Bringing a Foreign Employee's Family to Malaysia: Dependant Pass, School and Spouse Work (2026)
Senior foreign hires often come with a spouse and children, and the company applies for their passes. This guide is for HR teams: which pass each family member needs, the documents that take longest to prepare, whether the spouse can work, what children need before they start school, and hiring a domestic helper.
💡 Key takeaway: The company applies for the family's passes on ESD, together with the Employment Pass or after it is approved. A spouse and children under 18 get a Dependant Pass; parents and children aged 18 to 25 get a Long-Term Social Visit Pass. Marriage and birth certificates must be certified by an embassy, with the certification dated in the current year. A spouse on a Dependant Pass cannot work today; from 1 January 2027 the spouse of a Category I holder will be allowed to, under conditions still to be set out. A child on a Dependant Pass needs permission to study before starting school.
Which pass for which family member
| Family member | Pass | Can work or study? |
|---|---|---|
| Legal spouse | Dependant Pass | Cannot work; needs their own Employment Pass. Category I spouses from 1 January 2027, see below. |
| Children under 18 (biological, step or adopted), and a disabled child of any age | Dependant Pass | Can study with permission to study. |
| Children aged 18 to 25, unmarried and not studying or working | Long-Term Social Visit Pass | Cannot study or work; studying needs a Student Pass. |
| Parents and parents-in-law | Long-Term Social Visit Pass | Cannot work. |
| Common-law spouse | Long-Term Social Visit Pass, may be considered | Cannot work. |
All three Employment Pass categories can now bring dependants, and the details are in our Employment Pass guide for employers. The family's passes last as long as the employee's pass, or until the family member's passport expires if that is earlier.
Applying: what the company submits
The company applies on its ESD account. The family's applications can go in together with the Employment Pass or be added once it is approved. ESD's service charter for a Dependant Pass is 14 working days. Government fees are RM540 per dependant (RM500 plus SST), RM90 a year for the endorsement and RM50 processing.
The documents that take longest are the certificates:
- Marriage certificate for the spouse, birth certificate for each child, translated into English if needed.
- Each must be certified by the Malaysian embassy or consulate in the home country, or by the home country's embassy in Malaysia. For a new application, the certification must be dated in the current year, so a copy certified last year will not do.
- Translations by the embassy or by ITBM, the Malaysian institute for translation.
- Passports with more than 12 months' validity.
For a Long-Term Social Visit Pass the company also gives an application letter, signed by a director or endorser named in its letter of undertaking and dated within 6 months, and a personal bond.
Since the expatriate employment policy of 1 June 2026, the Home Ministry's FAQ says bringing dependants is subject to salary eligibility, insurance coverage requirements and immigration rules. It does not say what insurance is required, so ask ESD before the application.
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.
Can the spouse work?
Not on a Dependant Pass today. ESD says employment is not allowed and the spouse would need their own Employment Pass, which means a Malaysian employer applying for them. For social and welfare activities, the spouse can ask the Immigration Department for special permission.
This changes in 2027 for some families. In the Budget 2027 speech on 9 October 2026, the Prime Minister said that from 1 January 2027, spouses of Category I Employment Pass holders who hold a Dependant Pass will be allowed to work in Malaysia, subject to prescribed conditions. Category I is for a basic salary of RM20,000 a month and above. The conditions had not been published when we checked.
Children and school
A child on a Dependant Pass needs permission to study before starting at a kindergarten, school or college, private or public. The company applies with:
- The offer letter from the school.
- A letter from the company authorising the person who submits, and the company's application letter.
- Copies of the employee's and the child's passports, and the child's original passport.
- Form DP11A, signed by the employer and stamped.
Letters must be signed by a manager or director named in the company's latest Form 49. Apply once the school has confirmed the place, before the first day. A child aged 18 to 25 on a Long-Term Social Visit Pass who wants to go to university needs a Student Pass instead.
A domestic helper
An Employment Pass holder can hire a foreign domestic helper on a Visit Pass (Temporary Employment), applied for through ESD. ESD's guidebook sets these conditions:
| Employee's salary | Helpers allowed |
|---|---|
| RM5,000 and above | 1 |
| RM10,000 and above | 2 |
| RM15,000 and above | 3 |
The helper must be a woman aged 21 to 45 and pass the FOMEMA health check. The pass lasts 12 months and no longer than the employee's pass.
When the employee changes job or leaves
The family's passes are linked to the employee's pass. ESD's FAQ lists a change of employer and the end of service among the reasons an ePASS is shortened, and the ePASS covers the Dependant Pass as well as the Employment Pass. Family members are applied for together with the employee's pass, or added once it is approved.
For a change of employer, ESD's guidebook asks for a release letter from the previous employer in Malaysia, and the employee's latest e-BE tax return and EA form. ESD's site does not say whether the family's passes move to the new employer, or whether the family can stay in Malaysia while the new pass is processed. Before any pass is shortened, ask ESD in what order to do it. See hiring a foreign engineer already in Malaysia and what the employer does when a foreign employee leaves.
Being born in Malaysia does not by itself make a child Malaysian: citizenship by birth depends on the parents' status under the Federal Constitution. Ask ESD how to add a newborn to the family's passes.
Settling in a foreign employee
- Relocating a foreign employee: HR checklist
- When a foreign employee leaves Malaysia: employer checklist
- Renting a home for a foreign employee: deposits and stamp duty
- Opening a bank account for a foreign employee
- Driving in Malaysia: licences for foreign employees
- Healthcare, SOCSO and EPF for foreign employees
- Income tax for foreign employees: what HR does
- How to apply for an Employment Pass, step by step
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, including the family's passes. 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 an Employment Pass holder bring their family to Malaysia?
Yes. The spouse and children under 18 get a Dependant Pass, and parents and children aged 18 to 25 get a Long-Term Social Visit Pass. The company applies on ESD.
Can a Dependant Pass holder work in Malaysia?
Not today; they need their own Employment Pass. From 1 January 2027, spouses of Category I Employment Pass holders on a Dependant Pass will be allowed to work, subject to conditions.
Does a child on a Dependant Pass need a Student Pass for school?
Children under 18 on a Dependant Pass apply for permission to study, with the school's offer letter and form DP11A. Children aged 18 to 25 on a Long-Term Social Visit Pass need a Student Pass to study.
What documents does a Dependant Pass need?
Passports with more than 12 months' validity, and the marriage or birth certificate, translated into English if needed and certified by an embassy, with the certification dated in the current year.
Can an expatriate hire a foreign maid in Malaysia?
Yes, through ESD on a Visit Pass (Temporary Employment): one helper from a salary of RM5,000, two from RM10,000 and three from RM15,000.
Sources
Passes, documents and domestic helpers: ESD Online Guidebook V6 (14 April 2025) and ESD Dependant Pass page. Applying with the EP: ESD MYXpats FAQ. Fees: ESD payment table. Insurance requirement: Home Ministry FAQ on the new expatriate employment policy (effective 1 June 2026). Spouses working from 2027: Budget 2027 speech, Prime Minister's Office, 9 October 2026. Permission to study: Immigration Department checklist for dependants aged 18 and under. Citizenship by birth: National Registration Department. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Last checked: 29 October 2026.