Malta

Malta · Europe (EU) · updated 06.09.2026

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).

Some descriptions for this country are still Russian only: 91% translated. Numbers, prices and timelines are complete.

Entry

Entry rules depend on citizenship. Choose a passport to see the requirement for that one.

Work and visas

Salary in IT: $ 29 588 – $ 56 900
Median: $ 37 554
Visa speed: Single Permit: up to 4 months by law, about 2 months in practice. KEI: about 5 working days.
Degree required: no
Language at work: English is an official language; working English is usually enough and Maltese is not required for work. The EU Blue Card requires higher education or qualifications.
Changing employer: The Single Permit is tied to a specific employer; working for another employer without reissuing it is not allowed.

Visa types: Single Permit (combines residence and a work permit) · The Key Employee Initiative (KEI) is a fast track for the highly qualified · EU Blue Card

Malta divides its grounds not by the purpose of the move but by whose passport the applicant holds, and the two halves are handled by different bodies. To an EU, EEA or Swiss national Identità issues no permit at all: such a person merely registers their presence if they intend to stay longer than three months, and receives a residence document valid for five years — free of charge, in about thirty working days. A third-country national needs a permit, and every ground has its own price. That is why half the records below carry a nationality restriction: it is not a privilege but two different legal regimes. Identità prints its fees on the pages of the grounds themselves, and almost everywhere there are two — one for the first application and one for a renewal, with the renewal counted PER YEAR of the permit rather than per application. The single permit costs 600 euro the first time and 150 for a year of renewal; the EU Blue Card and both fast-track initiatives cost the same 600 and 150; the intra-corporate transfer and the researcher cost 300 and 200; self-employment costs 100 and 100. Work of less than six months, study, family reunification, family unity and the specific residence authorisation cost 50 euro each, economic self-sufficiency 100 and long-term residence status 500. A live-in carer has a price of their own: 27.50 euro instead of six hundred. One price the agency prints twice, and differently. The Specialist Employee Initiative costs 600 euro on the eligibility page and 300 on the neighbouring page of the same section describing the application procedure. The discrepancy is internal: both pages belong to Identità and both are live. The record carries 600 — the figure from the eligibility page, where it is printed next to the salary threshold and matches the price of a first application under the other fast-track routes. There is no long-stay visa tariff on the agency's website at all. The Central Visa Unit's «Applicable Fees» page prints no amount and refers to a legal act — Fee Ordinance L.N. 287 of 2020. The schedule to that act is two lines long: 70 euro for a visa for study and 100 for a visa for any other purpose; it is issued free of charge to a family member of an EU national and to minors under six. On top of the state fee the visa application centre charges its own, which does not exceed 150 euro. Eleven grounds are described not by separate pages but by a single internal temporary permits policy — the routes under Form O: partner, parent and child of a Maltese national, posted worker and service provider, humanitarian grounds, medical treatment, religious purposes, pensioner, voluntary service, traineeship and dependant of a diplomat. All eleven share one price — 50 euro FOR EACH YEAR of the permit — and one common list of documents, to which each route adds its own. Such permits do not in themselves confer the right to work: the partner, parent and child of a Maltese national reach the labour market through a Jobsplus licence, while the rest generally have no access at all. Income thresholds in Malta are set in three different ways. The fast-track initiatives name the sum outright: 45,000 euro a year for a key employee, 30,000 for a specialist, 42,000 for a digital nomad. The EU Blue Card names no sum at all — it requires one and a half times the average gross annual salary published by the statistics office, which is why its income field is empty. And the family members policy is tied to the median wage: 18,940 euro as per the National Statistics Office release of 12 June 2024, plus twenty per cent of that figure for each family member joining. The agency supplies the measure of completeness itself: the Identità sitemap, reachable through the Yoast index, lists two hundred and sixty-seven pages, and from it one can see that there are exactly as many admission sections as are listed above. The usual route to the content — the WordPress interface — is closed on this site: `wp-json` answers with a refusal from the security plugin. Permanent residence by investment and citizenship the Identità site does not touch at all: they belong to separate agencies, Residency Malta and Komunità Malta, and their figures are taken from their own pages. Malta rarely publishes processing times, and almost always in working days; in the records they are converted to calendar days. Those named are: five working days for the Key Employee Initiative, fifteen for the Specialist Employee Initiative, thirty working days for the EU national's residence document and for the nomad residence permit, six to eight weeks for the long-stay visa, sixty days for the family members policy. For the single permit the period is set by law: regulation S.L. 217.17 allows four months for processing, while the agency notes that in practice it comes closer to two from the date a complete application is submitted. The other grounds have no published period at all.

Long-term visas and residence permits

Single Permit

Work

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 683processing 60–120 days

Fee: EUR 600 for the first application; a renewal costs 150 euro for each year of the permit. The figures stand not on the overview page of the single permit but on the application page: «First time Single Permit: EUR 600, Single Permit Renewal: EUR 150 (per year)»

official source · read 2026-09-02

Single Permit — live-in carer

Work

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 31,3processing 60–120 days

Fee: EUR 27.50 — the fee for live-in carers, both for submission in person and online, including renewal and change of employer. An ordinary single permit costs 600 euro

official source · read 2026-09-02

Key Employee Initiative (KEI)

Talent

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedincome from $ 51 210 a yearfee $ 683processing 7 days

Fee: EUR 600 for the first application; a renewal costs 150 euro for each year of the permit, up to three years in all

official source · read 2026-09-02

Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI)

Talent

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedincome from $ 34 140 a yearfee $ 683processing 21 days

Fee: EUR 600 on the eligibility page — but the neighbouring page of the same agency, «Application Procedure», prints 300 euro for the same ground. The agency contradicts itself; the figure taken is the one from the eligibility page, where it stands next to the salary threshold and matches the price of a first application under the other fast-track routes

official source · read 2026-09-02

EU Blue Card

Work

term 24 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 683processing time not published

Fee: EUR 600 for the first application; a renewal costs 150 euro for each year of the permit, up to three years in all

official source · read 2026-09-02

Intra-Corporate Transferee — manager or specialist

Work

term 36 morenewablefamily allowedfee $ 341processing time not published

Fee: EUR 300 for the first application; a renewal costs 200 euro for each year of the permit, up to three years in all

official source · read 2026-09-02

Intra-Corporate Transferee — trainee employee

Work

term 12 morenewablefamily allowedfee $ 341processing time not published

Fee: EUR 300 for the first application; a renewal costs 200 euro for each year of the permit

official source · read 2026-09-02

Self-Employment residence permit

Work

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 114processing time not published

Fee: EUR 100 for the first application; a renewal costs 100 euro for each year of the permit, up to three years in all

official source · read 2026-09-02

Employment under six months

Work

term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: EUR 50 — an application through the Expatriates Unit portal

official source · read 2026-09-02

Seasonal Worker permit

Work

term 9 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 341processing time not published

Fee: EUR 300 — an application in the single application procedure

official source · read 2026-09-02

Researcher permit

Work

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 341processing time not published

Fee: EUR 300 for the first application; a renewal costs 200 euro for each year of the permit, up to three years in all

official source · read 2026-09-02

Family Reunification (S.L. 217.06)

Family

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: EUR 50 — both for a new application and for a renewal

official source · read 2026-09-02

Family Members Policy (ex-gratia route)

Family

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedincome from $ 21 554 a yearprocessing 60 days

Fee: The family members policy prints no price of its own: the page names only forms G.05 and G.06. The neighbouring routes of the same section — family reunification and family unity — cost 50 euro each

official source · read 2026-09-02

Family Unity (S.L. 420.07)

Family

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: EUR 50 — both for a new application and for a renewal

official source · read 2026-09-02

Study, Research, Trainee & Volunteer permit

Study

term 12 morenewableapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: EUR 50 — an application for study, research or training; volunteers are free of charge

official source · read 2026-09-02

Economic Self-Sufficient residence permit

Other

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 114processing time not published

Fee: EUR 100 — both for a new application and for a renewal

official source · read 2026-09-02

Long-Term Residence status

Other

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 569processing time not published

Fee: EUR 500 — an application made online through the Expatriates Unit portal

official source · read 2026-09-02

Exemption under national legislation

Family

term 12 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: The exemption under national legislation page prints no price at all: it names only the basis — article 4 of the Immigration Act — and the submission portal

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — partner of a Maltese national

Family

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: EUR 50 for each year of the permit — a single price for all eleven grounds of the temporary permit under Form O

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — parent of a Maltese national

Family

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — child of a Maltese national

Family

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — posted worker, service provider, working holiday

Work

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — humanitarian grounds

Other

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — health and medical purposes

Other

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — religious purposes

Other

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — pensioner

Retirement

term 6 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — voluntary service

Other

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — traineeship

Study

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Temporary permit — dependant of a diplomat

Family

term 48 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Refugee and Subsidiary Protection residence permit

