Hiring and Managing Japanese Chefs in Malaysia: Visa, Salary and Retention (2026)

This guide answers the questions restaurant owners in Malaysia ask us most often before hiring a Japanese chef from Japan. Salary ranges reflect the positions Washoku Agent has handled; visa facts come from official government pages, checked on 2026-10-29.

How much do Japanese chefs earn in Malaysia?

Based on the positions Washoku Agent has handled in Malaysia, advertised annual packages for Japanese chefs typically fall between JPY 4 and 6 million when converted, with the highest advertised packages reaching around JPY 7 million. In local terms, recent offers have been in the order of RM 13,000 per month or RM 15,000 per month. These are offers at the time of advertising; the final package depends on city, concept and seniority.

Which roles and restaurant types hire Japanese chefs in Malaysia?

The demand we see in Malaysia is concentrated in a few role types and concepts. The most common roles are head chef and junior chef positions, and the most common concepts are sushi, izakaya and omakase sushi.

Do Japanese chefs need to speak English, and is housing provided?

Nearly all of our listings accepted beginner-level English. Employers in Malaysia generally prioritise cooking technique and experience; kitchen English develops on the job. Around half of our listings included housing or a housing allowance.

Which visa lets a restaurant in Malaysia sponsor a Japanese chef?

An Employment Pass applied for by the restaurant through the Expatriate Services Division. Since 1 June 2026 the lowest band, Category III, requires a basic salary of RM 5,000 a month and allows a pass of up to 5 years with dependants; Category II (RM 10,000) and Category I (RM 20,000) run up to 10 years. Restaurants are an 'other sector' employer, so the Expatriate Committee decides. Before applying, the company must be registered with ESD with the required paid-up capital, hold Department of Labour (JTKSM) approval under Section 60K, and have advertised the job on MYFutureJobs for 7 days with local interviews. Japan has no working holiday agreement with Malaysia.

• Salary: basic monthly salary only, taxable in Malaysia. Category III RM 5,000 to RM 9,999 (up to 5 years), Category II RM 10,000 to RM 19,999 (up to 10 years), Category I RM 20,000 and above (up to 10 years), for applications from 1 June 2026. Renewals filed after that date must meet the new bands.
• Chef profile (ESD guidebook): degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, diploma plus 5 years, or technical certificate plus 7 years; the Expatriate Committee decides. No language test.
• Employer test: ESD registration with paid-up capital of RM 250,000 (100% local), RM 350,000 (joint venture), RM 500,000 (100% foreign) or RM 1,000,000 (foreign-owned WRT company with a KPDN approval letter); 14 working days to register. Then JTKSM Section 60K approval (10 working days, valid 12 months) and a 7-day MYFutureJobs advert with local interviews and a Hiring Outcome Report (certificate in 3 working days, valid 6 months). Both are waived for renewals; the advert is waived at RM 15,000 and above.
• Fees and time: ESD application fee RM 2,160; endorsement RM 200 per year plus RM 125 processing; visa charge nil for Japanese nationals. Pass decision within 5 working days of a complete application, endorsement 1 working day. From 1 January 2027, Category II and III applications need a succession plan.
• After arrival: Japanese nationals enter visa-free for 3 months; the approval letter must exist before entry for employment; endorse the pass within 30 days of arrival; the employer reports the hire to JTKSM within 14 days; renew up to 3 months before expiry.

1. Check the company's paid-up capital against the ESD table (and its WRT status with KPDN if foreign-owned), then register once with ESD (14 working days) and set the position and salary: at least RM 5,000 basic for Category III.
2. Apply in Xpats Gateway for JTKSM approval under Section 60K (10 working days) and, in parallel, advertise the job on MYFutureJobs for 7 days, interview local candidates with PERKESO and upload the Hiring Outcome Report (certificate within 3 working days).
3. Submit the Employment Pass application in ESD Online with the chef's passport, certificates, experience letters, CV and the employment contract, and pay RM 2,160; the Expatriate Committee decides within 5 working days. Add dependants in the same application if needed.
4. The chef receives the approval letter, enters Malaysia (visa-free for 3 months; a Visa With Reference can be collected against the letter if required), and the pass is endorsed within 30 days of arrival at the ESD counter or KLIA (RM 200 per year plus RM 125), with the i-KAD issued.
5. The employer notifies JTKSM within 14 days of the start date, calendars the renewal 3 months before expiry, and prepares the succession plan required from 1 January 2027.

