Skip to content
SettleMetric

MTEntry · residence · long-term status

Legal ways to live in Malta.

Malta currently offers 5 active paths relevant to remote workers, including a digital nomad visa (income requirement 42,000 EUR/year). Conditions below come from official immigration sources — filter by your citizenship.

VerifiedUpdated

5 legalization paths · 11 sources · official immigration sources only

passport-specific

Eligibility filter

Your passport changes the answer

Select a citizenship group to hide routes that are not available to that passport.

Available now

5 legalization paths

01

Choose your route

A compact map of every documented option for Malta. Start with eligibility and duration, then open the full conditions below.

  1. 01Visa-free short stay (Schengen)Getting in · Visa-free stayWho qualifiesUS citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizensDuration3 moNo direct PR path
  2. 02Nomad Residence PermitStaying long-term · Digital nomad visaWho qualifiesAll except EU citizensDuration1 yr +No direct PR path
  3. 03EU/EEA citizens — registration and eResidence documentStaying long-term · Special programWho qualifiesEU citizensDuration5 yrs +→ PR path
  4. 04Residence permit for self-employment (non-EU nationals)Staying long-term · Freelance permitWho qualifiesAll except EU citizensDuration1 yr +→ PR path
  5. 05Temporary protection for people displaced from UkraineStaying long-term · Special programWho qualifiesUkrainian citizensDuration17 mo +No direct PR path

02

Getting in

Who can enter Malta and on what terms — visa-free windows and entry visas.

01Getting in
Visa-free stayactive

Visa-free short stay (Schengen)

For: US citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizens

Duration
3 months
Path to PR
No

Requirements (3)

03
  1. 01Malta is in the Schengen area: a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across all Schengen states
  2. 02US, UK and Ukrainian nationals are not on Residency Malta's list of nationalities that need an entry visa
  3. 03Not a work status; staying longer needs a residence permit

03

Staying long-term

Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.

02Staying long-term
Digital nomad visaactive

Nomad Residence Permit

For: All except EU citizens

Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
No
Family
Included
Fee
300 EUR
Income requirement
42,000 EUR/year

Requirements (6)

06
  1. 01Third-country national aged 18 or over who can work remotely using telecommunications technology; EU, EEA and Swiss nationals cannot apply, nor, currently, nationals of Russia, Belarus and several other listed countries
  2. 02One of: a contract of employment with an employer registered abroad; business activity for a company registered abroad in which you are a partner or shareholder; freelance or consulting contracts with clients whose permanent establishments are abroad. Work for Maltese companies or individuals, or for a foreign company's Maltese subsidiary, is excluded
  3. 03Minimum gross income of €42,000 a year, guaranteed for at least five months from the application
  4. 04Health insurance with at least €100,000 of cover in the EU (including Malta) and the UK, prepaid for a full year; a property rental or purchase agreement covering the permit, registered with the Housing Authority; police conduct certificate; background check
  5. 05Fees: €300 per applicant (non-refundable), €100 per residence card, plus any visa fees; processing about 30 working days after payment
  6. 06Renewal needs proof of at least five months spent in Malta in the previous twelve; the permit can be renewed three times, for at most four years in all
03Staying long-term
Special programactive

EU/EEA citizens — registration and eResidence document

For: EU citizens

Duration
5 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01No permit is needed to live and work in Malta; anyone staying longer than three months must register with Identità and receives an eResidence document according to the basis of residence
  2. 02As self-employed: an ongoing Jobsplus registration as self-employed, Jobsplus employment history, VAT certificate, income-tax registration and social security (National Insurance) certificate, plus the application and GDPR forms
  3. 03The eResidence document is free and generally valid for five years; processing takes about 30 working days
  4. 04After five years of continuous legal residence (at least six months in each twelve), permanent residence with a ten-year document
04Staying long-term
Freelance permitactive

Residence permit for self-employment (non-EU nationals)

For: All except EU citizens

Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Not included
Fee
100 EUR

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01An application to Jobsplus for an Employment Licence must come first; the residence permit on the basis of self-employment is then requested from Identità
  2. 02Fee €100 for a first application and €100 a year at renewal; at renewal a three-year permit may be requested if the employment licence covers that period
  3. 03Self-employment means work carried out independently; a shareholder or director who performs an executive function in a company registered in Malta counts as its employee and needs a single work permit instead
  4. 04Long-term residence (permanent status, five-year permit) after five years of legal and continuous residence, with stable and regular resources, own accommodation and the integration measures of S.L. 217.05
05Staying long-term
Special programactive

Temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine

For: Ukrainian citizens

Duration
17 months, renewable
Path to PR
No
Family
Included

Requirements (3)

03
  1. 01Covered by the EU temporary protection decision for people displaced from Ukraine, which the Council extended to 4 March 2028 (Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912)
  2. 02New applicants must, where relevant, show they have met their military obligations in Ukraine — for example by proof of lawful departure or a Reserv+ record (from 31 July 2026)
  3. 03Beneficiaries receive residence permits for the whole period of protection and may take up employed or self-employed activities

Malta

Continue the country research

Legal status is only one part of the move. Check the country profile, tax rules and actual living costs before choosing a route.

Country profile →Freelancer taxes →Cost of living →