Maltese residence permit is a permanent resident card, with which you can stay on the island without time restrictions and additional conditions. With this document you get the right to officially work, open and expand business in the state, enjoy social guarantees, participate in grant programs. A permanent residence permit is usually issued after 5 years in the country with a temporary residence permit. There is also a program MPRP (Malta Permanent Residence Program), whose participants immediately receive a permanent residence permit for investment in the island's economy.

Immigration lawyers will help you to choose the best way to move to Malta. Free consultation with Immigrantinlaw specialist will accelerate the process and avoid unnecessary costs and stress.

Why everyone goes to Malta

The Republic of Malta is a popular tourist country in Southern Europe, located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It offers the most comfortable living conditions due to the warm subtropical climate, proximity to the coast from anywhere on the island, and affordable prices. The cost of living index, according to Numbeo, is only 48.29 points, which is “low”. The country's strengths also include affordable healthcare and a low crime rate.

Immigration to Malta is often chosen by those who work remotely, receive passive income or develop their own business. The state encourages the influx of financially secure foreigners by issuing residence permits and granting citizenship in an accelerated procedure. For example, you can buy real estate on the island and immediately get a residence permit.

The number of people wishing to move to Malta for permanent residence increases every year, so the population of the country is characterized by multinationality, ethno-cultural and religious diversity. At the same time local laws and norms of the European Union suppress any form of discrimination against immigrants. English is the second official language here, which makes adaptation as easy as possible for newcomers from different parts of the world.

In addition to the advantages of moving to Malta, it stands to mention the disadvantages, the main ones are the lack of high-paying jobs and complicated logistics. The country is very small, so it is not easy to find a promising job here, but you can successfully develop your business, especially in trade, services and tourism. Malta is an island archipelago, that means that it`s possible to get to other countries only by air or to by the sea, which is not cheap.

Main ways to immigrate to Malta

The first step in moving to Malta is to obtain a temporary residence permit. The exception is investors participating in the MPRP program - they are immediately granted permanent residency. In 2025 you can apply for a residence permit on the following popular grounds:

• Official employment.
  You can move to Malta if you take up a vacancy in a local firm. The employer first obtains approval from the Job center to employ a foreigner - this is granted if the job is not of interest to the islanders. Residence permits are granted to those who have work experience and a diploma in their specialty. You must be employed full-time with a salary not lower than the national minimum wage.
• Self-employment.
  A Maltese residence permit is available to those who plan to work for themselves, such as doctors in private practice, translators, teachers. Self-employed persons apply for a work permit at the Employment Center, which assesses whether their activity is economically interesting for the country. Upon arrival, you will have to register with the tax office and pay the mandatory contributions.
• Working as a highly qualified specialist.
  A popular program of moving to the European Union (including Malta) is suitable for foreigners who have a university degree and are employed in a job profile on a shortage list in the country. You must earn at least 150% of the average income on the island. Now this amount is about 27 thousand EUR per year.
• Registration of an innovative enterprise.
  Business immigration is possible for entrepreneurs who open or expand an existing startup in Malta and participate in a special government Startup Residence program. The company must have a startup capital of 25,000 EUR and another 10,000 EUR for each owner (up to six persons per application). There are restrictions on the citizenship of the participants.
• Financial independence.
  Among the popular ways to move to Malta is to live on the island at your own expense without the right to work or run a business. Income can be earned remotely or passively, for example, dividends from shares, interest from a deposit, funds from renting out accommodation abroad. There is also a separate program for digital nomads who work remotely in telecommunications and earn at least 42,000 EUR per year.
• Education.
  Emigration from other countries to Malta is relevant for students of local universities, participants of volunteer and internship programs. Not all residence permits allow you to apply for a permanent residence permit, but you can change your reason for living on the island after your move. For example, foreigners often obtain a diploma and get a job in the state, which opens the way to further naturalization.
• Family reasons.
  Malta has a family reunification program that allows relatives of local citizens and residents to obtain a residence permit. Requests are approved for legal spouses over the age of 21, minors and unmarried children. It is also possible to reunite with other relatives if the receiving party is willing to commit to their financial support. The income of a Maltese resident must be at least 19,000 EUR per year and a further 20% of this amount must be added for each family member.
• Other grounds.
  Less often people move to Malta for reasons such as refugee status or subsidiary protection, intra-corporate transfer, long business trip, need for medical assistance. Due to its geographical proximity, people from Africa and the Middle East often seek asylum here, but on average only one out of four applicants is approved.

