Immigration Requirements
Alice Smith School
Alice Smith School

Immigration Requirements

All Non-Malaysian students studying at The Alice Smith School are required to have one of the following visas/passes issued by the Malaysian Immigration Department. 

  • Permission To Study (stamp) - Complements Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) and Dependant Pass
  • Resident/Residence Pass
  • Permanent Resident Status
  • Diplomatic/Exemption Status

We are currently unable to accept new Non-Malaysian students studying at The Alice Smith School under student / guardian passes.

We are also unable to accept the following as these visas will not be able to obtain Permission To Study in Peninsular Malaysia:

  • Dependant Passes issued in Sabah and Sarawak
  • MM2H visa issued in Sabah and Sarawak

To ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of students, their parents or (legally appointed) guardians are also required to hold a valid long-term visa.

Parents and Guardians who are found to have submitted fraudulent or misleading documents to the school, immigration or other authorities will have the offer of their child's place removed.

Enrolled/Current students: Change of visa status

All students are required to maintain valid visas throughout their enrollment at school. Under the Ministry of Education’s regulations, students cannot attend school while on a Social Visit Pass.

Families who are already enrolled and looking to change from their current visas to any of those stated below will have to follow the same process/requirement. To avoid any disruption to the continuation of your child’s education, please contact the Admissions Department as soon as you are aware of the need for this.

It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that all parties possess a legal and valid visa to reside in Malaysia. Parents and Guardians must keep the school updated with a copy of the current and valid passport and visa.

Permission to Study (stamp)

The Permission to Study is an endorsement stamped by the Immigration Department of Malaysia inside a non-Malaysian student's passport, allowing the student to study at a recognised Malaysian school for a defined period of time usually based on the Dependant Pass.

The application for this stamp must be done by the parent’s employer or agents (for MM2H holders) with a supporting letter from the school.

Student (and Guardian) Pass (Visa)

We are currently unable to accept new Non-Malaysian students studying at The Alice Smith School under student / guardian passes.

All Non-Malaysian students whose parents do not hold any other long term visa and are looking to pursue their education in The Alice Smith School may apply for a Student Pass from the Department of Immigration Malaysia.

The application to the Immigration Department will be handled by the school appointed agent. Documents must be handed over to this agent for processing. Please contact the Admissions Department for a current checklist. Kindly note that additional documentation requested on an ad hoc basis by the Immigration Department must be complied with in order for the application to be processed. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT. Whilst the school supports the process, we are unable to influence any decision by the authorities.

A student pass cannot be applied independently. Either parent must be a Malaysian citizen or possess a valid long term visa to reside in Malaysia.

For safeguarding reasons, any child whose mother requires a Guardian Pass cannot start school until this pass is approved and in the passport - this process can take up to 2 months or more with Immigration.

It is important to note that information on sponsorship is critical to the approval of Guardian Passes. The sponsoring parent (not the person applying for Guardian Pass) must be able to provide proof of an income of a minimum of (approximately) RM25,000 per month. This must be substantiated with payslips from the workplace and corresponding bank statements. This amount will increase for families with more than one child. It is essential to establish an income flow which is outside of Malaysia.

All copies of documents must be endorsed by the respective embassies (if abroad) or the Foreign Ministry (if still in country of origin).

Student Pass application takes 7 working days to be processed. Depending on the country of origin, Guardian Pass applications can take a minimum of 2 months to be processed. The applications must be submitted concurrently. The Kuala Lumpur Immigration will process Guardian visas only for mothers.

When applying for the child’s Student Pass and the mother’s Guardian Pass, fathers will not be able to hold any long term visa from the point of submission of the application. Where applicable, the father’s existing long term visa for eg. Employment Pass must be shortened or cancelled to proceed with their applications.

This information is correct at the time of publishing. However, please note that changes to this process may occur as determined by the Immigration Department.

Process of application

  1. Complete the admissions process and parents accept the offer by paying full fees as per letter
  2. All passports must have a minimum of 24 months validity for submission to the Ministry of Education (MoE).
  3. Submission will be made to the Ministry of Education (MoE), ideally minimum 3 - 6 months prior to start date. Students who are not already in Malaysia are not encouraged to arrive until this approval is obtained.
  4. Documents for submission to Malaysian Immigration Department to be compiled as per current checklist. Please contact the Admissions Department for this.
  5. Upon receipt of the MoE approval and arrival of the student and Guardian in Malaysia, our appointed (external) agent will submit the application to the Malaysian Immigration Department. There will be an administrative fee charged by the agent for this process. All documents must be complete at this point.
  6. If either pass is refused we will retain the deposit and other non refundable fees as the place has been held for the child. We will refund any tuition and building fund contributions paid as per our policies.

Change of visa status for current students

All students are required to maintain valid visas throughout their enrollment at school. Under the Ministry of Education’s regulations, students cannot attend school while on a Social Visit Pass.

Families who are already enrolled and looking to change from their current visas to Student and Guardian Passes are also subject to the process listed above. To avoid any disruption to the continuation of your child’s education, please contact the Admissions Department as soon as you are aware of the need for this.

Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H)

The Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H) is a visa program for foreign nationals who wish to retire or live in Malaysia for an extended period of time. Students who are eligible for MM2H may be able to obtain a visa under this program and will require the Permission to Study Stamp.

DE Rantau: Digital Nomad Pass

Children whose parent(s) hold this visa are required to obtain a Student Pass to study in Malaysia. Please refer to the information under Student Pass.

Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T)

The Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T) is a visa program for foreign nationals with high skills or expertise. Students who are eligible for RP-T may be able to obtain a visa under this program. No further action is required.

Permanent Resident Status

No further action is required under this status.

Diplomatic/Exemption Status

No further action is required under this status.