Opening a Bank Account in Malaysia as a Foreign Employee: 2026 HR Guide (Maybank, CIMB, HSBC, RHB)

Employers • Oct 28, 2026

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Payroll needs a Malaysian bank account, and a new foreign hire usually arrives without one. This guide is for HR teams: when the employee can open an account, what four major banks ask for, the order of steps that avoids a second trip to the branch, and a few rules on sending money home and closing the account when they leave.

💡 Key takeaway: Plan to open the account after the Employment Pass is endorsed. Maybank, CIMB, HSBC and RHB all ask for the passport plus a valid work pass and a letter from the employer, and CIMB, HSBC and RHB want the passport or pass to have at least 6 months' validity. Some accounts have an income test: CIMB asks for proof of a RM10,000 salary unless the employer uses CIMB@Work, and HSBC Advance needs RM8,500 a month credited or RM30,000 held. Expect a branch visit. Prepare the employment letter (template below), get a Malaysian phone number first, and cover the first weeks with cash, a Touch 'n Go card and, if the employee already has one, a Wise account.

Before the account is open

Cash goes a long way at first, but a few other tools help in the weeks before a bank account.

A Touch 'n Go card. The prepaid card is used for tolls, parking and public transport. It is sold at Touch 'n Go service centres and agents, and can be reloaded with cash at LRT, MRT and KTM stations, petrol station counters and other reload points, in multiples of RM10.
The Touch 'n Go eWallet. A foreigner can verify the wallet with a passport and a face scan. An unverified wallet is limited to RM200; verification raises the limits. Without a Malaysian bank account it can be topped up with Reload PINs sold at 7-Eleven, 99 Speedmart, petrol stations and Watsons, or with a foreign card for a fee of up to 2.6%.
Wise. A Wise account the employee already holds from home is handy for converting money in the first weeks. Opening a Wise account as a Malaysia resident requires a passport plus a pass such as the Employment Pass or i-KAD; Wise does not accept approval letters, so in practice this comes after the pass is endorsed, much like a bank.

Fees and limits change, so check each provider's current terms.

When the employee can open an account

Banks open accounts for foreign employees on the strength of their work pass, so in practice the account comes after the Employment Pass is endorsed. CIMB and HSBC ask for an Employment Pass with at least 6 months' validity, and RHB says the pass must be valid on the day the account is opened. If the first payday falls before the account can be opened, agree with the employee how that first salary will be paid. One option: Touch 'n Go publishes an employer's guide to paying salaries into a verified eWallet, written for foreign workers.

Hiring a foreign engineer for your team?

Seekers is a licensed tech recruitment agency in Kuala Lumpur. We find Malaysian and foreign engineers, and if your hire needs an Employment Pass, we can support the application. EP support is quoted separately from the recruitment fee.

Talk to us about a hire →

Not sure the salary qualifies? Check the Employment Pass category with our free EP checker.

What the banks ask for

Bank	Passport	Work pass and employer	Also mentioned
Maybank	Passport	May ask for a valid work permit and visa and a letter of confirmation from the employer	Open at a branch
CIMB	Valid for at least 6 months	Work visa or Employment Pass valid for at least 6 months, and an employment letter	Proof of income with a minimum salary of RM10,000, not required for CIMB@Work payroll customers. May ask for proof of address
HSBC	Required	Letter of employment, and a work pass valid for at least 6 months (or an RP-T)	The account open to foreign employees is HSBC Advance, which needs one of: a monthly salary of at least RM8,500 credited to HSBC, a total relationship balance of RM30,000, or a home loan of RM300,000. Its Basic Savings account is listed for Malaysians and permanent residents. Proof of a Malaysian address is required
RHB	Valid for at least 6 months	Valid work pass and an employment letter	A phone bill to show the mobile number is the customer's own, except for some account purposes such as payroll

Requirements change and branches can ask for more, so check the bank's page before the visit. Online opening is limited for foreigners. RHB, for example, says a passport is not accepted for its online identity check, so the employee has to visit a branch.

