Guide
Malta's Global Residence Programme: cost, property test and 15% rate
Updated
The Global Residence Programme (also searched as global residency program) is a tax status, not a permanent residence card. Its cost is dominated by the minimum tax.
What it costs to enter
- Administrative fee €6,000, non-refundable, payable on application through an authorised registered mandatary. Where the qualifying property is a qualifying owned property situated in the south of Malta, the fee is €5,500.
- Qualifying owned property: at least €275,000 in Malta, or €220,000 for a property in Gozo or in the south of Malta.
- Qualifying rented property: at least €9,600 a year in Malta, or €8,750 a year in Gozo or in the south of Malta.
All four figures are in the Global Residence Programme Rules, Subsidiary Legislation 123.148 (legislation.mt), read on the updated date above. Note the reduced fee is written for an owned property in the south, not for rented property there.
What it costs every year
The rules apply a rate of fifteen cents on every euro, that is 15%. It applies to income arising outside Malta and received in Malta by the beneficiary, spouse and qualifying children. Double taxation relief may be claimed.
Then comes the floor: the minimum tax payable is €15,000 for any year of assessment. It is payable in full both in the year the status is granted and in the year the individual ceases to hold it.
Income that is not charged at 15% under the rules is charged as separate income at thirty-five cents on every euro, that is 35%.
| Foreign income received in Malta | 15% on that income | Tax actually payable |
|---|---|---|
| €50,000 | €7,500 | €15,000, the minimum |
| €100,000 | €15,000 | €15,000 |
| €200,000 | €30,000 | €30,000 |
The break-even is €100,000 of foreign income remitted to Malta. Below that, the programme is charging you more than 15%.
Who can apply
- Third-country nationals. The rules define a third-country national as a person who is not an EU citizen, and expressly provide that EEA and Swiss nationals are not third-country nationals for these purposes.
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals use the Residence Programme instead (Subsidiary Legislation 123.160), which carries the same €275,000 and €220,000 property thresholds, the same €9,600 and €8,750 rent thresholds, the same €6,000 and €5,500 fees, the same 15% rate and the same €15,000 minimum tax.
- Applicants must hold sickness insurance covering all risks across the whole of the European Union for themselves and their dependants, be able to communicate adequately in one of Malta's official languages, and be a fit and proper person.
Special tax status is not the same as a residence permit. Global Residence Programme beneficiaries apply separately to Identità for a residence permit on the basis of economic self-sufficiency. It costs €100 for new and renewal applications (identita.gov.mt).