Malta
Malta visa guide: every visa and residence permit
- 15 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for Malta work
Malta is a Schengen state, so a short visit of up to 90 days in any 180-day period uses the common Schengen (type C) visa if your nationality needs one, while any longer stay needs a national long-stay (type D) visa or a residence permit. Visas are run by the Central Visa Unit of Identità, the agency formerly called Identity Malta; residence and work permits for non-EU nationals are issued by its Expatriates Unit.
Schengen visas for Malta are applied for at the Maltese embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence; in many countries applications are lodged at a visa application centre that collects the file and biometrics for the mission. The Schengen visa fee is €90 (€45 for children aged 6 to under 12), and the centre adds its own service fee. Long-stay visas are assessed by the Central Visa Unit in Malta.
Work is almost always arranged by the employer: it files a Single Permit application online with Identità, and only after an Approval in Principle letter do you apply for the D visa. The first permit costs €600, and since 1 March 2026 every first-time applicant also needs the €250 Pre-Departure Course certificate. Highly paid roles can use the fast-track Key Employee Initiative (€45,000 salary, about 5 working days) or the Specialist Employee Initiative (€30,000).
Residence by investment, remote work and start-ups are handled by a separate body, the Residency Malta Agency, which runs the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, the Nomad Residence Permit and the Startup Residence Programme. Asylum claims are made in person in Malta at the International Protection Agency in Hamrun.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, visiting relatives or friends, business meetings or conferences of up to 90 days: a Schengen C visa in the matching category, if your nationality needs one.
Study: a Schengen C visa for courses up to 90 days; a D student visa for longer courses, followed by an Identità residence permit for higher-education programmes at MQF level 5 or above.
Work for a Maltese employer: the Single Permit; the Key Employee Initiative or Specialist Employee Initiative for skilled, well-paid roles; the EU Blue Card for highly qualified staff earning at least 1.5 times the Maltese average salary.
Working remotely for foreign clients or employers: the Nomad Residence Permit (€42,000 gross a year). Founding an innovative company: the Startup Residence Programme.
Living in Malta on your own means: the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (investment), or the Malta Retirement Programme tax status with an economic self-sufficiency permit for pensioners.
Joining a family member who holds a Maltese residence permit: family reunification. After five years of legal residence: long-term resident status. Fleeing persecution: an asylum claim inside Malta.
Visa types for Malta
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Schengen visa (type C) for tourism
A holiday in Malta needs a Schengen C visa if your nationality is visa-required.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area - Family and friends visit visa Schengen visa (type C) for visiting family and friends
To stay with relatives or friends in Malta for up to 90 days you need a Schengen C visa in the family and friends category if your nationality is visa-required.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Schengen visa (type C) for business
Meetings, negotiations, contract signing, trade fairs and conferences in Malta of up to 90 days need a Schengen C business visa if your nationality is visa-required.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period - Entrepreneur and start-up visa Malta Startup Residence Programme
The Malta Startup Residence Programme, run by the Residency Malta Agency with Malta Enterprise, gives non-EU founders and co-founders of innovative companies registered for no more than seven years a three-year residence permit, renewable for five more.
Maximum stay: 3 years, then renewable for 5 years for founders (3 more for core employees)
Study and training
- Student visa National long-stay (D) student visa and study residence permit (S.L. 217.22)
Courses in Malta of up to 90 days use a Schengen C study visa; longer courses need a national D student visa.
Maximum stay: D visa: up to 365 days from first entry into Schengen; higher-education students then hold a residence permit for the course
Work
- Work visa Single Permit (combined work and residence permit, S.L. 217.17)
Non-EU workers in Malta need a Single Permit, one document that covers both the employment licence and residence.
Maximum stay: Temporary permit for a defined period of over 6 months; generally renewed every year - Skilled worker visa Key Employee Initiative (KEI) and Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI)
Malta has two fast-track versions of the Single Permit for skilled staff.
Maximum stay: First permit 1 year; renewals for up to 3 years - EU Blue Card EU Blue Card (S.L. 217.27)
Malta issues the EU Blue Card to highly qualified non-EU workers with a contract of at least six months paying 1.5 times the average gross annual salary published by the National Statistics Office.
Maximum stay: First card 2 years (or contract plus 3 months if shorter); renewals up to 3 years - Digital nomad visa Nomad Residence Permit
Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit, run by the Residency Malta Agency, lets non-EU remote workers live in Malta while working for a foreign employer, their own foreign company or foreign clients.
Maximum stay: 1 year, renewable three times for a maximum of 4 years
Family
- Family reunification visa Family reunification (S.L. 217.06) and Identità family members policy
Family members of non-EU residents of Malta join them in one of two ways: family reunification under S.L.
Maximum stay: Residence permit of at least one year, renewable while conditions are met
Residence
- Golden visa and residence by investment Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme gives non-EU investors and their families the right to live in Malta permanently.
Maximum stay: Permanent right to settle and reside in Malta; residence card renewed every 5 years - Retirement visa Malta Retirement Programme (S.L. 123.134) with an economic self-sufficiency residence permit
Pensioners can settle in Malta under the Malta Retirement Programme, a special tax status granted by the Commissioner for Revenue, and then hold an Identità residence permit on the basis of economic self-sufficiency.
Maximum stay: No fixed end while the conditions are met; residence permit renewed through Identità - Permanent residence Long-term resident status (S.L. 217.05)
Non-EU nationals who have lived in Malta legally and continuously for five years can apply to Identità for EU long-term resident status, which is permanent and comes with a five-year residence card.
Maximum stay: Permanent status
Fast-track and priority services
- Fast-track and priority visa services Fast-track permit routes and visa services (KEI, SEI, extended and premium visa processes)
Malta does not sell a general express visa, but Identità runs two officially fast-tracked permit routes: the Key Employee Initiative, expected to take five working days, and the Specialist Employee Initiative, fifteen working days, compared with about two months for a regular Single Permit.
Processing time: KEI 5 working days; SEI 15 working days; regular Single Permit about 2 months (legal maximum 4)
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection International protection (asylum) in Malta
Applications for international protection in Malta are decided by the International Protection Agency (IPA).
Processing time: To be concluded within 6 months of lodging, subject to Dublin/AMMR procedures
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a visa for Malta?
Nationals of countries that need a Schengen visa must have one for short stays of up to 90 days. For stays over 90 days, non-EU nationals need a national D visa or a residence permit.
Where do I apply for a Malta visa?
At the Maltese embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the visa application centre it uses. Long-stay visas are decided by the Central Visa Unit of Identità in Malta.
How much does a Malta visa cost?
A Schengen visa costs €90 from age 12, €45 for ages 6 to under 12 and nothing under 6. National D visa fees are set by Malta and charged where you apply; visa application centres add a service fee and nothing is refunded.
Can I work in Malta on a Schengen visa?
No. Paid work needs a Single Permit, EU Blue Card or similar permit applied for by a Maltese employer. A business visa covers meetings and contract signing only.
How do I claim asylum in Malta?
In person in Malta, at the International Protection Agency in Hamrun or through the police and border authorities, who refer you to it. The procedure is free and a negative decision can be appealed within 15 calendar days.
How long does a Malta work permit take?
The law allows Identità four months for a Single Permit, but the average is close to two months once all documents are in. Key Employee Initiative files are expected to take five working days and Specialist Employee Initiative files fifteen.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.