DE Rantau costs: what one applicant actually paid
Five costs are mandatory for a DE Rantau application, and one of them — the RM1,500 Local Sponsorship Deposit — is refundable if you do not renew. Four further costs that published lists routinely present as mandatory are not. This page keeps the three kinds apart: mandatory, refundable, and only payable after approval.
Most published cost tables add three different things together: what is mandatory, what is refundable, and what only happens after approval. This page keeps them apart.
Amounts are what one applicant paid in 2026 while applying without an agent · Not an official price list; MDEC can change its fees
Written by Flora Zhang · Last updated 25 September 2026
Mandatory fees
First-hand record · 2026
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant fee | RM 1,080 | Including tax |
| eVisa | RM 540 | Separate from the Approval Letter — see below |
| Activation & endorsement | RM 390 | Shown on the ePass as Visa MYR 30 + Pass MYR 360 |
| Local sponsorship deposit | RM 1,500 | Paid after approval; refundable if you do not renew |
| Dependant Pass, per person | RM 540 | Including tax; only if you bring dependants |
| Single applicant | RM 3,510 | RM 1,500 of which is refundable — net about RM 2,010 |
| With one dependant | RM 4,050 | Same refundable deposit |
The Approval Letter and the eVisa are two different things. Holding the Approval Letter does not let you enter. The eVisa is applied for and paid for separately. Treating them as one step is where both budgets and timelines go wrong.
Four costs commonly listed as mandatory that are not
First-hand record · 2026
1. Malaysian medical insurance: RM 1,647 a year
This is not a mandatory upfront cost of DE Rantau. MDEC's page G checklist states the policy can be uploaded after approval, and local medical cover can be bought after arrival. The applicant above already held a policy because she had bought one years earlier for a student pass and kept renewing it, and because her child studies in Malaysia — not because of this visa.
2. Overseas travel insurance: about CNY 650
A different policy from the one above, and the two are routinely confused. This one was bought after the Approval Letter arrived, to satisfy the "travel insurance valid for three months or more" required at ePass activation.
3. Police clearance notarisation and translation: about CNY 360
Including expedited handling. The amount depends on your city and how fast you need it — it is not a fixed price.
4. Dependant documents: marriage certificate notarisation CNY 224 + dual authentication CNY 394
Only if you bring a spouse. Children are covered on the dependants page.
Common questions
How much does a DE Rantau application cost?
One applicant paid RM3,510 in mandatory fees in 2026: RM1,080 application fee including tax, RM540 eVisa, RM390 activation and endorsement, and a RM1,500 local sponsorship deposit. The deposit is refundable if you do not renew, so net spend was about RM2,010. A dependant adds RM540.
Is the RM1,500 local sponsorship deposit refundable?
Yes. It is paid after approval, when you sign the Local Sponsorship Agreement, and is refundable if you do not renew. It is a deposit rather than a fee, so it belongs in a separate line from the non-refundable costs when you budget.
Do I need Malaysian medical insurance before applying?
Not before submission. MDEC's page G checklist states the policy can be uploaded after approval, and local medical insurance can be bought after you enter Malaysia. It is frequently listed as an upfront cost, and it is also a different policy from the travel insurance required at ePass activation.