Maltese residence permit for investment

Malta is one of the few countries of the European Union, where you can immediately get a residence permit in exchange for investment in the local economy. Permanent residency is granted without knowledge of the national language, passing an integration exam and prior opening of a residence permit. MPRP program is valid for citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA, excepting such as a number of African states, Russia and Belarus (as of 2025).

You can go to Malta for permanent residence as an investor if you meet the following requirements:

• having a permanent and legal source of income to support yourself and family members;
• law-abiding behavior, no criminal record and no threat to national security on your part;
• having half a million EUR or more in assets, of which 150,000 EUR or more in financial form;
• renting a property on the islands of Malta or Gozo with a monthly payment of 14,000 EUR or purchasing a residential/commercial property worth 375,000 EUR or more;
• payment of an administrative fee (50,000 EUR), government contribution (30,000 EUR for renting a property or 60,000 EUR for buying a property), voluntary donation (2000 EUR).

If you plan to move to Malta with dependents (for example, a child), you must also pay an administration fee of 10,000 EUR for each of them. The property to be rented or purchased must be yours for a minimum of 5 years.

It can be much cheaper and easier to immigrate to Malta with a passport from any of the EU countries. EU citizens do not have to look for a reason to move to the island, provide income information and go through complicated formal procedures to register residency. Find out at our free legal consultation about current programs to obtain an EU passport in as little as 4-12 months.

Requirements for obtaining a permanent residence in Malta

To move to Malta, you need to find an immigration ground. Then to apply for a residence permit through Identità's online service, wait for a decision and open a D visa. The entry permit is issued at a consulate/embassy or visa application center (VAC). With the visa you fly to the island, where you make an appointment at Identita to apply for a residence permit. You arrive on the appointed day, submit your biometric data and then wait 10 working days for your residency card to be issued.

For the next 5 years you will need to live in Malta and regularly renew your residence permit. To do this you will need to keep your immigration document and re-apply to Identita. Once the residency period and the associated conditions have been met, you can apply for a permanent residence. Participants of the program of emigration from abroad through investment (MPRP) do not need to perform the abovementioned.

Conditions for a permanent residence registration

You can move to Malta and apply for a permanent residence permit under the general procedure after five years of permanent residence. The following requirements must be met:

• having a permanent and legal source of livelihood in the amount of not less than the minimum wage for yourself and 20% of it for each dependent family member;
• providing the necessary documents, including a health insurance policy and a valid travel document (passport);
• having a dwelling on the island (bought or rented) that meets the government's standards for the number of occupants;
• completion of an integration course and successful completion of an examination on the social/economic/cultural/democratic history and environment of Malta;
• knowledge of the national language (Maltese or English) at a conversational level;
• no criminal record, no illegal activities and no threat to the state on your part.

Documents for relocation

To move to Malta for permanent residence according to the standard procedure with visa and residence permit, you will need the following documents:

• valid passport with copies;
• an autobiography form with basic information about yourself;
• medical insurance policy with coverage of one hundred thousand euros or more;
• medical certificate (when moving with a work or business residence permit);
• information about rented or purchased housing on the island;
• criminal record certificate issued in your home country;
• metric documents (birth, marriage or divorce certificates, if applicable);
• proof of entitlement to relocation, such as a contract of employment;
• receipts for payment of administrative fees at each stage of the procedure;
• proof of financial security, for example, bank statement;
• language and integration certificates.

If the documents are not in Maltese or English, they must be officially translated and notarized.

Financial aspect of immigration

It is possible to move to Malta for those who have a regular source of official income. The income should be sufficient to support oneself and dependents without applying for social assistance in the country. For example, the program of family reunification implies security at the level of the average salary in the country, that is about 18 940 EUR per person per year. Much higher financial requirements for investors who immediately open a residence permit under a special program.

For successful immigration, you will need to pay administrative fees - 300 EUR per person for a national visa, residence permit and every its extensions. The total amount of state fees for permanent residence permit is about 1800 EUR. This amount does not include the assistance of a notary, translation of documents, accompaniment of international law specialists. Additional costs may include the organization of the relocation to the island - the purchase of tickets for transport, rent of housing and other expenses.

The process of Maltese permanent residence registration

1. Preparation of documents.
   You will need to pass a language test, request income and criminal records, take part in an integration course and then to form the required Maltese permanent residency file.
2. Application submission.
   The Maltese permanent residency application is made online through the digital service Expatriates Unit. This will require you to register (if you did not make it during inhabitancy with your residence permit), verify your identity with your passport, complete the prescribed application form, pay the administration fee and upload the accompanying documents.
3. Consideration of the request by the authorities.
   The Malta Citizenship and Expatriates Affairs Department will examine your application for 6 months from the date of submission. If required, you may be asked for additional documents. If your application is approved, you will be invited to apply for permanent residence.
4. Obtaining a resident card.
   A Maltese permanent residence card is made similar to a temporary residence permit and contains your personal information, photo, fingerprints (in an electronic chip).

