Malta residence permit: 5 ways to get it

Many wealthy non-Europeans want to become a resident in Malta for various reasons:

• opening an international business;

• freely travelling to Schengen countries;

• moving the whole family to a developed European country;

• having the option of leaving their original country quickly in the event of political or economic turmoil.

Why investors obtain permanent residence in Malta

Getting a residence permit in Europe helps to achieve these goals. However, only a few European countries grant a residence permit quickly: Malta is amongst the few that do.

Malta ordinary residence permit’s benefits:

1. Visa-free travel to Schengen states. A Maltese residence permit allows the holder to visit other countries of the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in six months.

2. Tax optimisation for investors — 0% tax rate on foreign income not transferred to Malta. There is no inheritance tax or surcharge for the main applicant’s spouse, children or other relatives included in the application.

3. Use of offices of international banks in Malta with a high level of financial security.

4. Tourism and real estate in Malta attract entrepreneurs from all over the world. Investors receive a stable income. For example, renting out real estate earns a return of at least 5% per annum.

5. High quality of life, health care and education for entrepreneurs and their families.

6. Many British and American schools and universities' branches are situated in Malta. In addition, residents of Malta can get an education in public universities for free.

7. Opportunity to live in a warm climate. The average annual temperature is about 23 °C during the day. The coldest month is January: temperatures range from 12 to 20 °C during the day.

Malta residence permit. To apply for a residence permit for the whole family, wealthy foreigners can participate in the state programme, the Malta Global Residence Programme. It works only for third country’s citizens.

5 important differences between residence permit and permanent residency

Individuals who are nationals of the EU, EEA or Switzerland and not permanent residents of Malta can participate in “The Residence Programme (TRP)”.

The principal applicant’s spouse, children under 25 years old, siblings, parents, and grandparents can also participate in the Malta Global residence program. The main requirement is that all the family members in the application, apart from the spouse, are financially dependent on the principal applicant.

An investor must fulfil the following conditions to participate in the program:

1. Rent a home in Malta for €8,750–9,600 per annum. The amount depends on the region selected: the rent is lower on the island of Gozo and in the south of Malta. Alternatively, the investor can buy property in Malta costing at least €220,000–275,000.

2. Pay an administration fee of €5,500–6,000, depending on the property’s region.

3. Obtain health insurance for all family members participating in the program.

4. Pay the minimum income tax of €15,000 a year.

Under the Global Residence Program, obtaining a Malta residency permit involves a particular taxation system. It includes paying an annual income tax of 15% on income earned outside Malta and transferred to Malta or a minimum tax of €15,000. The tax rate of income earned in Malta is 35%.

Participants have to file an annual tax return. Also, the residence permit holder cannot spend more than 183 days per year in any other country except Malta. But there is no requirement to live in Malta.

Individual cost calculation for residence by investment in Malta

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Generally, highly qualified specialists in IT, pharmaceuticals and financial services are in demand. It’s easier for them to find an employer in Malta who can offer a long-term contract.

Many leading international companies are based in Malta, for example, HSBC Bank, Medavia, Vodafone and others. A residence permit for employment is issued jointly with a work permit, then it must be renewed annually, and its validity ends after the employment contract does.

There are two types of visas for those who come to work in Malta: the regular work visa and the EU Blue Card. The latter is issued to highly qualified specialists with a salary of 50% higher than the industry average.

The EU Blue Card requirements for the applicant:

• a valid employment contract for no less than one year;

• gets the minimum wage in Malta;

• for regulated professions: submit documents confirming compliance with the requirements of national law;

• for unregulated jobs: present documents confirming relevant higher professional skills;

• national or Schengen visa, residence permit;

• a certificate of medical insurance.

The EU Malta Blue Card is issued for at least one year. When extending the Blue Card, if the remaining term of the employment contract is less than one year, the EU Blue Card is given for the contract period plus three months.

Students at schools and universities in Malta are issued a residence permit for one year with the right to extend it according to the duration of their studies.

To get a residency permit in Malta, a student shall provide a letter of admission from the higher education institution. It must include:

• the institution’s details;

• course details;

• settlement regarding the course-related fees;

• accommodation provided by the institution;

• confirmation that the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the tuition language.