The order that saves a second trip

Employment Pass endorsed.
A Malaysian mobile number. Prepaid SIM registration needs the original passport and work pass, at a shop. Banks send one-time passwords to this number, and RHB may ask for proof that the number is the customer's.
An employment letter on company letterhead (template below), with the employee's name, passport number, job title and start date. Include the salary too, since CIMB asks for proof of income.
The branch visit with the passport, the work pass and the letter. Bring the stamped tenancy agreement if there is one: banks such as CIMB and HSBC accept it as proof of address. See renting a home for a foreign employee.
The first deposit. Maybank's Savings Account-i and Public Bank's PLUS Savings Account, for example, list an initial deposit of RM250.
Bank details to payroll.

If your company already runs payroll with a bank, ask that bank first. Some ease the requirements for staff on their payroll programme: CIMB, for example, drops the income proof for CIMB@Work customers.

Employment letter template

Banks ask for a letter from the employer. A short letter on company letterhead covers what they look for, including the salary for banks that ask for proof of income. Adjust it to the facts of each hire.

[Company letterhead]
[Date]

To: [Bank name], [Branch]

Re: Confirmation of employment, [Employee full name]

This is to confirm that [Employee full name], passport number [number], nationality [country], is employed by [Company name] (company registration number [number]) as [Job title] from [start date], on a [permanent / fixed-term until date] basis.

The employee's monthly basic salary is RM[amount], [plus fixed allowances of RM[amount],] paid on the [day] of each month.

The employee holds an Employment Pass valid until [date].

Please contact [HR name, title] at [phone] or [email] for any further information.

Yours faithfully,
[Name]
[Title]
[Company stamp]

Family members

A spouse on a Dependant Pass can also open an account. CIMB, for example, asks for the dependant pass with at least 6 months' validity and, for a spouse who is not working, the marriage certificate and a statement from the source of funds.

Sending money home

Under Bank Negara Malaysia's foreign exchange rules, a foreign employee on an Employment Pass counts as a non-resident. That does not get in the way of normal banking. A ringgit account held by a foreign individual working in Malaysia is in the exempted group, with no limit on where the money comes from or goes, and Bank Negara says a non-resident may convert ringgit into foreign currency with a licensed bank to send abroad.

Deposits at a member bank are protected by PIDM up to RM250,000 per depositor, as the banks' own pages state.

When the employee leaves Malaysia

Do not close the account too early. To withdraw EPF savings when leaving, the employee needs an active account at an EPF panel bank, and it must stay active until KWSP has paid. From 1 November 2026 KWSP also asks for a bank document confirming the account holder's details. See when a foreign employee leaves Malaysia for the employer's checklist.

Settling in a foreign employee

How Seekers can help

Seekers is a licensed tech recruitment agency in Kuala Lumpur. We find Malaysian and foreign engineers for your team, and if your hire needs an Employment Pass, we can support the application. EP support is quoted separately from the recruitment fee. For the pass itself, see how to apply for an Employment Pass. Talk to us about a hire.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Malaysia?

Yes. A foreign employee needs a passport, a valid work pass and a letter from the employer, and usually has to visit a branch. Several banks want the passport or pass to be valid for at least 6 months.

Can you open a bank account before the Employment Pass is issued?

In practice, no. Banks ask for a valid work pass, so plan to open the account after the Employment Pass is endorsed.

What documents do I need to open a bank account in Malaysia as an expat?

Passport, Employment Pass and an employment letter. Some banks also ask for proof of income, proof of address such as a stamped tenancy agreement, or a phone bill.

Does HSBC Malaysia have a minimum income for foreigners?

The account HSBC offers foreign employees is HSBC Advance, which needs a monthly salary of at least RM8,500 credited to HSBC, a total relationship balance of RM30,000, or a home loan of RM300,000.

How do you pay for things before having a Malaysian bank account?

With cash, a Touch 'n Go card for transport and tolls, the Touch 'n Go eWallet verified with a passport and topped up with Reload PINs, and a Wise account from home if the employee has one.

Can an Employment Pass holder send money abroad?

Yes. A ringgit account held by a foreign individual working in Malaysia has no limit on the sources and uses of funds, and ringgit can be converted to foreign currency with a licensed bank to send abroad.