As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2019

Registration Nos.: 2-82510

811-3692

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933	x
Pre-Effective Amendment No.	¨
Post-Effective Amendment No. 65	x
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940	x
Amendment No. 66	x

Morgan Stanley Variable Investment Series

(A Massachusetts business trust)

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

522 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10036

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code:

(800) 548-7786

Mary E. Mullin, Esq.
522 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10036

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

Carl Frischling, Esq. Perkins Coie LLP 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, New York 10112 Stuart M. Strauss, Esq. Dechert LLP 1095 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10036

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:

As soon as practicable after this Post-Effective Amendment becomes effective.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

x Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨   60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨    On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨  75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

¨  On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

Amending the Prospectus and Updating Financial Statements

If appropriate, check the following box:

¨    This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendmen

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

Index No.	Description of Exhibit
EX-101.INS	XBRL Instance Document
EX-101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
EX-101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
EX-101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
EX-101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase
EX-101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase