Who can apply for the Malta nomad residence permit?

Third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) nationals who work for an employer registered abroad under a contract, run a foreign-registered company they partly own, or provide freelance or consulting services under contract to clients established abroad. People contracted by foreign companies to serve their Maltese subsidiaries are excluded. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it. Malta's Nomad Residence Permit lets non-EU remote employees, foreign-company owners and freelancers with foreign clients live in Malta for a year at a time, renewable up to four years, on €42,000 gross a year. Apply online to Residency Malta Agency for €300 plus €100 for the card, allow about 30 working days, and remote-work income is taxed at 10% after a tax-free first year.

How much does the Nomad Residence Permit cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $449 (€300 non-refundable application fee per applicant, plus €100 per person for the residence card); The €300 is paid by bank transfer from the applicant's own account when applying; the €100 card fee is paid by card at Residency Malta's office at biometrics. Each dependant pays the same fees. Nationals who need a visa to enter Malta also pay the national visa fee, and address changes cost €50. Processing time: 4 weeks to 6 weeks. Residency Malta expects to process applications within 30 working days (about six weeks) from the receipt of funds, after which you have 30 days to supply the lease and health insurance; the card is issued three to four weeks after biometrics in Malta.

How is income from remote work taxed on the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

At a flat 10% on chargeable income from authorised work, with double-taxation relief, under Subsidiary Legislation 123.210. The first twelve months after the permit is issued are tax-free unless you declare your stay is not casual. Income that is not from authorised work follows the normal Income Tax Act.

Can I renew the Malta Nomad Residence Permit indefinitely?

No. It can be renewed three times for a maximum of four years in total, and each renewal needs proof that you spent at least five months of the previous twelve in Malta and still meet the €42,000 income rule.

Digital nomad visa · Europe

Malta nomad residence permit 2026: requirements and cost

Malta's Nomad Residence Permit lets non-EU remote employees, foreign-company owners and freelancers with foreign clients live in Malta for a year at a time, renewable up to four years, on €42,000 gross a year. Apply online to Residency Malta Agency for €300 plus €100 for the card, allow about 30 working days, and remote-work income is taxed at 10% after a tax-free first year.

Official name: Nomad Residence Permit (Residency Malta Agency), with the Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules, S.L. 123.210. Facts updated 2026-10-04 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Non-EU/EEA citizens; Third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) nationals who work for an employer registered abroad under a contract, run a foreign-registered company they partly own, or provide freelance or consulting services under contract to clients established abroad. People contracted by foreign companies to serve their Maltese subsidiaries are excluded. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it.
Minimum income: $3,929/month; €42,000 gross a year (applications from 1 April 2024), about €3,500 a month
Fee: about $449; €300 non-refundable application fee per applicant, plus €100 per person for the residence card
Processing time: 4 weeks to 6 weeks
Initial stay: 1 year, renewable up to 4 years
Where to apply: Online; Online through the Residency Malta portal (portal.residencymalta.gov.mt); biometrics and card collection in person at Residency Malta Agency in Malta after approval.

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Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-04. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

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Who can apply

Third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) nationals who work for an employer registered abroad under a contract, run a foreign-registered company they partly own, or provide freelance or consulting services under contract to clients established abroad. People contracted by foreign companies to serve their Maltese subsidiaries are excluded. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it.

What you need

Application form N4 for each applicant
Copy of all passport pages, including blank ones
Curriculum vitae with professional and academic details
Letter of intent explaining why you want to relocate to Malta
Employment contract showing you can work remotely plus income statements, or certificate of incorporation and share register for your foreign company, or service contracts with foreign clients
Three months of bank statements in PDF from your online banking showing income of at least €42,000 a year, guaranteed for at least five months
Police conduct certificate for every applicant aged 18 or over, issued within the last six months
Marriage certificate and children's birth certificates for dependants
After approval: 12-month property lease or purchase agreement (a one-month booking is accepted at first for visa holders)
After approval: health insurance covering Malta, the EU and the UK with at least €100,000 cover for one full year

Income proof: Minimum gross yearly income of €42,000 for applications submitted on or after 1 April 2024 (€32,400 for earlier permit holders renewing), proven with the contract and three months of bank statements showing guaranteed income for at least five months. Monthly figure is the annual threshold divided by twelve, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).