Which pass lets a Malaysian restaurant sponsor a Japanese chef?

An Employment Pass (EP), issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia under the Ministry of Home Affairs and processed by MYXpats, a subsidiary of Talent Corporation Malaysia. The employer applies online through the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) portal; the chef cannot apply alone. Malaysia has no chef-specific pass. The EP is a multiple-entry pass valid in Peninsular Malaysia only, tied to the company named on it, and the Expatriate Committee (EC) or the relevant sector agency must approve the position before the pass is issued. Restaurants and food and beverage companies are not on the ESD list of 25 regulated sectors and their agencies (manufacturing goes to MIDA, tourism to MOTAC, financial services to Bank Negara and so on), so an ordinary restaurant's application is assessed by the Expatriate Committee as an 'other sector' employer. The Professional Visit Pass is not an employment route: it is issued for no longer than 12 months per issuance to a person providing services or training on behalf of an overseas company, and its holders cannot bring dependants.

What are the Employment Pass categories and the minimum salary?

Three categories, set by basic monthly salary that is taxable in Malaysia; allowances, bonuses and salary paid outside Malaysia do not count. Under the Revised Expatriate Salary Policy, which applies to all new and renewal applications submitted on or after 1 June 2026: Category I is a basic salary of RM 20,000 and above, with a pass of up to 10 years; Category II is RM 10,000 to RM 19,999, up to 10 years; Category III is RM 5,000 to RM 9,999, up to 5 years (RM 7,000 to RM 9,999 for manufacturing companies under MIDA). Before 1 June 2026 the bands were RM 10,000 and above, RM 5,000 to RM 9,999 and RM 3,000 to RM 4,999, and Category III was capped at 12 months per application with a maximum of 2 renewals and no dependants. The 2026 policy removed the Category III cooling-off period and the separate Ministry of Home Affairs exemption that 'other sector' companies previously needed before filing a Category III application, and it lets Category III holders bring a spouse and children under 18 on a Dependant Pass. Each application may still cover an employment contract of up to 60 months, and the maximum durations run per employer, position and category. From 1 January 2027 every Category II and III application must include a succession plan to train local staff. Most Japanese chefs fall in Category III or II. The ESD guidebook sets the minimum profile for an expatriate post as a degree with at least 3 years of relevant experience, a diploma with 5 years, or a technical certificate or equivalent with 7 years; the Expatriate Committee decides case by case. There is no language test and no published minimum age.

What does the restaurant have to show, and what local-hiring steps come first?

Three steps before the pass application. First, the company registers once with ESD (14 working days when documents are complete) and must meet the paid-up capital test: RM 250,000 for a 100% Malaysian-owned company, RM 350,000 for a joint venture with at least 30% foreign equity, RM 500,000 for a 100% foreign-owned company, and RM 1,000,000 for a foreign-owned company (51% or more foreign equity) in the Wholesale, Retail and Trade (WRT) sectors, which must also attach its WRT approval letter from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN). Under the KPDN distributive trade guidelines summarised by MIDA (2021), food catering and restaurant services outside hotel premises are a 'specialty store' activity with a minimum of RM 1 million in shareholders' funds per outlet for foreign-owned operators, while 'restaurant (non-exclusive)' is on the list closed to foreign participation; a Japanese-owned restaurant company should confirm its WRT position with KPDN before it registers with ESD. Second, under Section 60K of the Employment Act 1955 (in force 1 January 2023) a private employer in Peninsular Malaysia or Labuan must obtain prior approval from the Department of Labour (JTKSM) before hiring any non-citizen, including an expatriate; since 1 July 2025 this is filed in Xpats Gateway, processed within 10 working days, valid 12 months, granted per company rather than per candidate, and not needed for renewals. Failure carries a fine of up to RM 100,000, up to five years' imprisonment, or both, and the employer must report the hire to JTKSM within 14 days (form PA 1/13). Third, PERKESO's MYFutureJobs rule: since 1 January 2025 the vacancy must be advertised on the MYFutureJobs portal for at least 7 days, the employer must interview local candidates (the 'localization program', with a PERKESO officer involved or notified 3 days ahead), and then upload a Hiring Outcome Report; PERKESO issues the advertising certificate within 3 working days and it is valid for 6 months. Positions with a basic salary of RM 15,000 and above, C-suite roles, shareholders with 30% or more equity and renewals are exempt. ESD's process chart shows the JTKSM and MYFutureJobs steps running in parallel. Regulated sectors then need a support letter via Xpats Gateway (3 working days fast track, 10 normal); an ordinary restaurant does not, but the Expatriate Committee may ask for one.

