Buyer's Guide · FOREIGNER

The Full Buying Process for Foreigners in Malaysia — Every Step From Viewing to Title

Q: How long does the process take?

There is no reliable general answer, because the stage that governs it — State Authority consent — has no published processing time in any state. The "three to six months" figure circulating online has no source we could find, so we do not repeat it. The only sourced timeline is the federal 10 working days, which applies only to acquisitions above RM20 million or involving Bumiputera equity dilution. Ask your conveyancing solicitor what that state is currently taking and build it into the completion date.

Q: I am overseas — can I sign a power of attorney and let someone handle it?

No. Section 433F of the National Land Code provides that a deed or instrument executed by a non-citizen under a power of attorney over alienated land is void, and where it is an instrument of dealing, incapable of registration. Plan to sign in person, or ask your solicitor what compliant alternatives exist.

Q: How does buying new differ from subsale for a foreigner?

Three ways. Thresholds can differ — Penang and Perak set different minimum prices for developer purchases and subsale, and Perak bars residential subsale entirely. Timing differs — a new launch is off-plan and typically takes two to four years to deliver, while subsale usually completes in three to four months (plus the consent stage for you). And most states bar foreigners from auction property, which is something to watch specifically in the subsale market.

The local buyer's flowchart does not fit you. You have one extra gate, and it sits between signing and transfer. Here is the order, the money at each stage, and where it can stall.

By the PropertySifu Editorial · Updated August 2026 · 10 min read read

Read this first

There is one structural difference between your process and a local buyer's, and it decides everything: between signing the SPA and transferring the title you must obtain State Authority consent (Kebenaran Pindah Milik). Without it, section 433C of the National Land Code makes the whole dealing void.

So the correct order is eligibility first, price second. Confirm that this state, this property type and this specific unit are open to you before you start viewing and negotiating. Do it the other way round and you will spend months on stock you were never allowed to buy.

🔴 Two things must be settled before you pay a deposit: the contract must make the purchase conditional on state consent with a full refund if it is refused, and you must be able to sign in person — a power of attorney is void for a non-citizen in a land dealing.

Nine steps for a foreign buyer

Step 0: choose the state before you fix the budget
The same money clears the floor in Kuala Lumpur (RM1m) and falls short in Selangor Zone 1 (RM2m). Selangor also bars landed individual titles to foreigners and Perak bars freehold entirely. Start with state thresholds and what foreigners cannot buy.
Step 1: get written indicative approvals from two banks
There is no statutory cap on foreigner margin of finance — each bank's credit policy decides, and they differ widely. "Should be fine" is not an answer; ask for a letter of offer or written indicative approval. See the loan guide.
Step 2: shortlist, then verify eligibility at unit level
"Foreigners can buy" usually describes the project. You need it at unit level: is this one a Bumiputera quota unit? What housing category was it approved under? Is the title type one you may hold? Ask for written confirmation.
Step 3: check real transacted prices before negotiating
Some sellers lift the price to land exactly on a state threshold. The state and the bank look at valuation — if it does not value up, consent can be refused, you fund the gap in cash, and the 8% stamp duty is charged on price or market value whichever is higher. An inflated price costs you twice.
Step 4: on the booking form, insist on two clauses
(1) the purchase is conditional on State Authority consent, failing which the deposit is refunded in full; (2) the completion period accounts for the consent timeline. The statute will not protect your deposit; the contract will.
Step 5: appoint a conveyancer who has done foreign-buyer files
In Penang only a solicitor may file the application. Ask how many they have handled recently and what that state is currently taking — no state publishes a service standard, so their live files are the only real number.
Step 6: sign the SPA — in person
🔴 Section 433F of the National Land Code: an instrument executed by a non-citizen under a power of attorney over alienated land is void and incapable of registration. Plan the trip; do not plan on someone signing for you.
Step 7: your solicitor files the state consent application
This is the one structural difference from a local purchase. Costs vary enormously — RM10,000 per title for a foreign individual in Penang, RM200 per title in Selangor. Your loan documentation can run in parallel, because a bank's charge needs no state consent (s.433B(3)).
Step 8: on approval, pay the levy, then transfer and stamp
Penang's levy is 3% of acquisition value and is payable within 30 days of the approval letter — after a year the approval lapses. Stamp duty from 1 January 2026 is a flat 8%, payable by the buyer. Full list in the cost guide.