Family: Your spouse or partner, minor children, dependent adult children and adult children with disabilities can be included in the initial application; each pays the €300 application fee and €100 card fee. New dependants can only be added at renewal, except newborns. Family members may not work in Malta and their income is taxed under ordinary rules.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$3,929/month€42,000 gross a year (applications from 1 April 2024), about €3,500 a month
Fee	about $449The €300 is paid by bank transfer from the applicant's own account when applying; the €100 card fee is paid by card at Residency Malta's office at biometrics. Each dependant pays the same fees. Nationals who need a visa to enter Malta also pay the national visa fee, and address changes cost €50.
Processing time	4 weeks to 6 weeksResidency Malta expects to process applications within 30 working days (about six weeks) from the receipt of funds, after which you have 30 days to supply the lease and health insurance; the card is issued three to four weeks after biometrics in Malta.
Stay	1 year, renewable up to 4 years

How to apply

Online. Online through the Residency Malta portal (portal.residencymalta.gov.mt); biometrics and card collection in person at Residency Malta Agency in Malta after approval.

Confirm you fit one of the three categories (foreign employer, own foreign company, or freelance for foreign clients) and earn at least €42,000 gross a year.
Complete form N4 for yourself and each dependant and upload all passport pages, a CV, a letter of intent, the employment or client contracts or company documents, three months of bank statements, and police conduct certificates less than six months old.
Pay the €300 application fee per person by bank transfer and wait about 30 working days for the background checks and approval in principle.
Within 30 days of approval, submit a 12-month lease or purchase agreement and health insurance covering at least €100,000 in Malta and the EU for a full year; visa-required nationals then receive their entry visa.
Travel to Malta, email the agency for a biometrics appointment, pay €100 per card, and collect the residence card three to four weeks later.

After you arrive

Renewal: Issued for one year and renewable three times, at the agency's discretion, for a maximum total stay of four years. Renewal requires at least five months of residence in Malta over the previous twelve, shown with bank statements, and applying two to three months before expiry.

Residence: Residency Malta states that the Nomad Residence Permit does not lead to any form of permanent or long-term residence or citizenship.

Taxes

Under the Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules (Legal Notice 277 of 2023), income from your authorised remote work is taxed at 10%, with double-tax relief, and is exempt for the first twelve months after the permit is issued (or from 1 January 2024 if later) unless you declare that your stay is not casual. Other income is taxed under the ordinary Income Tax Act. Residency Malta gives no tax advice; register with the Commissioner for Revenue and check your home country's rules.

In practice

Residency Malta's pages do not state a maximum time to apply from inside Malta; most applicants apply from abroad and come for biometrics, but visa-free nationals can be in Malta during processing.
A 12-month lease is mandatory before the card is issued, and Maltese rents, especially in Valletta and Sliema, are among the highest relative to local wages in the EU, so budget €1,200 or more a month for a one-bedroom.
Holders may not work for or sell services to Malta-based companies; doing so requires giving up the permit for an employment-based one.
The permit allows Schengen travel for 90 days in any 180; Valletta and the Sliema-St Julian's strip host the coworking and the nomad community, Gozo is quieter and cheaper.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

EU, EEA, CH:You do not need this permit. Register with Identità for an EU residence document if you stay longer than three months.
US, GB, CA, AU, NZ, JP:Visa-free for 90 days in 180 in the Schengen area, so you can apply online, enter visa-free for biometrics, and need no entry visa; UK citizens are treated the same since Brexit.
All other passports:Nationals who need a visa for Malta apply online in the same way and are issued a national visa to enter once the permit is approved in principle; the fees and income rule are the same.

Cities in Malta on Nostos

Valletta
Balanced score 76 · $2,101/month
Sliema
Balanced score 76 · $2,101/month

