Neither team published financial details of the deal but local media reported that Malaga had agreed to pay 20 million euros for the 26-year-old, which would be a club record fee.
One of a group of talented playmakers in the current Spain squad, Asturian Cazorla came through the youth ranks at Real Oviedo before joining Villarreal in the 2003-04 season.
"They have been very enjoyable years but football carries on and I have a very exciting project ahead at Malaga and now I must focus on that," Cazorla said at a farewell news conference at Villarreal's training ground.
Malaga, on Spain's southern coast, were bought by a member of the Qatari royal family at the end of the 2009-10 campaign and have been by far the busiest Spanish club in the transfer market since the end of last season when they finished 11th in La Liga.
