Malaysia Explains How Many Years Foreigners Must Live in the Country to Become Citizens
- Malaysia's National Registration Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs has published the residency conditions foreigners must meet to apply for citizenship under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution
- Applicants aged 21 and above must show they have lived in Malaysia for at least 10 years within a specific 12-year period
- The citizenship application process also requires applicants to prove they intend to make Malaysia their permanent home
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Malaysia has set out the residency requirements that foreign nationals aged 21 and above must satisfy before they can apply for citizenship under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution, according to guidance published by the National Registration Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The department's official portal says an applicant must have lived in Malaysia for a total of at least 10 years out of the 12-year period that includes the 12 months immediately before the date of submission.
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This means a person applying for citizenship in 2026 would need to show qualifying residency stretching back as far as 2014, with the final year before application counting as a mandatory part of that window.
Malaysia citizenship: Residency and intent requirements
Beyond the time threshold, applicants must also demonstrate a genuine intention to remain in Malaysia permanently. The department lists this as a separate condition, meaning that meeting the residency requirement alone is not enough to qualify for citizenship consideration.
The 10-out-of-12-years rule applies specifically to individuals who are 21 years old or older at the time of application.
Applicants who cannot show continuous or cumulative residency within the defined period would not meet the basic eligibility criteria under this particular constitutional provision, Legit.ng confirmed this on the country's official government portal.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Malaysia had released a list of countries eligible for its visa-free entry scheme.
African countries exempted from Malaysia's VDR
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported a list of 15 African countries that are exempted from Malaysia's visa with reference (also known as VDR).
The Visa With Reference (VDR) facility is ordinarily required by foreign nationals seeking entry into Malaysia for purposes such as work, study, or other activities.
Legit.ng confirmed that citizens from the 15 African countries named in the official exemption list, however, are not subject to this requirement, regardless of their purpose of travel, according to the Malaysia Immigration Department's official website.
Source: Legit.ng
