Document checklist
Bahamas → Malaysia: Employment Pass
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
9 itemsIdentity
Recent passport photo
RequiredA recent passport photo (3.5 x 5.0 cm, light blue background, facing straight, with the spacing the guidebook specifies).
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Valid passport
RequiredA copy of every page of your passport.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Financial
Salary meeting the Employment Pass category minimum
RequiredA basic monthly salary of at least RM5,000 for Category I (contract of 24 months or more) or Category II (under 24 months). Category III (contract up to 12 months) needs a basic salary between RM2,500 and RM4,999, and additionally needs your employer to get a Ministry of Home Affairs exemption letter from the standard RM5,000 minimum before applying.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Employment
Employer registered and activated with the ESD
RequiredYour employer must first register with the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) and complete company activation (signing a Letter of Undertaking) before it can submit your Employment Pass application.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Employment contract, stamped and signed
RequiredA copy of your employment contract, duly stamped by the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) and signed.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Job description
RequiredA job description for the position you'll be employed in.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Other
Certified copies of your highest educational certificates
RequiredA copy of your highest educational certificate, translated into English if needed, certified as a true copy by your country's embassy/high commission/consulate, the equivalent Malaysian mission, or your employer's HR head.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Comprehensive resume
RequiredYour latest, updated comprehensive resume.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Supporting letter from an Approving Agency or Regulatory Body
If your employer's sector has a designated Approving Agency or Regulatory Body, a supporting or approval letter from that body.
Source: Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook
Why applications on this route get refused
Employer not registered or activated with the ESD
An Employment Pass application can't be submitted until the hiring company has completed both ESD registration and company activation.
How to avoid it: Confirm your employer has finished ESD registration and signed its Letter of Undertaking before you rely on a start date.
Salary below the required Employment Pass category minimum
A basic salary below RM5,000/month (Category I/II) or outside the RM2,500–RM4,999 range (Category III, with its required exemption letter) doesn't meet the pass's salary requirement.
How to avoid it: Check your contracted basic salary against the current category thresholds with the ESD before applying.
Missing Ministry of Home Affairs exemption letter (Category III)
Companies applying for Employment Pass (Category III) must first get a Ministry of Home Affairs letter exempting them from the standard RM5,000 minimum salary requirement.
How to avoid it: Apply for and receive the MOHA exemption letter before submitting a Category III application.
Sources
- Expatriate Services Division (ESD), Immigration Department of Malaysia, ESD Online Guidebook · checked 24 Sept 2026
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