Malta Nomad Residence Permit | A Complete Guide

What is digital nomad visa?

“Digital nomads” represent a lifestyle trend that has gained prominence in the 21st century. With the advancement of information technology, an increasing number of professionals—such as IT workers, media personnel, language teachers, and freelancers—have broken free from traditional office settings. They now have the ability to work remotely from any location worldwide with internet access. This concept of remote work gained significant traction, especially before and during the pandemic.

Once liberated from office constraints, some remote workers choose to embrace a unique lifestyle: they carry their bags and travel to various destinations while continuing to work remotely. These individuals, known as “digital nomads,” experience a blend of exploring new cultures and working from different corners of the world.

To attract digital nomads and promote tourism and emerging industries, governments in at least 65 countries and regions worldwide have introduced specialized digital nomad visas. These visas typically have the following characteristics:

1. Applicants must be remote workers with stable monthly income and cannot be employed locally.

2. Digital nomad visas are essentially extended travel visas, often valid for one year and allowing residence for up to two to four years in the destination country without the option for permanent immigration.

However, in some Latin American and Southern European countries—such as Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, and Ecuador—digital nomads can eventually obtain local permanent residency or even naturalization after accumulating a certain length of stay.

For more information on digital nomad visa programs, explore the details in our “Global Digital Nomad Visas | An Incomplete Handbook” on this websites.

Malta Nomad Residence Permit:

The Maltese government launched a digital nomad visa program called the “Malta Nomad Residence Permit” in June 2021. The main requirement for applicants is an annual income of no less than €42,000, which equates to a monthly income of no less than €3,500.

If you have dependents, such as a spouse or children, accompanying you, the monthly income requirement increases by €300 to €500 for each additional dependent.

Additionally, applicants for this program must meet other basic criteria, such as being at least 18 years old, being a non-EU citizen, having proof of remote work either through self-employment or employment, and purchasing health insurance with a coverage of at least €30,000 for each applicant and dependent.

Application Process:

To apply for the Malta Digital Nomad Visa, you need to follow a process that involves four main steps, beginning with submitting your application to the Residency Malta Agency either through their official email or online platform. Once your application is approved, you then proceed to the nearest Maltese embassy or consulate to apply for an entry visa. Finally, upon entering Malta, you collect your digital nomad residence card.

The process is outlined as follows:

1. Prepare the Required Documents: The Malta Digital Nomad Visa application is a one-time approval process, so it’s crucial to have all the necessary documents ready beforehand. Missing documents are likely to result in immediate rejection.

Required documents include:

• Passports for Main and Dependent Applicants: Each applicant must submit the original passport and a photocopy, with at least one blank page.

• Application Forms: The main applicant must fill out the N1 and N4 forms, while dependents fill out the N2 and N4 forms. The forms must be typed and signed by the applicant.

• Application Letter: A letter explaining why you want to apply for the Malta Digital Nomad Visa, along with details about your industry and income source.

• Proof of Relationship for Main and Dependent Applicants: Typically, this includes a marriage certificate, proof of relationship, and birth certificates.

• Proof of Remote Work: You need to provide a work contract or self-employment evidence, or proof of business ownership, along with bank statements from the past six months to demonstrate your remote work income.

• Proof of Monthly Income: You must submit bank statements, salary slips, or similar documents proving that your monthly income has exceeded €3,500 for at least the past five months.

• Health Insurance: You are required to purchase health insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 that is valid in Malta.

• Accommodation in Malta: Before entering Malta, you can provide hotel booking information, but when finalizing your digital nomad visa in Malta, you must show proof of either purchasing or renting a long-term residence.

• Resume for the Main Applicant: A personal resume detailing your professional and educational background is required.

All documents from outside Malta must be notarized, and non-English documents need to be translated into English or Maltese.

2. Submit Your Application: You need to send all the documents and forms via email to the Residency Malta Agency at nomad.residencymalta@gov.mt or register on the Malta visa online platform to submit your application and wait for approval.

The Residency Malta Agency will review all applications. They will email you an invoice, and you must pay a visa fee of €300 for each main and dependent applicant.

Once the fee is received, a background check process organized by the Residency Malta Agency will begin, which typically takes about 60 working days.

3. Apply for an Entry Visa: If your application is approved, the Residency Malta Agency will issue a “Letter of Approval in Principle.” If you cannot enter the Schengen area directly, you will need to apply for an entry visa at the nearest Maltese embassy or consulate. While this is a separate process, having the approval letter for the Digital Nomad Visa generally makes obtaining the entry visa straightforward.

4. Collect Your Digital Nomad Residence Card: After entering Malta, you must complete certain tasks within 30 days, such as purchasing health insurance and securing a long-term address in Malta. Once these are done, you visit the Residency Malta Agency in person to submit your biometrics and apply for the one-year Digital Nomad Visa.

The processing and issuance of the residence card typically take three to four weeks. You will need to pay a residence permit issuance fee of €27.50 per person.

Once the residence card is ready, you will receive an email notification and will need to bring your passport to the designated office of the Malta Residency Agency to collect your card.

Dependents:

For the Malta Digital Nomad Visa, the main applicant’s spouse, children under the age of 18, and unmarried, financially dependent children over 18 can enter Malta together as dependents under the main applicant.

Visa Validity:

The Malta Digital Nomad Visa is valid for one year and can be renewed up to three times. Each renewal requires that you have lived in Malta for at least five months during the preceding year, allowing you to stay in Malta for a maximum of four years under this visa.

However, it’s important to note that the Malta Digital Nomad Visa does not offer a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to pay taxes in Malta as a digital nomad?

If you reside in Malta for 183 days or more in a year, you will automatically become a tax resident of Malta and will be required to pay an income tax, which is generally around 10%.

Can I travel in Europe with the Malta Digital Nomad Visa?

As a holder of the Malta Digital Nomad Visa, you are free to enter, exit, and reside within the Schengen Area.

However, keep in mind that if you wish to renew your digital nomad visa, you must reside in Malta for at least five months each year.

Official Links:

Malta Nomad Residence Permit: https://nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt/