The visa · Malta
Malta
Malta runs a dedicated Nomad Residence Permit for non-EU remote workers, renewable to four years, backed by a statutory 10% tax rate on foreign remote income. EU and EEA citizens simply register after three months, while anyone wanting Maltese clients or an employer must switch to the far heavier Single Permit. The thing to know before applying is that the permit is discretionary, refusals come without reasons or appeal, and a refused applicant must wait twelve months to try again.
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The routes
Researched 9 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice
Nomad visa
Nomad Residence Permit
Nomad Residence Permit (Residency Malta Agency); tax side governed by the Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules, S.L. 123.210
Non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss remote employees, foreign-company owners and freelancers with only foreign clients who want a legal base in Malta beyond the 90-day Schengen limit.
- Income floor
- €42,000 gross per year for applications lodged on or after 1 April 2024 (earlier applicants keep €32,400); the agency asks for proof of a guaranteed source of income for at least five cumulative months from the date of application. The floor applies to the main applicant alone regardless of dependants.
- Duration
- 1 year from issue of the residence card, renewable three times for a maximum of four years; renewal requires bank-statement proof of at least five cumulative months in Malta over the previous twelve.
- Cost
- €300 non-refundable administrative fee per applicant and per dependant, on application and on every renewal; €100 residence-card fee per person paid to Identità; €50 for a change of address or replacement card.
- Processing
- Residency Malta states 30 working days for background checks from receipt of funds, then three to four weeks for the residence card; secondary guides report around 60 days end to end.
- Eligibility
- Aged 18 or over; third-country national only; nationals of Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen and Venezuela are ineligible and Russia and Belarus are currently not eligible; must work remotely for a foreign-registered employer, a foreign-registered company they own, or foreign-based clients; anyone serving a Maltese subsidiary or Malta-based clients is ineligible; police conduct certificate less than six months old; health insurance of at least €100,000 covering the EU and UK, prepaid for a full year, travel insurance not accepted; accommodation lease or purchase for twelve months, with hostels, boats and caravans rejected and spot checks reserved.
- Work rights
- Remote work for foreign employers or clients only; the FAQs state holders cannot offer services to or engage in economic activity with employers or companies based or registered in Malta, and the agency may revoke the permit if it learns of such activity; to work locally a holder must renounce the permit and apply for an employment or self-employment residence permit.
- Dependants
- Spouse, minor children, unmarried adult children principally dependent on the applicant, and adult children unable to live independently for medical reasons; each pays the €300 fee and faces the same due diligence and insurance rules; dependants cannot be added after payment or approval except newborns, but can be added at renewal.
- Leads to
- No. The agency states the permit does not lead to any permanent or long-term residency or citizenship; a holder wanting permanence must renounce it and apply separately, for example to the Malta Permanent Residence Programme.
- Apply
- Online through the Residency Malta portal, from abroad or in Malta; nationals on the agency's visa list (including India, South Africa, China and Turkey) receive a letter of approval in principle to obtain an entry visa, then collect the card in person.
Documents Valid passport · Employment contract with a foreign employer, or proof of ownership of a foreign-registered company, or client contracts for freelancers · Proof of gross annual income of at least €42,000 (bank statements, payslips or invoices) · Police conduct certificate under six months old, translated if not in English · Lease or purchase agreement for twelve months (a short-term let of up to one month is accepted after approval in principle) · Health insurance certificate of at least €100,000 cover for the EU and UK, prepaid for one year · Marriage and birth certificates for dependants, with custody consent where relevant · Tax-compliance declaration at the second and third renewals
Residence
EU/EEA/Swiss registration (eResidence card, self-sufficiency)
eResidence document for EU nationals – Economic Self-Sufficient (Identità)
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens working remotely from Malta for more than three months who are not employed by a Maltese company.
- Income floor
- No fixed figure is published; resources are deemed sufficient if equivalent to the minimum means that determine the grant of social assistance to Maltese nationals, plus comprehensive sickness insurance.
- Duration
- Registration is required after three months of residence; the eResidence card is renewable and permanent residence rights accrue under EU free-movement law after five years.
- Cost
- Not confirmed from the official page opened; secondary guides describe a small card fee.
- Processing
- Identità responds to the online application within 48 working hours with a biometric appointment date; card issue times vary.
- Eligibility
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship; proof of sufficient resources; comprehensive sickness insurance valid in Malta; a Maltese address.
- Work rights
- Full: remote work, local clients and local employment are all permitted under free movement.
- Dependants
- Family members of EU citizens register under free-movement rules, including third-country family members.
- Leads to
- Permanent residence after five years' continuous legal residence under EU rules; citizenship by naturalisation is a separate, discretionary process.
- Apply
- Online via the Identità Expatriates Portal, then biometrics in person in Malta.