How much are the fees, how long does it take, and how does the chef enter?

ESD application fee, revised 1 September 2024: RM 2,000 plus 8% SST, RM 2,160, per Employment Pass application (RM 540 for a Dependant Pass). Immigration fees at endorsement: RM 200 per year of pass plus a processing fee of RM 125 per application; the visa charge that other nationalities pay is listed as 'GRATIS' for Japan, so a 12-month pass costs RM 325 at endorsement and a 24-month pass RM 525. Dependant Pass: RM 90 per year plus RM 50 processing. MYXpats states that a complete application is processed within 5 working days; ESD's chart adds 1 working day for pass endorsement and the i-KAD at the ESD counter or at KLIA. Japanese nationals enter Malaysia without a visa for a stay of up to 3 months (Embassy of Malaysia in Tokyo); the approval letter must be issued before the chef enters for employment, and a Visa With Reference can be requested in the same application if the chef is outside Malaysia and collected against the approval letter. The pass must be endorsed within 30 days of approval if the chef is already in Malaysia, or within 30 days of arrival. Renewals may be filed up to 3 months before expiry and need no new MYFutureJobs advert or JTKSM approval. The 'time' estimate on this page adds the official steps (about 5 to 8 weeks for a first-time employer when documents are complete: company registration, JTKSM approval and the 7-day advert in parallel, then the 5-day pass decision) to the chef's notice period in Japan, usually 1 to 2 months.

Is there a working holiday route?

No. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan's working holiday page (1 April 2026) lists 32 partner countries and regions, from Australia in 1980 to Malta and Italy in 2026, and Malaysia is not among them. A Japanese chef cannot work in Malaysia on the 3-month visa-free entry; every kitchen hire needs the Employment Pass. The Professional Visit Pass covers short technical visits on behalf of an overseas company, for example a head chef from the Japanese parent restaurant training the Malaysian kitchen, and only for the company named on the pass.

Rules change. We confirm the current requirements with the employer before an offer.

Where do restaurants in Malaysia find Japanese chefs?

Malaysia has about 2,200 Japanese restaurants in the agriculture ministry's November 2025 count, up 310 from the 2023 survey, and a Japanese resident community of 19,690 people (October 2025, down 1.7%, the 14th-largest abroad). We could not open a Japanese-community job board in Malaysia that carries chef ads, so owners work the two Malaysian job banks, the Japan-side career sites, which list Malaysia roles mostly for office and management staff, and word of mouth inside the Japanese restaurant community. Before any Employment Pass application the job must be advertised on PERKESO's MYFutureJobs portal for 7 days with interviews of local candidates, unless the basic salary is RM 15,000 or more, so a local search is part of the official process, not an option.

Washoku Agent sits alongside these channels as the specialist route: we hold a registered pool of Japanese chefs, screen for technique and willingness to relocate, interpret interviews and manage the paperwork. You can run local channels in parallel and use us for the chef you cannot find locally.

Hire from Japan or from the local market in Malaysia?

Malaysia gives you one route. The Employment Pass covers chefs at ordinary restaurants, decided by the Expatriate Committee, with a basic salary floor of RM 5,000 a month for Category III since 1 June 2026, a company paid-up capital test of RM 250,000 to RM 1,000,000 depending on ownership, Department of Labour approval under Section 60K, and a 7-day MYFutureJobs advert with local interviews. Japan has no working holiday agreement with Malaysia. Local hiring draws on 19,690 Japanese residents (October 2025) and on Malaysia-trained cooks from the job banks.

Common hiring challenges in Malaysia, and how to keep the chef

What owners and chefs say in public, in their own words:

Not ready to hire full-time? Start with a project: a Japanese chef can develop a menu or train your team for a few weeks. See how a project works.

How do restaurants in Malaysia hire a Japanese chef through Washoku Agent?

Frequently asked questions