Malta residency for non-EU nationals comes through four main routes: the Nomad Residence Permit for remote workers earning at least €42,000 a year, the Global Residence Programme (GRP) for a low-tax home, the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) for investors, and ordinary work-based permits. EU citizens just register with Identità.
Last checked: October 2026
In short:
- The Nomad Residence Permit needs €42,000 gross a year, costs €300 to apply plus €100 for the card, and lasts one year, renewable up to four years in total.
- The GRP taxes foreign income you bring into Malta at a flat 15%, with a minimum tax of €15,000 a year, and needs a property bought for at least €220,000 or rented from €8,750 a year.
- From 1 January 2025 the MPRP needs €500,000 in capital, a €50,000 administration fee, a €30,000 or €60,000 government contribution, and a property bought at €375,000 or rented at €14,000 a year.
Who each route is for
| Route | Best for | Leads to permanent residence? |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad Residence Permit | Remote workers with foreign employers or clients | No |
| Global Residence Programme | Non-EU people making Malta their main home, with mostly foreign income | No (permanent residents can’t join) |
| MPRP | Investors who want permanent status for the family | Yes, from the start |
| Single Permit / KEI / SEI | People with a Maltese job offer | Work permit, renewed while employed |
| EU registration | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens | Under EU free-movement rules |
Requirements and costs
| Nomad Permit | GRP | MPRP (from 1 Jan 2025) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money test | €42,000 gross a year | “Stable and regular resources” | €500,000 capital (€150,000 in financial assets), or €675,000 (€75,000 financial) |
| Property | 12-month lease or ownership | Buy €275,000 (€220,000 in the south or Gozo) or rent €9,600 (€8,750) a year | Buy €375,000 or rent €14,000 a year |
| Application/admin fee | €300 per person + €100 card | €6,000 (€5,500 for south Malta) | €50,000 (€15,000 upfront, €35,000 after approval) |
| Contribution | None | None | €30,000 (purchase) or €60,000 (lease); €10,000 per extra dependant such as parents |
| Other | Health insurance of at least €100,000, prepaid for a year | EU-wide health insurance; not more than 183 days a year in any other single country | €2,000 donation to a Maltese NGO; card €137.50 per person |
Nomad permit details. Residency Malta’s FAQ (v14.1, April 2026) accepts employees of foreign companies, self-employed people with a foreign business and freelancers with foreign clients. You must show five months of guaranteed income from the application date. You can’t serve Malta-registered clients. Some nationalities are excluded, including Russia, Belarus, Iran and Venezuela.
GRP figures are from PwC Malta’s 2026 brochure; MPRP figures from Residency Malta’s agent FAQ.
Length, renewal and family
- Nomad permit: one year from card issue, renewed up to three times (four years maximum). Each renewal needs bank statements proving five months of cumulative residence. Spouse and children can be included at the first application or at renewal, not mid-term. It doesn’t count towards citizenship, gives no free healthcare and only allows 90 days in 180 elsewhere in Schengen.
- GRP: a special tax status rather than a fixed-term visa, kept for as long as you meet the conditions, including keeping the qualifying property.
- MPRP: permanent residence for the main applicant, spouse, children and (for an extra fee) parents and grandparents. The card is valid five years and each renewal costs €137.50 per person.
- Ordinary work routes: per Identità, a Single Permit costs €600, takes up to four months and is usually valid for a year. The Key Employee Initiative needs a salary of at least €45,000, the Specialist Employee Initiative €30,000.
- EU citizens: register with Identità for an eResidence document (about 30 working days).
How to apply
- Nomad permit: online at portal.residencymalta.gov.mt. Decision in about 30 working days from payment, then 30 working days to submit your lease and insurance, then three to four weeks for the card.
- GRP: filed with the Commissioner for Revenue, in practice through a Maltese tax adviser acting as your representative, with the €6,000 or €5,500 fee and €15,000 minimum tax for the first year.
- MPRP: through a licensed agent only. Everyone must travel to Malta for biometrics after final approval.
- Single Permit: started online by your Maltese employer.
Tax: when you become tax resident
Malta taxes people according to residence and domicile. Per PwC (reviewed September 2026):
- Resident and domiciled: taxed on worldwide income at 0% to 35%.
