Key facts
- Register if staying
- More than 3 months
- Register within
- 3 months of arrival
- Where
- Identità Expatriates Portal
- Permanent residence
- After 5 consecutive years
- Permanent document validity
- 10 years
- Buying your home
- No AIP permit for your first home
If you hold an EU, EEA or Swiss passport, Malta is one of the simplest places in Europe to move to. There is no investment programme to join and no minimum income to show — you exercise your freedom of movement, and then register.
Step 1 — find your home
Registration asks for proof of address, so housing comes first. Most newcomers rent for the first months — a lease must be in writing and registered with the Housing Authority (see renting in Malta) — while others buy straight away. Use our area guides to shortlist neighbourhoods.
Step 2 — register with Identità
If you intend to live or work in Malta for more than three months, you must register within three months of arrival:
- Apply through the Expatriates Portal at expatriates.identita.gov.mt.
- Book an appointment through Identità’s booking system for biometrics and document checks.
- Receive your eResidence document.
Typical documents are your passport or national ID card, proof of address (lease or deed) and evidence of employment, self-employment or sufficient means. Identità’s helpline is +356 2590 4000.
Step 3 — the practical set-up
With your eResidence document you can complete the rest of the move:
- Utilities — transfer the electricity and water account and register residents for the residential tariff. See utilities in Malta.
- Healthcare — if you work in Malta you pay into Maltese social security; if you are a pensioner, an S1 form from your home state can give access to public care. See healthcare in Malta.
- Driving — EU licences are valid in Malta; remember Malta drives on the left. See driving in Malta.
- Pets — an EU pet passport and microchip are the essentials. See bringing pets to Malta.
- Schools — see international schools in Malta.
Permanent residence after five years
After more than five consecutive years of actual, legal residence, you and your accompanying family can apply for a permanent residence document, valid for ten years. Identità indicates around 30 working days for processing. Be aware that two consecutive years of absence lead to loss of the status.
Tax
Moving your residence to Malta usually makes you tax resident here. If you are not domiciled in Malta, the non-dom rules apply: Malta taxes your Malta-source income and the foreign income you remit to Malta, while foreign capital gains are not taxable, subject to a €5,000 minimum tax where foreign income is €35,000 or more. Read non-dom tax explained. Retirees can also consider the Malta Retirement Programme, which is open to EU citizens.
Buying a home as an EU citizen
EU nationals can buy their home without an AIP permit. An EU national who has not yet been resident for five years and wants a second property — for example a holiday let — needs an AIP permit, unless the property is in a Special Designated Area. Your costs are the same as any buyer’s: see the costs of buying.
Ready to start? Our moving-to-Malta checklist puts all of this in order.