Other

term 12 morenewableprocessing time not published

Fee: The page on refugee and subsidiary protection prints no price of its own: it names only form I and the place of filing, and there is no section about a fee on it at all

official source · read 2026-09-02

Specific Residence Authorisation (SRA)

Other

term 12 morenewablefee $ 56,9processing time not published

Fee: EUR 50 — an application for a specific residence authorisation

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — employment (EU national)

Work

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: Free of charge: the issue of a residence document to an EU or EEA national costs nothing. Payment is due only for a replacement — 16.50 euro for a damaged document and 22 euro for a lost one, on presentation of a report issued by the Malta Police

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — self-employment (EU national)

Work

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — economic self-sufficiency (EU national)

Other

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — study (EU national)

Study

term 60 morenewablefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — exempt status (EU national)

Family

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — family member of an EU national

Family

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — permanent residence (EU national)

Other

term 120 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

eResidence document — Residents Scheme (S.L. 123.79)

Other

term 60 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing 42 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary residence document

Other

term 120 morenewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 0,00processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

National Long-Stay Visa (D)

Other

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefee $ 114processing 42–56 days

Fee: 100 euros — a visa for any purpose other than study. There is NO tariff on the authority's own site: the Central Visa Unit's fees page prints no figure at all and refers to a legal act, the Fee Ordinance L.N. 287 of 2020. The schedule to that act is a two-line tariff: 70 euros for a study visa and 100 for a visa for any other purpose. It is issued free of charge to a family member of an EU citizen within the meaning of S.L. 460.17 and to children under six, and the Central Visa Unit may waive the fee for justified reasons. What has been paid is not refunded under any circumstances, including a voluntary withdrawal and a refusal. On top of the state fee the external service provider — the VFS visa centre — charges a service fee of its own, and no page of the authority prints its size: the Central Visa Unit's fees page names only the legal act

official source · read 2026-09-02

National Long-Stay Visa (D) — study

Study

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefee $ 79,7processing 42–56 days

Fee: 70 euros — a visa for study. There is NO tariff on the authority's own site: the Central Visa Unit's fees page prints no figure at all and refers to a legal act, the Fee Ordinance L.N. 287 of 2020. The schedule to that act is a two-line tariff: 70 euros for a study visa and 100 for a visa for any other purpose. It is issued free of charge to a family member of an EU citizen within the meaning of S.L. 460.17 and to children under six, and the Central Visa Unit may waive the fee for justified reasons. What has been paid is not refunded under any circumstances, including a voluntary withdrawal and a refusal. On top of the state fee the external service provider — the VFS visa centre — charges a service fee of its own, and no page of the authority prints its size: the Central Visa Unit's fees page names only the legal act

official source · read 2026-09-02

Sports Trial Visa (D)

Other

term 3 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 114processing 42–56 days

Fee: The sports trial policy prints no price of its own: it stipulates that all the other conditions of national visas apply. Under the tariff that is 100 euros — a visa for a purpose other than study. There is NO tariff on the authority's own site: the Central Visa Unit's fees page prints no figure at all and refers to a legal act, the Fee Ordinance L.N. 287 of 2020. The schedule to that act is a two-line tariff: 70 euros for a study visa and 100 for a visa for any other purpose. It is issued free of charge to a family member of an EU citizen within the meaning of S.L. 460.17 and to children under six, and the Central Visa Unit may waive the fee for justified reasons. What has been paid is not refunded under any circumstances, including a voluntary withdrawal and a refusal. On top of the state fee the external service provider — the VFS visa centre — charges a service fee of its own, and no page of the authority prints its size: the Central Visa Unit's fees page names only the legal act

official source · read 2026-09-02

Working Holiday Visa — Andorra

Working holiday

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 0,00processing time not published

Fee: Free of charge: the page states outright that the Maltese authorities issue the visa without a fee. The only thing to pay for is the external service provider — the VFS visa centre — and the authority does not print the size of that charge: from the route's page it refers to its own fees page, and there is not a single figure there, only a reference to the Fee Ordinance L.N. 287 of 2020

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Working Holiday Visa — Australia

Working holiday

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 0,00processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Working Holiday Visa — Japan

Working holiday

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 0,00processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Working Holiday Visa — New Zealand

Working holiday

term 12 monot renewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 0,00processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

For citizens of certain countries only.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Working Holiday Visa — youth of Maltese descent

Working holiday

term 12 morenewabledoes not count toward permanent residenceapplicant onlyfee $ 0,00processing 42–56 days