Documents Passport or national ID card · Proof of sufficient resources (bank statements or income evidence) · Comprehensive sickness insurance · Proof of address in Malta
Freelance / self-employed
Single Permit (employment or self-employment)
Single Permit under the Single Permit Regulations, S.L. 217.17 (Identità)
Third-country nationals who want to work for a Maltese employer or serve Maltese clients, which the nomad permit forbids; the Key Employee Initiative is the fast track for salaried specialists.
- Income floor
- No general floor for standard employment beyond the offered wage; the Key Employee Initiative requires a gross salary of at least €45,000 a year. Self-employment criteria are restrictive and were not verified from the official page for this piece.
- Duration
- Normally one year, renewable; long-term resident status is possible after five years of legal residence.
- Cost
- New single permit application fee €600, doubled from €300 under the 2025 labour-migration reforms as reported by Maltese recruitment and advisory firms.
- Processing
- Statutory maximum of four months under S.L. 217.17; Identità states the average is closer to two months from a complete file, and advisers report eight to ten weeks, longer in summer.
- Eligibility
- Job offer from a Maltese employer; from October 2025 a mandatory labour-market test with the vacancy advertised on Jobsplus and EURES for at least three weeks; pre-departure integration course under the restructured I Belong programme before approval in principle; police conduct certificate; health insurance.
- Work rights
- Local employment with the named employer, or the approved self-employed activity; changing employer requires a new application.
- Dependants
- Family reunification is available after a qualifying period of residence and income; applied for separately through Identità.
- Leads to
- Counts toward long-term resident status after five years; citizenship by naturalisation is discretionary.
- Apply
- Online via the Identità Expatriates Portal, usually filed by the employer; applicants abroad then obtain a national long-stay visa.
Documents Passport with sufficient validity · Employment contract or, for self-employment, business plan and evidence of the self-employment criteria · Certified qualifications or proof of experience (Key Employee Initiative) · Police conduct certificate · Health insurance · Proof of accommodation in Malta · Evidence of completion of the pre-departure integration course
Long stay
Temporary residence permit on economic self-sufficiency (non-EU)
Non-Employment Permit – Economic Self-Sufficient (Identità Expatriates Unit)
Third-country nationals who already hold a valid authorisation to reside in Malta, in practice beneficiaries of the Global Residence, Permanent Residence or Retirement programmes, who live on foreign means without working locally.
- Income floor
- Identità's page states no figure; the gov.mt service catalogue and secondary guides quote €13,976 a year for a single applicant, €16,305 if married, plus €2,329 per child, excluding accommodation costs.
- Duration
- One year, renewable.
- Cost
- €100 for new and renewal applications.
- Processing
- Not published on the page opened.
- Eligibility
- Must already hold a residence permit or visa authorising stay in Malta; applications accepted from beneficiaries of the Global Residence Programme, Malta Permanent Residence Programme, Malta Retirement Programme or citizenship applicants; passport valid for at least eight months at submission; health insurance for the applicant and family; a letter explaining background and reasons for seeking temporary residence, considered case by case.
- Work rights
- No local employment; the permit is expressly non-employment.
- Dependants
- Spouse and children can be included, with higher income thresholds as quoted above.
- Leads to
- Time on temporary permits may count toward long-term resident status after five years, subject to Identità's rules.
- Apply
- Online via the Identità Expatriates Portal, from inside Malta.
Documents Passport with at least eight months' validity · Existing residence permit or visa · Evidence of income or capital · Health insurance for applicant and family · Cover letter explaining the reasons for the stay
Temporary stay
National long-stay visa (Type D)
National Visa – Long-Stay Visa (Identità Central Visa Unit)
Visa-required nationals who have been approved in principle for a Maltese permit, including the nomad permit, and need to enter to collect the residence card.
- Income floor
- None of its own; it follows the underlying permit approval.
- Duration
- Issued for stays exceeding 90 days but no longer than 365 days, under national rules.
- Cost
- Not confirmed from the official page opened.
- Processing
- Not published on the page opened.
- Eligibility
- Third-country nationals with a purpose of stay recognised under Maltese national rules, such as a nomad, work or study approval; the nomad permit letter of approval in principle plus a 15-night minimum accommodation booking is the documented entry path.
- Work rights
- Only as permitted by the underlying permit.
- Dependants
- Each dependant applies for their own visa on the strength of the family's approval.
- Leads to
- No; it is an entry document.
- Apply
- Maltese consulate or VFS Global centre abroad, or the Central Visa Unit in Malta where a national is already lawfully present.
Documents Passport · Letter of approval in principle or other permit approval · Proof of accommodation · Health insurance · Application form and fee
Investor
Malta Permanent Residence Programme
Malta Permanent Residence Programme, as amended by Legal Notice 146 of 2025
Well-funded non-EU nationals who want permanence; the nomad agency points holders here as the only route to permanent residence, but few nomads use it.