🔴 How long does the whole thing take? We are not giving you a number

You will read "about three to six months for a foreigner" in many places. The problem is the middle stage: no state publishes a processing time for consent. The widely repeated "one to three months in KL, three to four in Penang, six in East Malaysia" has no source we could find — and our rule is that if we cannot source it, we do not print it.

The only timeline we could verify is the federal 10 working days, which applies solely to acquisitions above RM20 million or involving Bumiputera equity dilution — nothing an ordinary residential buyer will ever touch.

What to do instead: ask your conveyancing solicitor, before you sign, what that state is currently taking, and get that period built into the completion date in your SPA. Then a slow approval does not put you in breach.

How buying new differs from buying subsale

Buying from a developer (new launch)

A statutory form of SPA, with payment released in stages against construction progress. Three things matter more for a foreign buyer:

The threshold may differ. Penang and Perak set entirely different floors for developer purchases and subsale — and Perak bars residential subsale outright, so developer-only is the only route there.
Delivery takes two to four years. Your capital is committed through that period, and the consent step still applies.
Check the project's own status, not just the price: the developer's track record, how much of this project has actually sold, and how much competing supply completes nearby at the same time. Those decide what you walk into on handover.

Buying subsale

What you see is what you get, and completion normally runs three to four months — but a foreign buyer must add the consent stage on top, so budget longer. Also watch:

Most states bar foreigners from auction property (Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka all expressly). When a price looks unusually good, ask where the property came from.
If the seller is also a foreigner, 7% of the price is retained for their RPGT, which can affect their willingness and timing.

For a fuller comparison of the two routes, see new launch vs subsale condo.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the steps for a foreigner buying property in Malaysia?

The difference from a local purchase is one extra gate in the middle. The order: confirm the state's threshold and whether the property type is open to foreigners → get written indicative bank approvals → verify eligibility at unit level → pay a booking deposit under a contract conditional on state consent with full refund → appoint a conveyancer → sign the SPA in person → your solicitor files the State Authority consent application → on approval pay the levy, pay the 8% stamp duty and complete the transfer.

How long does the process take?

There is no reliable general answer, because the stage that governs it — State Authority consent — has no published processing time in any state. The "three to six months" figure circulating online has no source we could find, so we do not repeat it. The only sourced timeline is the federal 10 working days, which applies only to acquisitions above RM20 million or involving Bumiputera equity dilution. Ask your conveyancing solicitor what that state is currently taking and build it into the completion date.

I am overseas — can I sign a power of attorney and let someone handle it?

No. Section 433F of the National Land Code provides that a deed or instrument executed by a non-citizen under a power of attorney over alienated land is void, and where it is an instrument of dealing, incapable of registration. Plan to sign in person, or ask your solicitor what compliant alternatives exist.

When do I pay the deposit, and do I get it back if consent is refused?

The booking deposit is paid on the booking form, with the balance of the down payment on signing the SPA. Whether it is refunded depends on your contract, not on the law — section 433C voids the dealing, not the deposit terms. So before you pay anything, the document must state that the purchase is conditional on State Authority consent, failing which the deposit is refunded in full.

How does buying new differ from subsale for a foreigner?

Three ways. Thresholds can differ — Penang and Perak set different minimum prices for developer purchases and subsale, and Perak bars residential subsale entirely. Timing differs — a new launch is off-plan and typically takes two to four years to deliver, while subsale usually completes in three to four months (plus the consent stage for you). And most states bar foreigners from auction property, which is something to watch specifically in the subsale market.