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Nomad Residence Permit

Remote work

term 12 morenewablefamily allowedincome from $ 47 796 a yearfee $ 341processing 42 days

Fee: EUR 300 per applicant — a non-refundable administrative fee paid to the agency by bank transfer from the main applicant's own account; on top of it 100 euro for the issue of the residence card by Identità and 50 euro for a replacement card. Any other visa-related fees, where they apply, are charged separately

official source · read 2026-09-02

Startup Residence Programme

Startup

term 36 morenewablefamily allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: The startup programme pages print no price at all: they name only the investment threshold — 25,000 euro of tangible investment or paid-up share capital of the Maltese startup, plus 10,000 euro for each co-founder beyond four

Citizens of certain countries are excluded.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

Investment

renewablecounts toward permanent residencefamily allowedfee $ 68 280processing time not published

Fee: EUR 60,000 — a non-refundable administrative fee; on top of it a government contribution of 37,000 euro, 7,500 euro for each adult dependant other than the spouse, a donation of 2,000 euro to a non-governmental organisation and a residence card at 500 euro per person for five years

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by registration — spouse of a Maltese citizen

Family

fee $ 171processing time not published

Fee: EUR 150 on submission and a further 50 on collection of the certificate if the application is acceded to. Charged separately: 15 euro on the first re-registration, 20 on the second, 25 on the third, and 10 euro for each oath, affidavit or declaration made at the agency's office before a person authorised to administer oaths

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by registration — descendant of a Maltese-born ascendant

Repatriation

fee $ 171processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by registration — former citizen of Malta

Repatriation

fee $ 171processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by registration — child of a Maltese mother

Repatriation

fee $ 171processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by naturalisation — residence

Other

fee $ 512processing time not published

Fee: EUR 450 on submission and a further 50 on collection of the certificate if the application is acceded to. Charged separately: 15 euro on the first re-naturalisation, 20 on the second, 25 on the third, and 10 euro for each oath, affidavit or declaration made at the agency's office before a person authorised to administer oaths

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by naturalisation — minor child

Family

fee $ 512processing time not published

Fee: on the same terms as the ground above.

official source · read 2026-09-02

Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment

Investment

family allowedprocessing time not published

Fee: The citizenship for exceptional services page prints no price of its own: the fees are set by the regulations themselves, S.L. 188.06. The page carries only the investment thresholds — 600,000 euro with thirty-six months of residence and 750,000 with twelve, property from 700,000 euro to buy or from 16,000 euro a year to rent, and a donation from 10,000 euro

official source · read 2026-09-02

Programme terms change, and the final decision rests with the consulate or the country migration service. The data is collected from official sources on the date shown and is not legal advice.

Residence and citizenship

Permanent residence after: 5 years
Citizenship after: 7 years
Language: English or Maltese (English is official).
Dual citizenship: allowed

EU long-term residence (permanent residence) comes after 5 years of continuous lawful residence, with stable income, housing and integration measures (S.L. 217.05), and a fee of €500. Naturalisation requires residence for at least 4 of the last 7 years; in practice it is discretionary and rarely granted to people without Maltese roots.

Documents

Document certification: apostille

The country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention: a degree or certificate is authenticated with a single apostille in the country that issued it.

Family

Partner

Timeline: After 12 months of the sponsor's residence; earlier for KEI/SEI holders with an Approval in Principle letter.

The spouse must be at least 21 and the marriage monogamous. The sponsor's income threshold: over €18,940/year (the median salary) plus 20% for each family member. For KEI/SEI: €50,000 for the sponsor and one dependant, plus €6,000 for each additional one.

Children

Can be brought: yes
Age limit: up to 18 years

Children must be unmarried; adopted children are treated the same as biological ones. Adult children qualify only on proven financial or physical dependency. The same sponsor income threshold and the 12-month residence requirement apply (the exception is KEI/SEI with Approval in Principle).

Parents

Difficulty: difficult

The Maltese family reunification rules (S.L. 217.06) do not include parents in the list of family members entitled to reunification — only the spouse and minor children.

Partner's parents

Difficulty: difficult

Matters: In a number of countries only a biological child can sponsor a parent, in which case the spouse files the application.

Pets

Limit: 5
Quarantine: no
Antibody titre test: needed
Preparation: ~4 months

About the limit: The EU limit on non-commercial movement is 5 animals per owner.

