Hungary or Malta
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Hungary | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | $ 37 554 |
| Citizenship | 8 years | 7 years |
| Partner can work | yes | — |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 172 · estimate | $ 1 792 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 33,2 | $ 36,2 |
| Life expectancy | 76.72 | 82.96 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.7 | 0.93 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.8 | 1.8 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Hungary — 30, Malta — 58. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, startup and working holiday. Hungary adds: job seeking. Malta adds: talent, repatriation and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Hungary: the fee is 110 EUR wherever it is published. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 3,000 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 27; the shortest is 21 days. Malta: fees range from 27.5 to 60,000 EUR. Routes with no fee: 14. Routes stating an income threshold: 4; the lowest is 18,940 EUR a year. Routes with a published decision deadline: 18; the shortest is 7 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Hungary after 8 years, Malta after 7 years. Both allow a second citizenship. Bringing your own parents: Hungary — yes, Malta — no.
Hungary in brief
An EU country with a low cost of living and low violent crime. Held back by a difficult language and 8 years to citizenship, IT salaries below Western European levels, the EU's worst corruption perception score, and flood and drought risks on the plain.
Malta in brief
Malta is an English-speaking member of the EU and the eurozone with a fast KEI track for the highly qualified (about 5 working days) and a Single Permit tied to the employer. Permanent residence comes after 5 years and dual citizenship is allowed, but naturalisation is discretionary. Reunification covers a spouse and minor children, not parents. Pets come in under the EU limit with no quarantine (dogs additionally need tapeworm treatment). Held back by water scarcity, hot summers and IT salaries below the big EU hubs (median ~€33k per Payscale).
Other comparisons
More on each: Hungary · Malta. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.