After graduation, these students have to look for a job in Malta to renew their residence permits. A new one will then be linked to their employment contract.

Amir, 47 years old

Car dealership owner

Malta residence permit for living, working and studying in the country

In December 2020, Amir, his wife Amina and their son Nursultan were granted a Maltese residence permit. The family moved to Malta. At the end of 2021, Immigrant Invest lawyers helped them extend their residency.

In the first year, Amina was retrained in her speciality, and now she will lecture at the University of Malta. Nursultan will start studying at a school which is a part of a British college.

Learn a case

Foreigners living in Malta can apply for a long-term residence permit in Malta for their close family members. If the family members get a Maltese residence permit, they can apply for Maltese citizenship five years later.

Foreign spouses of Maltese citizens can also get a residence permit.

There are support programs available for entrepreneurs in Malta. Malta has a stable economic climate and an attractive tax system with lower taxes than many other European countries.

The applicable corporate tax rate is 35%. Companies' shareholders can get a refund of the corporate tax. VAT in Malta is 18%. It’s one of the lowest VAT rates in Europe. The Maltese tax system attracts business people worldwide to register their companies and get a residence permit.

However, businesses registered in Malta must meet reasonably high requirements for capital:

1. The minimum share capital of a Malta Public Limited Company is €46,588. Individuals must pay at least 25% of that capital when they form the company.

2. The minimum share capital of a Malta Private Limited Company is €1,165. Individuals must pay at least 25% of that capital when they form the company.

A Malta residence permit can also be issued under particular circumstances.

Suppose a person has lived with a Maltese residence permit holder, permanent residence or citizenship for two or more years without registering their relationship. In that case, they can also obtain a residence permit in Malta. Proof of cohabitation and your or your partner’s ability to cover your living costs will be required.

Residence permits are also issued for religious, medical and humanitarian purposes.

A list of Malta’s resident permits:

1. The Global Residence Programme (GRP) is for nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. To participate in this programme, an investor needs to rent or buy a home in Malta and pay taxes in the country. The minimum annual amount of taxes on income outside Malta is €15,000.

2. The Residence Programme (TRP) is for the EU, EEA and Switzerland nationals. Real estate requirements are the same as in the Global Residence Programme.

3. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) is open for third-country nationals, excluding EU, EEA and Switzerland, and allows them to get permanent residence permits by investment.

4. The Malta Retirement Programme (MRP) applies to individuals who are not employed and receive most of their income from their pension.

5. The United Nations Pensions Programme is open for people receiving a UN pension or a widow’s/widower’s benefit. At least 40% of it must be received in Malta.

6. Residence permits for education and training can be obtained by those who come to Malta to study or undertake training.

7. Residence permits for employment are applicable to the people who are employed by a company in Malta.

8. Residence permits for family reunification are open for family members of people who already hold resident permits or citizenship of Malta.

9. Residence permits for entrepreneurs can be obtained by individuals who plan to run a business in Malta.

10. Malta residence permit for a self-sufficient person is for those whose income comes from outside Malta.

The fastest and easiest path to getting a residence permit in Malta is participating in a program for wealthy foreigners — the Global Residence Program.

Terms

Who can get it

Malta Global Residence Program

The whole family:

• an investor with legal income;

• their spouse;

• children under 18;

• financially dependent children from 18 to 25 years old;

• financially dependent siblings of the investor and their spousefinancially dependent parents and grandparents of the investor and their spouse.

Other paths to residency

Only the applicant

Terms

Obtaining period

Malta Global Residence Program

2–3 months

Other paths to residency

Depends on the quota availability

Terms

Working in Malta

Malta Global Residence Program

Allowed with a special permit

Other paths to residency

Allowed only for a residence permit for employment

Terms

Study at universities

Malta Global Residence Program

Allowed

Other paths to residency

Allowed only for a residence permit for studying

Terms

Housing rent or purchase

Malta Global Residence Program

Mandatory

Other paths to residency

Mandatory

Terms

Length of stay

Malta Global Residence Program

Unlimited

Other paths to residency

183 days a year or more

Terms

Possibility of residence permit renewing

Malta Global Residence Program

Unlimited number of times

Other paths to residency

— For the duration of the work or study contract

— For the period of company registration

— Unlimited for family reunification

1. Preliminary Due Diligence Check. The investor undergoes an initial check against international legal and business information databases. They are also checked for the presence of harmful or compromising information materials on the Internet.