EU rules: ISO chip → rabies vaccination → an antibody titre test 30 days later → a 3-month wait. Russia is not on the “clear” list, so the test is compulsory. In addition Malta (like Finland, Ireland and Norway) requires dogs to be treated for tapeworm (echinococcus) 24–120 hours before entry. There is no quarantine if the rules are followed. The cost estimate cannot be confirmed by sources.

Safety

Situation: calm

A stable parliamentary democracy and a member of the EU and the eurozone. Questions about the rule of law and corruption have been raised in recent years.

Crime: Low violent crime. Detailed data on theft, car theft and fraud is not confirmed by sources.

Natural hazards

Earthquakeslow

Malta is not in a high-seismicity zone; perceptible tremors from distant earthquakes (the Sicily area) are rare and destructive ones practically never occur.

Wildfireslow

A small island with minimal forest cover; isolated fires in dry vegetation are possible in summer.

Floodsmedium

Flash floods in valleys and towns during intense autumn rain; coastal flood risk is growing as sea levels rise.

Hurricaneslow

No hurricanes. Occasional Mediterranean cyclones (medicanes) of moderate strength.

Droughtshigh

One of the most water-scarce countries: very limited fresh water and heavy dependence on desalination.

Extreme heatmedium

Hot Mediterranean summers; the region is warming faster than the global average and heatwaves are becoming more frequent.

Volcanoesno

No active volcanoes.

Tsunamislow

A theoretical risk from Mediterranean seismic activity, historically very rare.

The main factors are chronic water shortages, hot summers and flash floods. Seismicity is low and destructive natural disasters are practically non-existent. The rating is a composite figure.

Climate

14J

14F

15M

16A

19M

24J

27J

27A

25S

22O

19N

16D

Type: Mediterranean (Csa): hot dry summers, mild wet winters

Hot dry summers, mild wet winters; rainfall mostly in autumn and winter.

Quality of life

Life expectancy: 83 years
Migration: inflow

Healthcare: The public health system is funded from taxation and available to residents paying social contributions. The health services work in English and Maltese.

Flows: A steady net inflow. The share of foreign residents rose from ~3% (2005) to ~22% (2021). The inflow is linked to the online gaming, finance and tourism sectors.

Cities

Valletta

5 226 residents

$ 1 309

1 bedroom, per month

The capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site; the administrative and tourist centre. The EU's smallest capital by area and population (5,226, 2024).

2 bedrooms $ 1 792 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 2 276utilities $ 96,7ticket $ 2,89monthly pass $ 31,8

To buy, per m²: centre $ 5 470 · suburbs $ 4 087

Valletta: a coastal city, at risk of flooding from downpours and rising sea levels; summer heat. Crime is low.

+A historic centre, compact

+The administrative and cultural centre

−A very small population

−Dense old building stock, little parking

Birkirkara

29 482 residents

$ 910

1 bedroom, per month

Malta's most populous locality (29,482, 2025); a central residential town.

2 bedrooms $ 1 223 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 1 536utilities $ 96,7ticket $ 2,32monthly pass $ 29,2

To buy, per m²: centre $ 4 109 · suburbs $ 2 751

Birkirkara: flash flooding in low-lying parts during heavy autumn rain. Crime is low.

+A central location

+Developed infrastructure and transport

−Dense building and traffic

−Landlocked

Mosta

25 379 residents

$ 853

1 bedroom, per month

A central town known for the domed Rotunda church (25,379, 2024).

2 bedrooms $ 1 1383 bedrooms $ 1 366utilities $ 96,7ticket $ 2,90monthly pass $ 24,1

To buy, per m²: centre $ 4 518 · suburbs $ 3 086

Mosta: summer heat, flash floods during intense rain. Crime is low.

+A central location

+More spacious development than on the coast

−Landlocked

−Car dependence

Sliema

22 224 residents

$ 1 394

1 bedroom, per month

A coastal commercial and business centre with a promenade; popular with expats. St Julian's, the online gaming zone, is next door (22,224, 2024).

2 bedrooms $ 1 9633 bedrooms $ 2 617utilities $ 96,7ticket $ 2,32monthly pass $ 24,9

To buy, per m²: centre $ 5 591 · suburbs $ 3 632

Sliema: a coastal town, flooding in storms and with rising sea levels; summer heat and a high density of tourists. Crime is low.

+A seafront and the sea

+Plenty of shops, cafés and offices

+A popular expat community

−High building density and tourist numbers

−Usually the most expensive housing

Qormi

19 752 residents

A central residential and industrial city known for its bakeries (19,752, 2024).

utilities $ 96,7ticket —monthly pass —

To buy, per m²: centre — · suburbs —

Qormi: sits in a low-lying area — a risk of flash flooding. Crime is low.

