Malta · Work authorisation

Nomad Residence Permit

Issued by Residency Malta Agency. It is checked against conditions rather than scored, so the question is whether you meet each one, not how many points you gather.

Basis
Checklist
Steps
4
Possible outcomes
3
Last checked
2026-08-09

Conditions

What this permit
asks of you.

Which desk decides

The authority, exactly

The Central Visa Unit at Identità (formerly Identity Malta Agency) handles any entry visa needed to travel to Malta once Residency Malta approves the application; Identità then issues the physical residence card once the holder arrives.

2026 figure

Salary floor

EUR 42,000 a year

Residency Malta's eligibility page states a minimum gross yearly income of €42,000. Applicants who submitted before 1 April 2024 remained on the earlier threshold of €32,400 — not relevant to a new application today, but stated by the source alongside the current figure.

A figure without the year it belongs to and the condition attached to it is how someone rules themselves out of a permit they qualify for. Both are above.

The procedure

4 steps,
in the order they happen.

Prepare your documents

  1. Establish which of the three eligible categories applies: an employment contract with a company registered abroad, a partner or shareholder role in a company registered abroad, or freelance or consulting services for clients whose permanent establishments are abroad.Residency Malta states that a person contracted by a foreign company but assigned to work for its Maltese subsidiary is not eligible for this permit.
  2. Gather a valid travel document, proof of the minimum gross yearly income, health insurance covering the EU (including Malta) and the UK, a property rental or purchase agreement in Malta, a police conduct certificate, and pass a background-verification check.

Get your qualification assessed

  1. Apply online through the Nomad Residence Permit portal. Residency Malta's Client Relations officers verify your documents and issue a receipt of application before requesting payment of the application fee.

Register and start working

  1. On approval in principle, submit proof of accommodation and health insurance within the stated window; on final approval, travel to Malta — obtaining an entry visa first if your nationality requires one — and book an appointment for biometric capture.Residency Malta states that holding a Single Permit, or any other Maltese permit, at the same time as the Nomad Residence Permit is not possible: issuing the Nomad Residence Permit automatically revokes the other permit.

Cost and time

What it costs,
and how long the authority says it takes.

Fees

Application fee
€300 per applicant and per family member, non-refundable, payable on application and on every renewal
Residence card issuance (paid to Identità)
€100 per person
Change of address after approval
€50

Timeframes

Application processing
About 30 working days from receipt of the application fee, per Residency Malta
Residence card issuance
Three to four weeks after biometric capture
Permit validity
One year, renewable — Residency Malta requires a cumulative five months' residence in Malta over the previous twelve months for renewal

Published processing times, not a prediction about your case.

Both halves together

Guides that use this permit.

Each one takes a profession into Malta and runs the recognition branch and the authorisation branch side by side, including what your country of qualification adds.

Evidence

Every claim on this page, and where it came from.

5 official pages, each with the jurisdiction it speaks for and the date a human last opened it. The oldest is 2026-08-09, and that is the date this page is only as fresh as.

Is this the right permit for you?

That depends on where you qualified.

The planner compares every route Malta opens to your country of qualification, and adds the recognition branch when your profession has one.

Check my path →All Malta permits