- Income floor
- Capital and contribution based rather than income based: a €37,000 government contribution, a €60,000 main-applicant administration fee, and a property purchase of €375,000 or rent of €14,000 a year, as reported after the July 2025 reform.
- Duration
- Permanent residence, with a one-year temporary residence permit now available at the start of the process.
- Cost
- €60,000 administration fee plus €37,000 contribution; spouse and minor children now free; adult dependants €7,500 each, as reported.
- Processing
- Advisers report several months; not published as a statutory limit.
- Eligibility
- Non-EU nationals with the required assets, clean due diligence and health insurance.
- Work rights
- Residence only; a separate work permit is needed for local employment.
- Dependants
- Spouse and minor children included without extra contribution; adult dependants at €7,500 each.
- Leads to
- Permanent residence from the outset; citizenship remains a separate process.
- Apply
- Through a licensed agent to the Residency Malta Agency.
Documents Passport · Proof of assets and source of funds · Property purchase or lease agreement · Police conduct certificates · Health insurance
Without a visa, by passport
The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated
- EU / EEA / SwitzerlandFree movement; register with Identità after 3 monthsRemote work, local clients and local employment are all lawful under free movement.
- United Kingdom90 days in any 180 (Schengen visa-free); ETIAS expected from late 2026Published rules do not address remote work on a visitor stay; reported as tolerated for a foreign employer but grey, and the nomad permit is the route for anything longer.
- United States90 days in any 180 (Schengen visa-free); ETIAS expected from late 2026Same position: not addressed in published rules, widely reported as tolerated on short visits, forbidden for any Maltese employer or client.
- Canada90 days in any 180 (Schengen visa-free); ETIAS expected from late 2026Grey on a visitor stay; the nomad permit is the published route beyond 90 days.
- Australia90 days in any 180 (Schengen visa-free); ETIAS expected from late 2026Grey on a visitor stay; no local work of any kind.
- Japan90 days in any 180 (Schengen visa-free); ETIAS expected from late 2026Grey on a visitor stay.
- Brazil90 days in any 180 (Schengen visa-free); ETIAS expected from late 2026Grey on a visitor stay; Brazil is not on Residency Malta's list of nationals needing an entry visa for the nomad permit.
- IndiaSchengen visa required; 90 days in any 180 once issuedNamed on Residency Malta's list of nationals who need an entry visa after nomad-permit approval in principle; remote work on a tourist visa is not addressed and a prior Schengen refusal is a listed reason for permit refusal.
- South AfricaSchengen visa required; 90 days in any 180 once issuedNamed on the nomad-permit visa list; entry visa obtained after approval in principle, applications handled through VFS Global.
- TurkeySchengen visa requiredNamed on the nomad-permit visa list.
- ChinaSchengen visa requiredNamed on the nomad-permit visa list.
Tax
When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer
- Residency trigger
- Physical presence in Malta for more than 183 days in a calendar year establishes tax residence for that year regardless of purpose. A person living in Malta on a permanent or indefinite basis, or present for more than 183 days in each of several consecutive years (three is the commonly cited span), becomes ordinarily resident. Domicile is a separate test; someone resident but not domiciled in Malta is taxed on Maltese-source income and on foreign income only to the extent it is received in Malta, and foreign capital gains are not taxed even if remitted. The Malta Tax and Customs Administration page setting this out could not be opened for this piece, so the wording follows the authority's guidance as quoted by Maltese tax firms.
- Special regime
- The Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules, Legal Notice 277 of 2023, published on 7 December 2023, tax income from authorised remote work for non-resident employers or clients at a flat 10%, with an exemption on that income for the first twelve months from permit issue or 1 January 2024, whichever is later, provided presence in Malta was merely casual. Other income is taxed at the ordinary progressive rates up to 35%. The Malta Tax and Customs Administration issued guidelines on the rules, described as dated 16 January 2026 by advisers although the document's own filename carries a January 2025 date; they confirm automatic income-tax registration on permit issue, ongoing return and payment obligations, and double-taxation relief where foreign tax of at least 10% has been paid on the same income. The permit renewal form requires a tax-compliance declaration at the second and third renewals.
- Social security
- Self-occupied persons earning more than €910 a year from trade, business or profession pay Class 2 contributions, generally 15% of the previous year's net income, in three instalments in April, August and December, and a social security number is needed for employment or self-employment. The sources opened do not state whether a nomad-permit holder employed abroad owes Maltese contributions; remote workers for EU-based employers can remain under home-country coverage with an A1 certificate, and the nomad FAQs state holders are not entitled to a Maltese pension or social benefits.
- Treaties
- Malta has a broad treaty network that includes the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa among others. For a nomad-permit holder the practical effect is that foreign tax already paid at 10% or more on authorised-work income is credited against the Maltese 10% charge; a remote employee whose employer withholds at home should therefore expect little or no Maltese top-up, while a contractor paying no tax elsewhere pays the flat 10% in Malta.
