Skip to main content
MumExpat

Settling in

Settling in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is quickly tamed, as long as you take the steps in the right order: the whole family's passes through the employer, the consular register, a home close to school, then the bank and the car. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked with the embassy, Malaysian immigration and Kuala Lumpur Accueil.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

In Malaysia, the employer carries the immigration file: the employee's work pass, then those of the spouse and children. On your side, three reflexes in the first week: valid passports, registering with the French consular register, and carrying your original passport.

Good to know

  • Without a visa, French citizens may stay under 90 days in Peninsular Malaysia; beyond three months, a long-stay visa is required. Passports must be valid for at least six months after the end of the stay, or you may be turned back. Source
  • The employee receives an Employment Pass, requested by the company through the Expatriate Services Division (ESD). The company also applies, through its ESD account, for the Dependant Pass of the spouse and children under 18; its validity follows the main pass. Source
  • The Dependant Pass does not allow you to work: to take a salaried job, the spouse needs their own Employment Pass. Source
  • Children over 18, as well as parents and parents-in-law, fall under another pass, the Long-Term Social Visit Pass, also requested by the Employment Pass holder. Source
  • Before each arrival, travellers fill in the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online within the three days before; long-term pass holders are exempt. At the border, fingerprints are taken from all visitors except children under 12. Source
  • Registering on the register of French nationals abroad is free, valid for 5 years and done online on service-public.fr; it is not compulsory but strongly recommended, and simplifies passports, civil records and contact in a crisis. Source
  • The authorities regularly check identities in restaurants and cafés: carry your original passport and a valid pass. Source

Addresses

  • Ambassade de France en Malaisie, section consulaire

    Consulate

    Level 31, Integra Tower (The Intermark), 348 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur

    Consular section of the embassy: passports, ID cards, civil records (births, marriages), elections. By appointment only, Monday to Friday; the France Consulaire service answers questions by phone.

    Website Source

Go further

Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

The choice of neighbourhood almost always follows the school and the office: the French lycée is in Segambut, near Mont Kiara, and the big international schools are in the north-west of the city. Traffic does the rest: better to live near the school than near the centre.

Good to know

  • On arrival, most families spend a few weeks in a serviced apartment while they view homes. You then choose between a condominium (tower with pool, gym, playground and security), a house in a gated community, or a stand-alone house. Source
  • Leases usually run for two years and the deposit is typically two months' rent; if you leave early, it is not returned. Rents are negotiable, as is the upkeep of air conditioning, garden or pool. Source
  • Estate agents are paid by landlords: tenants pay them nothing. Word of mouth and agents recommended by the employer remain the best leads. Source
  • Local pitfalls: leaks, damp, faulty wiring and plumbing are common, even in new builds. View after a heavy downpour, test every air conditioner and plan a pest control contract. Source
  • Tap water should not be drunk unless boiled and filtered; many families have water dispensers delivered. Water and electricity accounts often stay in the landlord's name, with a deposit for the meters. Source
  • Dengue circulates all year, including in the most manicured residential areas such as Mont Kiara, Ampang or Bangsar: screens, no standing water and repellent are part of daily life. Source

Addresses

  • Mont Kiara

    Neighbourhood

    The international schools district, right next to the French lycée: high-rise condominiums, restaurants and shops, many expats, but little greenery and gridlocked streets at peak hours.

    Source

  • Sri Hartamas et Desa Hartamas

    Neighbourhood

    Next to Mont Kiara: large condominiums and houses in guarded estates, the Publika and Plaza Damas malls, a few minutes from the French lycée.

    Source

  • Desa ParkCity

    Neighbourhood

    A cluster of gated communities around a park and a lake, with a real neighbourhood life and a school bus to the French lycée; further from the centre.

    Source

  • Bukit Tunku (Kenny Hills) et Taman Duta

    Neighbourhood

    A wooded hill close to the centre: lovely houses with gardens, forest wildlife (monkeys), very few shops, a car is essential; about 10 to 15 minutes from the French lycée.

    Source

  • Damansara Heights (Bukit Damansara)

    Neighbourhood

    A quiet, green hillside area: mostly houses with gardens and often a pool, a few guarded estates, close to several clubs; 15 to 20 minutes from the French lycée.

    Source

  • Bangsar et Pantai Hills

    Neighbourhood

    A lively area popular with expats: condominiums and houses, malls and Telawi street full of restaurants, an LRT station; 20 to 25 minutes from the French lycée.

    Source

  • Ampang

    Neighbourhood

    The embassy district to the east, residential and green, close to the Petronas Towers and the American school ISKL, but far from the French lycée and congested along Jalan Ampang.

    Source

  • Petaling Jaya et TTDI

    Neighbourhood

    A lively neighbouring city to the south-west: houses and condominiums, big malls, the TTDI local market; 20 to 30 minutes from the French lycée depending on traffic.

    Source

Go further

Phone and insurance

Your phone is sorted in an hour at a mall; fibre broadband needs planning ahead. As for insurance, car cover is compulsory and health cover essential.

Good to know

  • The main mobile operators are Maxis, CelcomDigi and U Mobile; a SIM card is bought in store with your passport. Fibre (TM Unifi) takes a few weeks to install: apply as soon as the lease is signed. Source
  • Insurance: third-party cover is compulsory for a vehicle. Health insurance is not legally required for expat families, but it is essential: no care is free and the embassy never pays medical bills. Source

Banking and money

Opening an account takes some patience, as the bank checks your file with your employer. Day to day, cards work almost everywhere and DuitNow QR codes do the rest.

