ESD Company Registration
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ESD Malaysia, under the Immigration Department, facilitates expatriate hiring by registering companies and processing various visa applications efficiently.
Basic Requirements To Register With ESD
The company must be registered with one of the following authorities:
- The Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) under the Companies Act 1965 / 2016.
- The Registry of Societies Malaysia under the Organisation Act 1966.
- Associations/Cooperatives registered under Malaysian laws.
For companies with full foreign ownership engaged in import/export, wholesale/retail, restaurant, consultancy, or services industries, obtaining the WRT license/clearance is mandatory for ESD registration.
For ESD registration and WRT license application, it is mandatory to possess the company’s business license, premise license, signboard license from local town councils (e.g., DBKL, MPPJ, MBSA, MBSJ), and/or specific industry sector licenses.
For ESD registration, a tenancy agreement (with a minimum validity of 12 months) and company phone bill are necessary. If a physical office is unavailable, a Virtual or Serviced office is acceptable, excluding SOHO/Home offices.
Companies that want to register with ESD in Malaysia must comply with any of the following requirements:
| EQUITY | PAID-UP CAPITAL |
|---|---|
| 100% Local Owned | RM250,000 |
| Joint Venture (minimum foreign equity is 30%) | RM350,000 |
| 100% Foreign Owned | RM500,000 |
| Foreign-owned companies running Wholesale, Retail and Trade (WRT) where clearance from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) is compulsory. | RM1,000,000 |
(Not applicable to public limited companies, and associations/organisations under the laws of Malaysia)
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