Guide
Malta Nomad Residence Permit: €400 a person and a €42,000 income test
Updated
The cheapest way into Malta for a third-country national, and the one with the strictest income test relative to its price.
The fees
- €300 non-refundable application fee per person, paid to the Residency Malta Agency by bank transfer.
- €100 per person for the issuance of the residency card by Identità, paid in person at Residency Malta's offices, by card only.
- Any visa-related fees, where applicable.
- €50 for card re-issue on a change of address or a lost or stolen card.
All of these come from the Residency Malta Agency's Nomad Residence Permit FAQs (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt), read on the updated date above.
The income and eligibility tests
An applicant must have a minimum gross yearly income of €42,000. Applicants who submitted before 1 April 2024 retain the earlier €32,400 requirement (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt).
Applicants must be third-country nationals in one of three categories:
- employed by an employer registered in a foreign country under a contract of work;
- conducting business activities for a company registered in a foreign country in which they are a partner or shareholder;
- offering freelance or consulting services to clients whose permanent establishments are in a foreign country.
The Agency is explicit: people contracted by a foreign company and providing services to that company's Maltese subsidiary are not eligible.
- A valid travel document.
- Health insurance covering risks in the European Union including Malta, and the UK, with minimum coverage of €100,000 per applicant.
- A valid property rental or purchase agreement.
- A police conduct certificate and a background verification check.
How long it lasts
The permit is valid for one year from issuance of the residency card. It may be renewed three times, for a maximum total stay of four years, at the Agency's discretion.
To renew, holders must show a bank statement with payment transactions in Malta. It must prove they resided in Malta for a cumulative period of at least five months over the previous twelve.
The tax position
The Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules, Subsidiary Legislation 123.210, set the main applicant's tax. An eligible main applicant is chargeable to income tax at the rate of ten percent (10%) on chargeable income derived from authorised work. This is subject to relief of double taxation (legislation.mt).
Holding the permit does not by itself put you inside those rules. The Agency states plainly that an applicant must also satisfy all the conditions in S.L. 123.210 to be taxed under it, and advises separate independent tax advice. Treat the 10% as available, not automatic.