EuropeSelect the passports you hold to see short-stay access and per-route eligibility for Malta.
Short stays: tourism, transit, business trips, medical, pilgrimage.
Tourist Visa
Electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals (e.g. US, UK, Canada, Japan). Valid 3 years for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. We apply on your behalf end-to-end. Fees illustrative.
Tourist Visa
Short-stay visa for tourism: up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare your forms and documents; you attend the consulate/VFS appointment to submit biometrics. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Transit Visa
Required by some nationalities to pass through the international transit area of a Schengen airport without entering. Whether you need one depends on your nationality. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Business Visitor Visa
Short-stay visa for business trips (meetings, conferences, negotiations): up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare forms and documents; you submit at the consulate/VFS. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
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Universities, language courses, internships and exchanges.
Student Visa
For stays over 90 days to study. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. We guide you; submission is in person. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Student Visa
Non-EU students accepted by an institution licensed by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority for a full-time course over 90 days enter on a national long-stay (Type D) visa, then apply in person to Identita for a study residence permit (EUR 50 fee) within 3 months of arrival. Applicants must show financial means of roughly EUR 950 per month of stay; permits are issued for up to 1 year and renewed for the course duration. Students may work up to 20 hours/week after the first 3 months, subject to Jobsplus conditions; graduates of higher courses may seek status changes to work routes.
Language Course Visa
Malta is one of the largest English-language-teaching destinations in the EU; non-EU students on courses longer than 90 days at a licensed ELT school obtain a national long-stay (Type D) visa and then a study residence permit from Identita. The school must be licensed by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, and students must show enrolment, accommodation and sufficient funds (roughly EUR 700-1,200/month of living costs). Language students may work up to 20 hours per week after their first 3 months of study, subject to Jobsplus sector conditions.
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Digital nomad, freelance, skilled employment and company transfers.
Digital Nomad Visa
Residence permit for non-EU/EEA/Swiss remote workers employed by, partners in, or freelancing for companies registered outside Malta. Requires a minimum gross annual income of EUR 42,000 (raised from EUR 32,400 in April 2024), Malta accommodation, and health insurance covering EU and UK risks. Issued for 1 year and renewable up to a maximum of 4 years; income from authorised work taxed at a flat 10% after a 12-month exemption; EUR 300 fee per applicant plus EUR 100 residence-card fee.
Self-Employment Visa
Third-country nationals may work self-employed in Malta only if they meet restrictive Jobsplus criteria: a capital expenditure of at least EUR 500,000 in fixed business assets within 6 months of licence issue, OR a commitment to hire at least three Maltese/EEA/Swiss nationals within 18 months, OR leading a project formally approved by Malta Enterprise, OR being a highly skilled innovator in an approved business plan. Residence is granted via the single permit route, issued for 1 year and renewable subject to continued compliance.
Startup / Entrepreneur Visa
Residence route for non-EU founders/co-founders of innovative startups (registered no more than 7 years anywhere, not formed by merger, profits not yet distributed) endorsed by Malta Enterprise. Requires tangible investment or paid-up share capital of at least EUR 25,000, plus EUR 10,000 per co-founder beyond four (maximum six co-founders); core employees and immediate family may be included. Permit issued for 3 years, extendable for a further 5 years; founders must live in Malta and become tax resident.
Skilled Work Visa
For stays over 90 days to work. Requires employer sponsorship / a work permit before you can apply, so eligibility is conditional. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Skilled Work Visa
The standard combined work-and-residence permit for any third-country national taking up employment in Malta; the employer applies to Identita with labour-market clearance from Jobsplus. Standard processing takes roughly 2-4 months, fees are EUR 600 for a first application, EUR 150 per renewal year and EUR 600 for a change of employer; the permit is issued for 1 year and renewable. From 1 March 2026 first-time applicants must complete a mandatory pre-departure orientation course before travelling to Malta.
Skilled Work Visa
Residence and work permit for highly qualified third-country nationals with a university degree (or, for some roles, 10 years' relevant experience) and an employment contract of at least 6 months paying at least 1.5 times Malta's average gross annual salary (approx. EUR 38,628 for 2026). First card issued for 2 years, renewable for 3; allows intra-EU mobility under the recast Blue Card Directive. Fee EUR 600 for first applications, EUR 150 per renewal year; applications via the Identita single permit platform.
