The HRD Corp claim guide for Malaysian employers
You pay the levy every month, whether you train anyone or not. This guide is the shortest path from "money leaving my account" to "training paid back from it" — who pays, which scheme to use, how the caps work, and the exact order the paperwork has to happen in.
The levy: who pays, and how much
Employers with 10 or more Malaysian employees must register with HRD Corp and contribute 1% of monthly wages. Employers with 5 to 9 Malaysian employees may register voluntarily at 0.5%. Companies with fewer than 5 are not required to contribute.
The wage base is basic salary plus fixed allowances of Malaysian citizens only — foreign workers, interns and part-time employees are excluded. The levy is paid by the 15th of the following month, whether or not you train anyone.
What does your company pay? Two fields, ten seconds — headcount and average salary.
Use the Levy CalculatorSBL-Khas vs SBL: who pays first
SBL-Khas
The most common scheme for claimable corporate training. HRD Corp pays the training provider directly from your levy after the claim is approved — you do not front the cost.
Best when: the provider is registered, and you want no cash-flow gap.
SBL
The employer pays the provider first, then claims reimbursement from the levy. Works when a course is claimable but the provider does not operate under direct payment.
Best when: you are willing to front the fee to claim it back.
Both schemes start with the same grant application on eTRiS. For the full comparison — including which one to pick for your training plan — see HRD Corp Claimable vs SBL-Khas: what employers need to know.
The grant must be approved 14 days before training starts
Since 15 June 2026, HRD Corp requires the grant application to be approved at least 14 days before the first day of training — not merely submitted. Expired or rejected applications cannot be appealed.
The practical version: apply about 21 days ahead. That leaves room for HRD Corp's queries, which must be answered within 5 calendar days. Booking training for next month but applying this week is already late.
HRD Corp Employers FAQAllowable cost caps: what HRD Corp will fund
HRD Corp's Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM) caps the training fee it will fund, per day and per training type. If the provider's fee sits inside the cap, the full amount is claimable; above it, only the capped amount is, and your company covers the difference.
| Delivery type | Current cap (full day) | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| In-house / classroom (general course fee) | RM10,500 / day / group | One session trains up to 25 staff against one claim — the cheapest way to spend the cap. |
| E-learning | Up to RM875 / pax (7 training hours) | Capped per participant, based on training hours. Our e-learning prices sit inside it. |
| Remote online training (employer-specific) | RM700 / pax / day | For a course tailored to your company. Focus-area courses are claimable at up to RM2,000 / pax / day. |
Figures per HRD Corp's Allowable Cost Matrix (November 2025 edition). The ACM is reviewed periodically — always confirm the current edition and your course's category before budgeting.
This is exactly why Megabyte's programs are priced in three tiers — in-house (closest to the RM10,500 classroom cap), live online, and e-learning (inside the RM875 cap). Every tier is claimable for eligible employers. See how much you can claim, explained for the detail.
The claim, in the order it has to happen
Apply for the grant — before training
Log in to eTRiS and submit the grant application with your provider's quotation, course outline and trainer details. Get it approved at least 14 days before training starts — apply about 21 days ahead.
You will need the HRD Corp course serial from your provider. Every Megabyte quotation carries it.
Run the training — and log attendance
Attendance of at least 80% is the standard HRD Corp expects for a session to count. For e-learning on MegaLearn, the platform enforces an 80% minimum watch and logs attendance every five seconds; for physical sessions, keep a signed attendance list.
Megabyte's evidence pack includes the attendance log, assessment result and certificate.
Submit the claim with evidence
After training ends, submit the claim on eTRiS referencing your approved grant ID, and upload the invoice, attendance or completion evidence, and the certificate. Claims must be filed within the window HRD Corp allows after training — check current eTRiS guidance rather than assuming.
Get paid — or reimbursed
Under SBL-Khas, HRD Corp pays the provider directly from your levy. Under SBL, your company is reimbursed. The invoice amount, course name and dates must match the approved grant — mismatches are a leading cause of rejection.
The most common reasons claims fail: applying after training started, missing or unsigned attendance records, a course not actually registered under the scheme claimed, and invoice details that do not match the approved grant. For the full step-by-step eTRiS walkthrough, see How to Apply for an HRD Corp Grant on eTRiS.
The evidence checklist
- ✓The approved grant / application ID on eTRiS
- ✓Signed attendance list (physical) or platform watch/attendance log (e-learning)
- ✓Assessment results, where the course has one
- ✓The completion certificate
- ✓Invoice matching the approved grant — amount, course, dates
Keep everything in one place. HRD Corp can audit claims after the fact, and "we had it somewhere" does not survive an auditor asking to see it.
What can you actually claim?
Not every course is claimable in general — the course and the provider must be registered under a recognised scheme. Start from categories that qualify rather than hoping a specific course does.
10 Best Claimable Course CategoriesGo deeper
Each of these posts digs into one part of the claim in detail.
SBL-Khas vs SBL
Who pays first, and which scheme fits your training plan.
BudgetingAllowable Cost Limits
How much HRD Corp will fund per day, by training type.
Step-by-StepApplying on eTRiS
The full grant application workflow, before, during and after training.
CategoriesClaimable Course Categories
The 10 categories that qualify under the common schemes.
Frequently asked questions
Is eLearning claimable under HRD Corp?+
Yes, for eligible employers. E-learning sits under its own allowable-cost cap based on training hours (up to RM875 per pax for a 7-hour course in the current ACM), and a platform with tracked attendance and assessment records — like MegaLearn — provides the evidence HRD Corp expects in place of a signed sheet.
What is the difference between SBL-Khas and SBL?+
SBL-Khas pays the training provider directly from your levy after the claim is approved, so you do not front the cost. Under SBL, the employer pays first and claims reimbursement later. Both start with a grant application approved on eTRiS before training begins.
How far ahead must we apply for the grant?+
Since 15 June 2026 HRD Corp requires the grant to be approved at least 14 days before training starts. With HRD Corp's query window at 5 calendar days, applying about 21 days ahead is the safe margin.
What is the minimum attendance for a claim?+
The standard HRD Corp expects is at least 80% attendance for a session to count. MegaLearn enforces an 80% minimum watch server-side for e-learning, so the record is generated automatically.
How long does claim approval take?+
Processing time varies with the completeness of your submission. Missing or mismatched documents are the main reason a claim is rejected or delayed, so the evidence pack matters more than the queue.
Not sure your training plan is claimable?
Tell us your team size, the topic and your target dates. We will confirm the scheme, the course serial and whether your timeline still works — before you book anything.
Speak to a Consultant