+A central location

+Lower tourist pressure

−Landlocked

−Industrial zones nearby

Grocery basket

Bread, 500 g: $ 1,25
Milk, 1 l: $ 1,34
Eggs, 12: $ 3,75
Chicken breast, 1 kg: $ 9,30
Cheese, 1 kg: $ 9,35
Rice, 1 kg: $ 3,62
Potatoes, 1 kg: $ 2,00
Apples, 1 kg: $ 3,54
Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 l: $ 2,08
Total: $ 36,2

The same set for every country, so the comparison is fair.

Cost of living across the country

Rent, 1 bedroom: $ 1 135 a month
Rent, 3 bedrooms: $ 2 161 a month
Utility bills: $ 94,5 a month
Home internet: $ 35,9 a month
Monthly transport pass: $ 23,0 a month
Single transport ticket: $ 2,62
Petrol, litre: $ 1,55
Cold medicine: $ 8,13 for a week

Country averages. City prices, where collected, are shown above and are more precise.

Indicators

Life expectancy: 83 years2024
Homicides: 0,9 per 100k2024
Theft: 751,6 per 100k2024
Burglary: 128,9 per 100k2024
Robbery: 43,7 per 100k2024
Vehicle and vehicle-part theft: 39,4 per 100k2024
Road deaths: 1,9 per 100k2021
Unemployment: 2,9 %2025
Unemployment, ages 15–24: 8,4 %2025
Inequality (Gini): 31,82023
Health spending per person: $ 3 623 a year
Air pollution, PM2.5: 10,8 µg/m³2023
Access to clean water: 100 %2024
Internet, fixed line: 209,2 Mbit/s2026

Governance

Political stability: above average · 0,8
Control of corruption: above average · 0,3
Rule of law: above average · 0,7
Government effectiveness: above average · 0,6

World Bank estimates on a −2.5 to +2.5 scale, higher is better.

Natural hazards

Earthquakes: 0,1 out of 10
River floods: 0 out of 10
Coastal floods: 0,7 out of 10
Tropical cyclones: 0 out of 10
Droughts: 0 out of 10
Tsunamis: 5,9 out of 10

Policy towards newcomers

Migrant integration, overall score: 47 out of 100 · 2019
Family reunification: 36 out of 100 · 2019
Permanent residence: 46 out of 100 · 2019
Access to citizenship: 63 out of 100 · 2019
Access to the labour market: 48 out of 100 · 2019

Measures how favourable the law is towards newcomers, not one person's chances of getting a visa.

Each value carries the year it refers to. “Data lags behind” means this country's figure was collected noticeably earlier than the rest. Natural hazards use one 0–10 scale and are meant to be compared against each other.

Pros and cons

+English is an official language, so the language barrier is minimal

+A member of the EU and the eurozone

+The fast-track KEI route for the highly skilled (a decision in about 5 working days)

+Permanent residence after 5 years; dual citizenship is allowed

+Pets come in under the EU limit of 5, with no quarantine

+A low level of violent crime (homicides 0.9 per 100k)

+A mild sunny Mediterranean climate

−The Single Permit is tied to the employer

−The rules make no provision for reuniting with your own or a partner's parents

−Chronic water shortage and dependence on desalination

−Hot summers, with heatwaves becoming more frequent

−Naturalisation is discretionary and hard to obtain without Maltese ancestry

−IT salaries below the big EU hubs (median ~€33k per Payscale)

Compare with other countries in the region

Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden

Other countries in the region: Europe (EU)

All countries by region

Official sources

Identità — Single Permit

The Identità expat unit: a single permit (residence + work) for third-country nationals

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Identità — Key Employee Initiative (KEI)

A fast Single Permit track for the highly qualified; also the EU Blue Card

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Identità / Community Malta Agency

Naturalisation: residence for 4 of the last 7 years, Maltese or English; dual citizenship is allowed

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MaltaPark

The largest classifieds board (an Avito equivalent), rentals included

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QuickLets

A large long-term letting agency

The main used-car platform. Note: Malta drives on the left

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Transport Malta

Exchanging and issuing driving licences. Check the current exchange rules for Russian licences

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Veterinary Regulation Directorate (Malta)

Rules on bringing in pets, EU requirements plus tapeworm treatment for dogs

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Commissioner for Revenue (Malta)

Income tax, taxpayer registration

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Ministry for Health (Malta)

A tax-funded public health system

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