Malta
Nomad Residence Permit · Valletta
The easiest-to-live English-speaking corner of the Schengen zone, with a clean 10% flat tax — if you can accept island prices and density.
€3,500/mo
30–45 days
1 year
80/100
130 Mbps
Very high
Hot Mediterranean
UTC+1
Model your move to Malta
Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in Malta
Pre-filled with typical costs in Sliema. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $3,990/mo.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
Your plan, ready to act on
Get your Malta Relocation Dossier
A personalized PDF built from the numbers above: your eligibility proof, taxes vs home, budget, document checklist and a 12-month timeline. Delivered to your inbox in minutes — an immigration consultant charges €900+ for the same analysis. Includes 1 year of free updates: if Maltachanges this visa's rules, you get a refreshed dossier by email.
One-time · instant delivery · 1 year of rule-change updates
$5,400
$2,414
$2,986
Tax in Malta
Effective rate
10.0%
- Income tax / mo
- $600
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $600
- Take-home / mo
- $5,400
Typically covered by your home country under a totalization agreement, so €0 locally.
Private health insurance isn't required for this visa, but most nomads carry it — it's already counted in your living costs above.
A dedicated 10% flat rate applies to the nomad permit's qualifying income; first-year income is exempt.
vs. United States
Tax
22.3% at home → 10.0% here
Same lifestyle costs
$4,162 at home → $2,414 here
Money left over
$500 at home → $2,986 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
What it takes to qualify
Income & savings
- Monthly income (single)
- €3,500
- Basis
- ≈€42,000 gross per year
- Combine two incomes?
- No — main applicant only
Family members are added by showing adequate resources, not a fixed top-up.
The visa
- Program
- Nomad Residence Permit
- Introduced
- 2021
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Max total stay
- 4 years
- Fees
- $434 (approx)
- Who can apply
- Employees, Freelancers, Business owners
- Bring family?
- Yes
- Schengen access
- Yes
€300 application fee per applicant, plus a €100 residency-card fee paid to Identità on collection. Renewable yearly up to four years total.
Proving income or paying fees from abroad? Move money with Wise (sponsored)
What you'll actually pay
Income tax
- Treatment
- Foreign income can be taxed
- Headline rate
- 10%
- Tax residency at
- 183 days
- Employee social
- Usually home-covered
A dedicated 10% flat rate applies to the nomad permit's qualifying income; first-year income is exempt.
Good news
There's effectively no local income tax to worry about on your foreign earnings here.
Reviewed Source: Residency Malta
Path to residency & citizenship
This is a lifestyle visa: great for living here now, but time on it doesn't count toward permanent residency or a passport.
The permit does not lead to residency or citizenship by itself.
Reviewed Source: Residency Malta
Typical costs in Sliema
Rent (1-bed)
$1,300
Rent (family)
$2,000
Groceries / person
$320
Utilities
$130
Internet
$35
Transport / person
$30
Health insurance
$60
Dining / person
$280
Cost index 58/100 vs New York · prices are about 70% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.
Highlights & watch-outs
What makes it great
- English is an official language — zero language friction.
- A clear 10% flat tax on qualifying income.
- Tiny, safe, sun-soaked and very connected.
What to watch
- Crowded and pricey for its size.
- No residency or citizenship track.
Reviewed Source: Residency Malta
Compare Malta
Head-to-head with similar destinations.
Moving to Malta from…
See the tax & cost picture for your home country.