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Frequently asked

Who can apply for the Malta nomad residence permit?: Third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) nationals who work for an employer registered abroad under a contract, run a foreign-registered company they partly own, or provide freelance or consulting services under contract to clients established abroad. People contracted by foreign companies to serve their Maltese subsidiaries are excluded. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it. Malta's Nomad Residence Permit lets non-EU remote employees, foreign-company owners and freelancers with foreign clients live in Malta for a year at a time, renewable up to four years, on €42,000 gross a year. Apply online to Residency Malta Agency for €300 plus €100 for the card, allow about 30 working days, and remote-work income is taxed at 10% after a tax-free first year.
How much income do you need for the Nomad Residence Permit?: About $3,929 per month (€42,000 gross a year (applications from 1 April 2024), about €3,500 a month). Minimum gross yearly income of €42,000 for applications submitted on or after 1 April 2024 (€32,400 for earlier permit holders renewing), proven with the contract and three months of bank statements showing guaranteed income for at least five months. Monthly figure is the annual threshold divided by twelve, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).
How much does the Nomad Residence Permit cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $449 (€300 non-refundable application fee per applicant, plus €100 per person for the residence card); The €300 is paid by bank transfer from the applicant's own account when applying; the €100 card fee is paid by card at Residency Malta's office at biometrics. Each dependant pays the same fees. Nationals who need a visa to enter Malta also pay the national visa fee, and address changes cost €50. Processing time: 4 weeks to 6 weeks. Residency Malta expects to process applications within 30 working days (about six weeks) from the receipt of funds, after which you have 30 days to supply the lease and health insurance; the card is issued three to four weeks after biometrics in Malta.
How long can you stay in Malta on the Nomad Residence Permit, and can it be renewed?: 1 year, renewable up to 4 years. Issued for one year and renewable three times, at the agency's discretion, for a maximum total stay of four years. Renewal requires at least five months of residence in Malta over the previous twelve, shown with bank statements, and applying two to three months before expiry.
Does the Nomad Residence Permit lead to permanent residence in Malta?: Not by itself. Residency Malta states that the Nomad Residence Permit does not lead to any form of permanent or long-term residence or citizenship.
Can family members come with you on the Nomad Residence Permit?: Your spouse or partner, minor children, dependent adult children and adult children with disabilities can be included in the initial application; each pays the €300 application fee and €100 card fee. New dependants can only be added at renewal, except newborns. Family members may not work in Malta and their income is taxed under ordinary rules.
Do you pay tax in Malta on the Nomad Residence Permit?: Under the Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules (Legal Notice 277 of 2023), income from your authorised remote work is taxed at 10%, with double-tax relief, and is exempt for the first twelve months after the permit is issued (or from 1 January 2024 if later) unless you declare that your stay is not casual. Other income is taxed under the ordinary Income Tax Act. Residency Malta gives no tax advice; register with the Commissioner for Revenue and check your home country's rules.
Where do you apply for the Nomad Residence Permit?: Online: Online through the Residency Malta portal (portal.residencymalta.gov.mt); biometrics and card collection in person at Residency Malta Agency in Malta after approval.
How is income from remote work taxed on the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?: At a flat 10% on chargeable income from authorised work, with double-taxation relief, under Subsidiary Legislation 123.210. The first twelve months after the permit is issued are tax-free unless you declare your stay is not casual. Income that is not from authorised work follows the normal Income Tax Act.
Can I renew the Malta Nomad Residence Permit indefinitely?: No. It can be renewed three times for a maximum of four years in total, and each renewal needs proof that you spent at least five months of the previous twelve in Malta and still meet the €42,000 income rule.

Sources

Nomad Residence Permit: eligibility, Residency Malta Agency (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · €42,000 gross yearly income from 1 April 2024, three eligibility categories, exclusion of subsidiary contractors, insurance, lease and police conduct
Nomad Residence Permit: FAQs, Residency Malta Agency (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · €300 and €100 fees, 30 working days, three renewals up to four years, dependants, €100,000 insurance, 12-month lease, Schengen 90/180, no path to permanent residence
Nomad Residence Permit: application process, Residency Malta Agency (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Online portal, bank-transfer fee, approval in principle, 30 days to supply lease and insurance, biometrics and card timing
Nomad Residence Permit: permit renewals, Residency Malta Agency (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Three renewals, four-year maximum, five months' residence in the previous twelve, apply two to three months before expiry
Nomad Residence Permit application checklist, Residency Malta Agency (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · Form N4, passport pages, CV, letter of intent, contracts, bank statements, police conduct, certificates for dependants
Subsidiary Legislation 123.210, Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules, Laws of Malta, legislation.mt (Legal Notice 277 of 2023) · retrieved 2026-10-04 · 10% tax on income from authorised work, twelve-month exemption from issue of the permit or 1 January 2024, definition of authorised work, family income under the ordinary Act

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