Life in Malta after obtaining a permanent residence  

Going for permanent residence allows you to acquire a number of rights and privileges provided for Maltese residents. The main advantage is the opportunity to stay in a calm, prosperous and economically developed country of the European Union with the right to subsequent naturalization. You can also:

• to work officially on equal rights with the indigenous population (average salary in the country is about 1600 EUR per month);
• enjoy tax benefits, social security, and the protection of state and law enforcement agencies;
• apply for grants for business development or scholarships for university studies;
• travel freely in Schengen countries without a visa;
• use the services of European banks with popular financial instruments (SWIFT, Visa, Mastercard);
• open and develop companies on and off the island, including the Single European Market;
• take part in the family reunification program to live together with close relatives.

You can apply for Maltese citizenship immediately after opening a residence permit. To do so, you must have spent at least 5 years on the island from the previous seven-year period (the last year before applying - without leaving the country). To naturalize, you must have no criminal record, demonstrate loyalty to the state, as well as fluency in the national language.

Malta has an accelerated citizenship by investment program. You can expect a passport in 12 months after moving to Malta if you are ready to invest in the country from 750 000 EUR and buy housing here for the amount of 700 thousand EUR. If the investment is reduced to 600 000 EUR, the waiting period for citizenship increases to 3 years. Naturalization requirements are not applied in this case.

You can also get the citizenship of the European Union under a simplified program without intensive study of a foreign language, participation in an integration course, providing information on the level of income. You will not have to open a residence permit and comply with the period of residence abroad. Analyze your chances of participating in such procedures together with Immigrantinlaw immigration lawyer.

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Top destinations for relocation

Malta is the smallest country in the European Union with an area of only 316 km². The population is evenly scattered all over the island, and only about 7000 people live in the capital Valletta. Approximately one person needs about 750 EUR per month to live here. Cheapness of living and loyal tax legislation explain the active relocation of IT and iGaming companies and their employees to the island. If you need another job, you can consider vacancies in tourism, services, trade, hotel and restaurant business.

It is difficult to name certain cities in Malta for a comfortable move. Almost all of them are very small and safe, located near the Mediterranean Sea, characterized by an abundance of ancient architecture and historical monuments. In addition to the capital, many people choose Sliema, Melech, St. Julian's. To rent a one-room apartment here you will need about 800-1000 EUR per month. You can buy real estate at a price from 3000-3500 EUR per square meter.

Risks of illegal residence

Moving to Malta is often denied even to those who meet all the conditions for issuing a visa and residence permit. Common reasons are the submission of an incomplete set of documents, incorrect execution of the dossier (for example, errors in translation), omission of any of the stages of the procedure. The issued residence permit may be revoked or not renewed if the foreigner has no reason to stay on the island anymore or if it turned out that he obtained residence fraudulently.

Malta suppresses illegal immigration and deports those who are here illegally. The chances of getting to the country and formalize, for example, humanitarian status are small - according to statistics, per year approved up to 25-30% of such applications. If you are not given a residence permit or want to expel from the island, you can appeal, but usually such cases are decided in favor of the state. According to many immigrants, moving to Malta should be started only with professional legal support.

Why specialist immigration assistance is important

To make the immigration process easy and fast, you should take advantage of qualified relocation assistance, provided by Immigrantinlaw specialists in international law. They thoroughly understand the legislative nuances of the EU countries, which will give you the opportunity to obtain residence/citizenship abroad in a short time and without special costs. For each client Immigrantinlaw lawyers make a personalized plan of action taking into account his/her wishes and plans. According to the feedback from those who have moved, cooperation with professionals minimizes personal involvement in the procedures.

At the beginning of cooperation immigration specialists will analyze your file, after which they will recommend the best ways to move to Malta. They will explain in detail the pros and cons of each program, tell you about the cost and further prospects. Comprehensive cooperation includes the support of a lawyer at every stage, from drawing up the right package of documents to preparing for communication with the authorities. Sign up for a free consultation today to move to the country of your dreams in the near future.

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About the author

Diana Weber

Lawyer of international law

Diane Weber is an international law specialist with 10 years of legal practice experience. Her portfolio includes successful stories of citizenship in different European Union countries under simplified procedures. Diana provides detailed advice and helps many people to achieve their immigration goals in a short period of time, including resolving visa issues, assisting in obtaining residence permits and citizenship in the EU countries. In her blog, Diana Weber enjoys providing readers with detailed information about the features of most popular programs for obtaining a second passport.