- Resident but not domiciled (remittance basis): taxed only on Malta-source income and foreign income remitted to Malta. Foreign capital gains aren’t taxed, even if you bring them in.
- Minimum tax: non-domiciled residents with foreign income of €35,000 or more pay at least €5,000 a year.
Ordinary residence is a question of fact, and PwC gives no bright-line day count in its summary (verify any 183-day assumption with a Maltese adviser).
Programme rates:
- GRP: 15% flat on remitted foreign income, €15,000 minimum, 35% on Malta-source income.
- Individual Tax Programme (from 1 January 2027): consolidates the GRP and other schemes (Legal Notice 195 of 2026, per BDO). Still 15%, but a €35,000 minimum tax, a €700,000 purchase or €14,000 rent, and an €8,500 fee. GRP status granted or applied for by 31 December 2026 runs to 2031 (Malta’s new Individual Tax Programme starts 2027 with €35,000 minimum).
- Nomad permit: PwC says holders may opt for a 10% flat rate on their authorised remote-work income, and are generally not taxed on it in the first year. Residency Malta’s FAQ warns that holding the permit doesn’t automatically entitle you to that treatment under S.L. 123.210, and from the second renewal you must declare that you comply with tax rules.
- MPRP: no special tax rate. Ordinary residence and domicile rules apply.
Practical tips
- No travel insurance, hostels, boats or PO boxes for the nomad permit. The property can be spot-checked.
- Remit carefully. On the remittance basis, what you bring into Malta is what gets taxed.
- The MPRP is mostly sunk cost. Admin fees and contributions alone run to €80,000 to €110,000 before property.
Related threads: Digital nomad visa countries: which countries have one (2026 list) · Tax-free countries (2026): no income tax countries you can actually live in · Territorial tax countries compared: where foreign income isn’t taxed
Related guides: Second passport (2026): how to get one by descent, residency or investment · Retire abroad (2026): retirement visas, pension tax and healthcare · Golden visa countries (2026): which are open, closed and the cost · Malta’s new Individual Tax Programme starts 2027 with €35,000 minimum · Malta company formation (2026): the 35% rate, 6/7 refund and real costs
Quick answers
Q: How much income do I need for Malta’s digital nomad residence permit?
At least €42,000 gross a year for applications from 1 April 2024, with five months of guaranteed income from the date you apply. The application fee is €300 per person plus €100 for the residence card. The permit lasts one year and can be renewed up to a four-year maximum.
Q: How much does Malta permanent residency (MPRP) cost in 2026?
For applications from 1 January 2025, it’s a €50,000 administration fee and a €30,000 contribution if you buy (€60,000 if you rent). You also need a €2,000 NGO donation, €500,000 in capital, and a property bought for €375,000 or rented for €14,000 a year.
Q: Do Malta residents pay tax on foreign income?
Residents who aren’t domiciled in Malta pay tax only on Malta-source income and foreign income remitted to Malta. Foreign capital gains are untaxed. If foreign income is €35,000 or more, there’s a €5,000 minimum tax. GRP holders pay 15% on remitted foreign income, minimum €15,000.
Sources
- Residency Malta Agency: Nomad Residence Permit FAQs (v14.1)
- Residency Malta Agency: MPRP FAQs for licensed agents (v3)
- Residency Malta Agency: MPRP FAQs v2.6.1
- PwC Malta: Residence and Global Residence Programmes brochure 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Malta, taxes on personal income
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Malta, residence
- Legislation Malta: Individual Tax Programme Rules, 2026 (L.N. 195 of 2026)
- BDO Malta: Malta introduces the Individual Tax Programme Rules, 2026
- Identità: Working and residing in Malta
- Identità: Economic self-sufficient (EU nationals)
This is general information from the Nomad Forums team, not immigration, tax or legal advice. Rules change; check the official source or a qualified adviser before applying.
Over to you: If you’ve had a Malta nomad permit renewed, how long did it take, and did the tax office actually apply the 10% rate to you? And has anyone gone the GRP route recently, and what did the mandatary and set-up costs come to on top of the €6,000 fee?