Practicalities
- Bank account
- No Maltese account is required to apply, but renewal rests on a bank statement showing payment transactions carried out in Malta for at least five cumulative months of the previous twelve, so a statement-producing account used locally is essential; the sources opened do not document current account-opening times at Maltese banks.
- Health insurance
- Nomad-permit holders must hold cover of at least €100,000 for the EU and UK, prepaid for a full year and running for the whole card period; travel insurance is not accepted, and holders are not entitled to free public healthcare. Some third-party guides still quote €30,000; that figure is out of date.
- Address registration
- A twelve-month lease or purchase agreement is needed for the card; any change of address must be reported to Residency Malta within ten working days with a €50 fee, and failure may lead to revocation. Residency Malta reserves the right to conduct property spot checks.
- Tax number
- According to the tax authority's guidelines as reported, a nomad-permit holder is automatically registered for income tax on issue of the permit and must file returns. Employees and self-occupied persons also need a social security number from the Department of Social Security.
- Residence card
- €100 per person paid to Identità in person by card; issued three to four weeks after approval; collection requires the passport.
- Refusals and reapplication
- Reasons for refusal are not disclosed and there is no appeal; a fresh application is allowed twelve months after the rejection letter or the expiry of a lapsed permit. Listed grounds include criminal records, adverse media and previous Schengen visa refusals.
- Overstay
- Overstaying the 90-day Schengen limit or a permit exposes the person to fines, removal and re-entry bans as reported; the sources opened do not publish the fine amounts, and the nomad permit does not extend a visa automatically.
Malta: a four-year nomad permit with a 10% tax rate, priced at €42,000 a year
Where nomads base and why
Malta sells itself on English as an official language, a euro economy inside Schengen and year-round fibre and 5G that now reach Gozo at main-island speeds. Sliema, Gżira, Msida and St Julian's hold most of the coworking desks and most of the other remote workers, with one-bedroom flats in Sliema and St Julian's advertised at €1,200 to €1,800 a month in 2026 guides.
Gozo is the cheaper option, with one-bedroom flats from about €600 to €900 a month in Victoria and Xlendi and a ferry to the main island. The nomad permit's insistence on a twelve-month lease pushes applicants towards annual rentals rather than short lets, which is where most of the cost pressure sits.
What applicants report about the process
Residency Malta describes a 30-working-day background check from the date funds are received, then a letter of approval in principle, then insurance, lease and visa steps before the card is issued in three to four weeks. Guides written from applicant experience put the whole run at around 60 days for a clean file, and the agency itself lists expired documents and slow police certificates, apostilles and translations as the common causes of delay or refusal.
Figures the agency has released, as relayed by secondary guides, put permits granted since launch at just over a thousand with an acceptance rate around 78%, and describe applicants as roughly half remote employees and the rest self-employed or freelance. The published average income of successful applicants is reported as €60,000 in one source and €76,000 in another, so the exact figure is disputed.
Two features shape the experience more than the paperwork. Refusal comes with no reason and no appeal, and a prior Schengen refusal is a listed ground. Renewal depends on proving five months of physical presence through Maltese bank transactions, which quietly rules out using the permit as a paper base while living elsewhere.
Banking, tax and daily money
The tax offer is the reason many choose Malta over other European nomad schemes. Under Legal Notice 277 of 2023 authorised remote income is taxed at 10%, with the first twelve months exempt where presence is casual, and foreign tax of at least 10% already paid is credited. Anything earned from Maltese sources sits outside the regime and at the ordinary rates, which is consistent with the permit's ban on local clients.
The trade-off is that holders get nothing from the state in return: no free healthcare, no pension, no social benefits and no free schooling, so the €100,000 prepaid private insurance policy is a recurring cost. Self-employed residents who fall within Maltese social security pay Class 2 contributions at 15% of the previous year's net income once earnings pass €910.
What is changing
The nomad permit itself has been stable since the income floor rose to €42,000 in April 2024; the 2026 changes are guidance and FAQ tidy-ups rather than new conditions. The pressure is on the local-work side, where the 2025 labour-migration reforms doubled the Single Permit fee, made a labour-market test compulsory and added a pre-departure course, making a switch from nomad status to a Maltese employer slower and dearer.
For visa-exempt passports, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026 with a transitional period before it becomes mandatory, alongside the Entry/Exit System that logs each Schengen entry. Neither changes the 90-in-180 limit, but the exit system makes overstays easy to detect.
Researched from nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt · nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt · identita.gov.mt · identita.gov.mt · identita.gov.mt · identita.gov.mt · mtca.gov.mt · mtca.gov.mt · deloitte.com · mondaq.com · the authority