malaysian employer must hold approval to employ foreign workers and file for the calling visa.
  • The placement must sit under a SIP2MI permit held by a licensed P3MI company.

What you must do before you leave

  1. You must be at least 18 and meet the five statutory conditions in Law 18/2017 Article 5: minimum age, competence, physical and mental health, registration with a social-security number, and complete documents.
  2. Go through a licensed P3MI placement company, and check it on the government register first — there is also a published list of companies currently under sanction or with revoked licences. A company that cannot show you its placement permit (SIP2MI) for your job is not lawfully recruiting you.
  3. Your vacancy should appear on the government system with its SIP2MI permit number. Look it up yourself on siskop2mi.bp2mi.go.id rather than trusting a photo of a document.
  4. Register for BPJS Ketenagakerjaan social security cover (JKK/JKM) before departure — it is one of the five statutory conditions, not an optional extra.
  5. Check the permit and the P3MI company on the government system — Malaysia is the corridor with the most informal crossings and the least protection when they go wrong.

Things to watch

  • Indonesian law places a defined list of placement costs on the EMPLOYER, not on you — that is the point of Law 18/2017 Article 30 and the placement-cost regulation made under it. Ask which components you are being asked to pay and why, in writing.
  • Indonesia has kept a long-standing moratorium on sending domestic workers to a group of Middle Eastern countries, and the official annex listing exactly which countries is not published in a form that can be verified — sources contradict each other on whether the list runs to 15, 19 or 21 states. Do NOT rely on any third party (including this page) for that list: confirm your specific destination with KP2MI or your nearest BP3MI office before committing.
  • Workers who cross without the permit lose every protection the law gives them, including the placement-cost rules and social-security cover.

What you may lawfully be charged

YOU CANNOT LAWFULLY BE CHARGED A PLACEMENT COST AT ALL — the law puts the training, certification, the agency's own service fee, your visa, your outbound AND return ticket, accommodation, medical and social insurance on the EMPLOYER. If a company asks you for those, ask which regulation allows it, in writing.

Law 18/2017 Article 30(1); Permen KP2MI/BP2MI 17/2025 Article 2(6).

⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.

Official sources

This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.

Common questions

Can an Indonesian passport holder work in Malaysia?

Malaysia takes a large share of Indonesian placements, under employer-held permits and a SIP2MI on the Indonesian side.

What does an employer in Malaysia need before hiring a Indonesian worker?

The Malaysian employer must hold approval to employ foreign workers and file for the calling visa. The placement must sit under a SIP2MI permit held by a licensed P3MI company.

What must a Indonesian citizen do before leaving to work in Malaysia?

You must be at least 18 and meet the five statutory conditions in Law 18/2017 Article 5: minimum age, competence, physical and mental health, registration with a social-security number, and complete documents. Go through a licensed P3MI placement company, and check it on the government register first — there is also a published list of companies currently under sanction or with revoked licences. A company that cannot show you its placement permit (SIP2MI) for your job is not lawfully recruiting you. Your vacancy should appear on the government system with its SIP2MI permit number. Look it up yourself on siskop2mi.bp2mi.go.id rather than trusting a photo of a document. Register for BPJS Ketenagakerjaan social security cover (JKK/JKM) before departure — it is one of the five statutory conditions, not an optional extra. Check the permit and the P3MI company on the government system — Malaysia is the corridor with the most informal crossings and the least protection when they go wrong.

What should Indonesian workers watch out for with Malaysia job offers?

Indonesian law places a defined list of placement costs on the EMPLOYER, not on you — that is the point of Law 18/2017 Article 30 and the placement-cost regulation made under it. Ask which components you are being asked to pay and why, in writing. Indonesia has kept a long-standing moratorium on sending domestic workers to a group of Middle Eastern countries, and the official annex listing exactly which countries is not published in a form that can be verified — sources contradict each other on whether the list runs to 15, 19 or 21 states. Do NOT rely on any third party (including this page) for that list: confirm your specific destination with KP2MI or your nearest BP3MI office before committing. Workers who cross without the permit lose every protection the law gives them, including the placement-cost rules and social-security cover.

Should I pay an agent for a job in Malaysia?

No. Never pay anyone for a job offer, a visa, or a place on a list. Legitimate recruitment for this route does not require the worker to pay for the job itself. Verify any agent against the official registers linked on this page.

Other countries Indonesian citizens can work in

All work visa guides

201 live Malaysia vacancies for Indonesian workers

From Indonesia's SISKOP2MI register — vacancies registered for Indonesian workers.

See all jobs and apply