🇲🇹 Malta visa and immigration options

Single Permit / SEI / EU Blue Card

Non-EU nationals with a qualifying Maltese job offer can apply via the Single Permit (needs a Labour Market Test, EUR 994/month threshold), the Specialist Employee Initiative (EUR 30,000/year, specialist/technical roles), or the EU Blue Card (EUR 38,628/year, highly-qualified roles with an MQF Level 6+ qualification).

Processing time

Up to 4 months from a complete application, per one source.

Typical costs

Government processing fees plus Skills Pass course costs and document costs.

Government fees

Fee not confirmed by sources reviewed; confirm with Identità Malta.

Work and study rights

Full work rights tied to the sponsoring employer.

Family

Spouse/civil partner and minor children can apply for family reunification once you hold a valid permit (SEI/Blue Card sponsors skip the standard route's 12-month prior-residence wait).

Important: IMPORTANT (2026 reforms): a Skills Pass pre-departure certificate is now MANDATORY for first-time applicants from March 2026, and employers face new obligations including minimum Maltese/EU employee quotas based on company size (e.g. at least 4 EU/Maltese employees for a company with 10-49 total employees) and a requirement to pay wages directly into a bank…

Sources reviewed: https://www.y-axis.com/blog/eligibility-requirements-malta-for-work-visa/

Student Residence Permit

Non-EU students admitted to a recognized Maltese educational institution can apply for a study-purpose residence permit.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

Financial-proof amount not precisely confirmed by sources reviewed; budget conservatively and confirm current figures directly.

Government fees

Fee not confirmed by sources reviewed; confirm with Identità Malta or your institution.

Work and study rights

Part-time work rights are generally available to registered students, subject to standard Maltese limits.

Family

Dependants are not typically included under a student permit; a separate family-reunification application would be needed.

Sources reviewed: https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/malta/nepal/english/pdf/Study-checklist.pdf

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (Investment Route)

The same MPRP described under permanent residence is Malta's primary investment-based immigration route, since its investor-citizenship program was suspended in 2025. Requires EUR 500,000+ capital plus a government contribution, charitable donation, and property investment.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

EUR 500,000+ total capital (EUR 150,000+ financial assets) plus the government contribution, donation, and property investment described in the rules.

Government fees

Government contribution (EUR 68,000-98,000) functions as the main payment; confirm current application fees with Residency Malta Agency.

Work and study rights

Grants permanent residence, allowing you to live in Malta; does not itself grant work authorization for local employment beyond what permanent residence permits.

Family

Dependants can generally be included; confirm current rules with Residency Malta Agency.

Important: this is Malta's main remaining investment-residency route since the investment-CITIZENSHIP program was suspended following the April 2025 ECJ ruling. The specific figures found date to 2021 regulations and may be outdated — confirm current thresholds with Residency Malta Agency before planning around a specific number.

Sources reviewed: https://www.csbgroup.com/malta-citizenship-by-investment

Family Reunification

A spouse/civil partner, minor children, dependent adult children (health-related inability to support themselves), and dependent parents of a Malta-resident sponsor can apply for family reunification, via a standard route (Single Permit sponsors) or a more favorable KEI/SEI route.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

Standard route: sponsor needs EUR 18,940+/year net (national median wage) plus EUR 3,788/year net per additional dependent. KEI/SEI route: EUR 50,000+/year gross plus EUR 6,000/year gross per additional dependent.

Government fees

EUR 50 — EUR 50 per family-member application, paid through the Identità portal.

Work and study rights

Family members granted residence on this basis can generally access the labour market, subject to standard Maltese rules.

Family

This IS the family-joining pathway; it covers the qualifying relative(s) themselves.

Important: standard-route (Single Permit) sponsors generally need 12 months of prior legal Malta residence before they can sponsor family members; KEI and SEI holders, and long-term residents, do NOT have to wait. Irregular bonuses and overtime may NOT count toward the income threshold — only regular salary typically counts, per the source reviewed.

Sources reviewed: https://globallawexperts.com/family-reunification-malta-salary-requirements/

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

Non-EU/EEA nationals can obtain Maltese permanent residence (NOT citizenship) by showing economic self-sufficiency and making three mandatory contributions: a government contribution, a charitable donation, and a property investment (purchase or rental).

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

At least EUR 500,000 in capital (EUR 150,000 as financial assets) PLUS government contribution (EUR 68,000-98,000) PLUS charitable donation (EUR 2,000) PLUS property investment (EUR 10,000-350,000 depending on route and region).

Government fees

The government contribution (EUR 68,000 property-purchase route or EUR 98,000 rental route) functions as the main government payment; no separate application/processing fee is listed by the source reviewed.

Work and study rights

Permanent residence status; does not itself grant citizenship, though long-term residents may later pursue naturalization if they independently qualify.

Family

Dependants can generally be included; confirm current family-inclusion rules with Residency Malta Agency.

Important: sources conflict. An older source (LN 121 of 2021) gives a EUR 68,000/98,000 government contribution; a 2026 law-firm summary reports purchase from EUR 375,000 or rent from EUR 14,000 a year, a EUR 60,000 non-refundable administration fee, a EUR 37,000 government contribution, a EUR 2,000 donation, and EUR 7,500 per extra adult dependant (about EUR 99,000…

Sources reviewed: https://www.ccmalta.com/news/malta-permanent-residence-programme-regulations

Maltese Citizenship by Naturalization

Standard naturalization requires 12 consecutive months of residence immediately before applying, plus 4 of the preceding 6 years, adequate knowledge of English or Maltese, and a clean criminal record. Malta's former citizenship-by-investment program was suspended in 2025 following an EU Court of Justice ruling and replaced by a discretionary 'Citizenship by…

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

Government application fee (amount not confirmed) plus police-clearance-certificate costs from each country of residence.

Government fees

Application fee not confirmed by sources reviewed; confirm with Identità Malta.

Work and study rights

Full citizenship rights upon approval, including an EU passport and unrestricted right to live and work across the EU.

Family

Under the new Citizenship by Merit route, dependants are assessed case by case, with financial dependency needing to be evidenced.

Sources reviewed: https://www.csbgroup.com/malta-citizenship-by-investment, https://imin-malta.com/citizenship/malta-citizenship-by-naturalisation-en/

Visit Malta (Short-Stay/Schengen Visa)

Malta is a full Schengen member. Many nationalities can enter visa-free for short stays; others need a Schengen C visa.

Processing time

Standard Schengen C-visa processing (commonly a few weeks); visa-free nationalities need no advance processing.

Typical costs

Standard Schengen visa fee (where applicable) plus travel insurance covering at least EUR 30,000.

Government fees

Standard Schengen short-stay visa fee applies for nationalities requiring a visa.

Work and study rights

None; this category is for tourism, short business trips, and similar short-term purposes only.

Family

Each traveller applies/enters individually.

Sources reviewed: https://www.vfsglobal.com/malta/gcc/uae/pdf/Requirements-D-Visa-L.pdf