Skilled Work Visa
Fast-track single permit for third-country nationals in managerial or highly technical roles, and for innovators in Malta Enterprise-endorsed startups. Requires an annual gross salary of at least EUR 45,000 (threshold effective 1 August 2025) plus certified qualifications or relevant work experience; applications are processed within about 5 working days. Initial permit valid 1 year, renewable for up to 3 years; first application fee EUR 600, renewals EUR 150 per year.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
Permit for managers, specialists and trainee employees transferred from a non-EU entity to a Maltese entity of the same undertaking or group. Requires prior employment in the group of 3-12 uninterrupted months (3-6 for trainees), an assignment letter stating duration, location, remuneration and the right to transfer back. Maximum stay is 3 years for managers/specialists and 1 year for trainees; intra-EU mobility is possible under the ICT Directive.
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Golden visas, real estate, citizenship by investment, passive income.
Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Permanent residence by investment for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals: purchase property of at least EUR 375,000 or rent at EUR 14,000+/year for 5 years, pay a EUR 37,000 government contribution, a EUR 60,000 non-refundable administrative fee (EUR 15,000 at application, EUR 45,000 on approval) and a EUR 2,000 NGO donation. Applicants must hold assets of EUR 500,000 (incl. EUR 150,000 financial) or EUR 650,000 (incl. EUR 75,000 liquid). Status is permanent with no minimum stay; residence cards renewed every 5 years; applications only via licensed agents.
Citizenship by Investment
CJEU ruled on 29 April 2025 (C-181/23) that Malta's investor citizenship scheme infringed EU law. The fixed-contribution MEIN model (EUR 600k/750k + property + donation) was abolished by July 2025 amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act; it was replaced by discretionary 'citizenship by merit' naturalisation for exceptional services (Art. 10(9)) with no price list or fixed investment threshold, administered by Community Malta Agency.
Non-Lucrative / Passive Income Visa
Special tax-status residence route for economically self-sufficient non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Requires buying property of at least EUR 275,000 (EUR 220,000 in Gozo/South Malta) or renting at EUR 9,600/yr (EUR 8,750 Gozo/South), with foreign income remitted to Malta taxed at a flat 15% subject to a EUR 15,000 minimum annual tax. One-time administrative fee of EUR 6,000 (EUR 5,500 if property in the south of Malta); holders must not spend more than 183 days/year in any other single jurisdiction and may work in Malta with a permit; status renews annually with the tax return.
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Retirement visas and working holiday schemes.
Retirement Visa
Tax-status residence programme for EU and non-EU retirees whose pension constitutes at least 75% of their chargeable income and is fully remitted to Malta. Requires property purchase from EUR 275,000 (EUR 220,000 Gozo/South Malta) or rent from EUR 9,600/yr (EUR 8,750 Gozo/South); foreign pension income taxed at 15% with a minimum annual tax of EUR 7,500 plus EUR 500 per dependant. Beneficiaries must spend at least 90 days/year in Malta averaged over 5 years and no more than 183 days/year in any other jurisdiction.
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Reunification, spouse routes and ancestry-based repatriation.
Family Reunification Visa
Allows a third-country national legally resident in Malta for at least 2 years (application admissible 12 months after the first permit) with reasonable prospects of permanent residence to sponsor a spouse (aged 21+) and dependent minor children. The sponsor must show stable income equal to the national median wage (around EUR 18,940/year per the latest NSO figure) plus 20% of the median wage per family member, suitable accommodation and health insurance. Family members receive renewable residence permits aligned with the sponsor's permit.
Spouse / Partner Visa
Third-country and EU spouses living with a Maltese citizen qualify for Exempt Person Status under Article 4 of the Immigration Act, giving residence (and in practice access to employment) without permit fees. The couple must prove a subsisting marriage and cohabitation; applications go through the Identita Expatriates Unit portal and take about 30 working days. After 5 years of marriage and continued cohabitation, the spouse may apply for Maltese citizenship by registration.
Ancestry / Repatriation
Persons born outside Malta who are direct-line descendants of an ascendant born in Malta to a parent also born in Malta (two consecutive Malta-born generations) may register as Maltese citizens under the 2007 amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act, with no residency requirement. Applications (Form K) are filed with Community Malta Agency for EUR 150, plus EUR 50 on collection of the certificate. Where the intermediate ascendant was alive on 1 August 2007, that ascendant must register first to keep the chain alive, with a deadline of 1 August 2028.
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Talent, religious, humanitarian, media, official and permanent residence.
Long-Term Residence Permit
Third-country nationals who have resided legally and continuously in Malta for 5 years or more may apply for EU long-term resident status. Requirements include stable and regular resources, own suitable accommodation, sickness insurance, and integration measures under S.L. 217.05 (Maltese/English language proficiency and a course on Maltese society). The status is permanent; the residence card is issued for 5 years and renewed automatically on application.
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