2. Conclusion of an agreement with Immigrant Invest. The data on the composition of the family is specified. After the prepayment is credited, the Immigrant Invest lawyers start working with the investor to prepare the application for submission.

3. Collection and execution of documents for applying for a special tax status. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers make a list of needed documents for the application. The applicant provides us with the originals. Lawyers submit documents for translation and certification, and they also fill out forms on behalf of the applicant. At this stage, the investor pays the administration fee.

4. Compliance with the terms of the Malta Global Residence Program. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare a property rental or purchase declaration, the letter from the tax service and state forms that need to be filled out. The investor provides a statement from their bank account showing a balance of at least €30,000.

The investor and their relatives included in the application travel to Malta to submit their residence permits and biometric data. A lawyer from Immigrant Invest accompanies them.

5. Applying for Due Diligence. Immigrant Invest submits the application to the Inland Revenue Department of Malta (IRD). When applying, the investor and his family members do not need to be in Malta.

6. Approval of the application. Receive a letter from the IRD confirming the special tax status and the individual tax number of Malta. Once approved, the main applicant must travel to Malta for an interview.

7. Interview at IRD. The discussion takes place in an informal setting. It is necessary for the Director of the Malta Revenue Department to present the terms of the program personally to the applicant. The main applicant must be able to explain in English why he chose Malta and what attracts him to this country. The applicant’s licensed agent may be present at the interview.

8. Applying for a Malta residence permit card and submitting biometrics. All applicants need to come to Malta a second time to submit an application and submit biometrics for residence permit cards. Family members over the age of 18 can go separately without the main applicant to apply for a residence permit and submit biometrics no later than six months after starting the insurance and rental agreement.

Immigrant Invest lawyer accompanies applicants. The application and the necessary documents are submitted to the Identity Malta Agency by appointment.

9. Obtaining a residence permit card

Identity Malta Agency reviews the application for a residence permit within 5‑6 weeks. After consideration, the agency sends a letter with notification of readiness of the residence permit cards by mail. The letter is sent to the applicant’s Maltese residence address, confirmed by the previous lease or purchase agreement.

All applicants need to come to Malta for the third time to personally pick up residence permit cards from Identity Malta upon presentation of a letter.

If you decide to obtain a Malta permanent residence card by investment, contact Immigrant Invest lawyers.

Immigrant Invest experts will carefully study your circumstances and aims, select the appropriate option and accompany you throughout obtaining a residence permit.

If a person doesn’t plan to get a Maltese residence permit, they can live in Malta for up to three months with a document, which may be considered a Malta temporary residence permit. Depending on the nationality, a person will need to have a visa, a foreign passport, or an ID card to enter Malta.

Visa required. People from 150 countries must apply for a visa to enter Malta.They will receive a Schengen C visa that allows them to spend up to 90 days within the 180-day period in Malta or another Schengen country.

To get a Malta visa, an individual must apply for it through the visa application centre or the embassy.

The process is the following:

1. Fill in and print the application form.

2. Bring the application and other required documents to the visa application centre or the embassy.

3. Pay a fee.

Visa is not required. People from around 90 countries can enter Malta visa-free. This amount includes nationals of Schengen and EU countries, the US, Canada and others. The duration of stay depends on a visitor’s country of citizenship or residence.

Nationals of the Schengen countries can enter Malta with their ID card only. Others need to provide a passport.

European Travel Information and Authorization System. Starting from 2022, nationals who belong to visa-free countries outside the Schengen area can register in ETIAS. This will allow them to enter Malta and other member states.

The authorisation is valid for three years and allows you to enter Malta and other Schengen countries multiple times.

The passport that is used for the registration must be valid three months after the trip.