Good to know

  • Once resident, to open an account you need: proof of address, copies of your passport and visa, and an employer letter; the bank then contacts the employer and asks for an initial deposit before issuing a card. For a joint account, both holders must be present to open and sign. Source
  • Until your local account is open, your French card works, within the limits set by your bank. Wise also offers its multi-currency account and card to residents of Malaysia. Source
  • Cards are accepted almost everywhere, with PIN and contactless; keep yours in sight when paying to avoid skimming. Paying every bill online is common. Source
  • DuitNow, the national payment network, lets you send money with just a mobile number and pay by scanning a DuitNow QR code, from your banking app or an e-wallet such as Touch 'n Go eWallet. Source
  • Keep at least one account in France, useful for bills and refunds, and tell your bank before you leave: it switches to non-resident status, and some products such as the LEP savings account must be closed. Ask about the conditions it applies to non-residents. Source

Addresses

Go further

Getting set up

Two IKEA stores around Kuala Lumpur, supermarkets with imported products such as Village Grocer, huge malls and Mudah for second-hand.

Addresses

Getting around with children

Kuala Lumpur is still a car city, but the metro is growing fast. Most families combine a car, ride-hailing and a few metro lines for the centre.

Good to know

  • The Rapid KL network (LRT, MRT, Monorail, BRT and buses) is modern and increasingly connected; the operator offers unlimited passes (My City Pass) and discount concession cards, whose eligibility is checked on its website. Source
  • The prepaid Touch 'n Go card pays tolls, car parks and transport; it is sold in malls and topped up in convenience stores. Grab is the most used ride-hailing app, handy when travelling with a car seat. Source
  • With a pushchair, favour the newer MRT lines and malls connected to stations; pavements are often broken and the heat makes a baby carrier more practical for short distances.
  • No automatic exchange of the French licence: only the Malaysian licence and the international permit, shown with the original French licence, are officially recognised. For a long stay, check with the JPJ (road transport department) on getting a Malaysian licence. Source
  • Driving is on the left, traffic jams are frequent and the accident rate is high. A car licence does not allow you to ride a two-wheeler in Malaysia: only a motorbike licence (category A) does, otherwise insurance covers nothing. Source
  • For a car, the annual road tax sticker is compulsory. After a collision, you have 24 hours to report it at a police station; if anyone is injured, call 999. Source

Go further

Tax, social security and the consulate

Malaysian admin mostly goes through the employer: payroll, contributions, passes. Remember a few tax rules, and what the consulate can do for you.

Good to know

  • Tax residence depends on physical presence, not nationality: you are resident from 182 days in the calendar year (with continuity rules across years). A resident is taxed on the progressive scale, a non-resident at a flat 30%. Source
  • Each taxpayer registers for a tax number (TIN) with LHDN; tax is withheld monthly from salary (MTD) and the employment income return is filed online by 30 April. Source
  • Since October 2025 wages, foreign employees contribute compulsorily to the EPF (KWSP) provident fund, at 2% of salary, matched by the employer. It is not health insurance: healthcare remains your cost. Source
  • The consular section issues passports and ID cards, records births and marriages, manages electoral rolls and steps in if a French national is arrested, to ensure their rights are respected. Source
  • What the consulate does not do: it cannot intervene with Malaysian immigration over a refused entry, nor pay medical bills. Except in a serious emergency, all requests are handled during opening hours. Source
  • For French health and pension cover, the Caisse des Français de l'étranger (CFE) lets you keep French coverage; membership is voluntary. Source

Go further

Budget: what changes compared with France

Daily life is gentle on the wallet, except for three items that make the difference: school, healthcare and air conditioning.

Good to know

  • International schools and the French lycée charge fees and are the heaviest item in a family budget; fees rise with each level. Source
  • Rents remain well below Singapore's, for spacious homes, often with a pool and gym in the building. Source
  • Electricity is a major item: homes are poorly insulated and air conditioning runs a lot. Add servicing the units every three or four months and pest control. Source
  • Fuel is cheap and public transport inexpensive; eating out, in food courts and markets, costs much less than in France. Source
  • Conversely, imported products (cheese, wine, alcohol) are much more expensive than in France, and alcohol sales are regulated. Source
  • Plan for expat health insurance that also covers tropical diseases such as dengue: private hospitals are excellent, but everything is paid for. Source

Go further

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Kuala Lumpur will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Ambassade de France en Malaisie, section consulaire
  2. 2 France Diplomatie, Malaisie : entrée et séjour
  3. 3 Expatriate Services Division, Dependant Pass
  4. 4 Kuala Lumpur Accueil, se loger
  5. 5 Kuala Lumpur Accueil, formalités
  6. 6 LHDN, résidents et non-résidents (2025)
  7. 7 lepetitjournal.com Kuala Lumpur, les quartiers prisés des expatriés
  8. 8 PayNet, DuitNow

Get updates to the Kuala Lumpur guide

Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Kuala Lumpur guide changes, never more than once a week.

Other sections of the Kuala Lumpur guide

Report a change

A place has closed, a number has changed, something is no longer right? Please tell us: we check and fix the Kuala Lumpur guide.

What is going on?