Malta permanent residence (long-term resident status)

You must have resided legally and continuously in Malta for at least five years immediately before applying. Absences do not break the period if each is shorter than six consecutive months and they total no more than ten months over the five years; the Director may accept a further twelve months in specific justified cases. Your passport must be valid for at least six months when you apply.

S.L. 217.05 asks for three pieces of evidence. First, within the twelve months before applying you must have attended at least 100 hours of a course by the public employment service or another competent authority on the social, economic, cultural and democratic history and environment of Malta, and passed its exam with at least 75%. Second, you must score at least 65% in an assessment showing Maltese at MQF level 2. Third, you show that the fees for these courses, exams and certificates were paid.

You need stable and regular resources that have existed continuously for the two years before the application, declared to the Maltese tax authorities, and that would keep you and your family without social assistance. The regulations set the level at no less than the national minimum wage plus 20% of it for each family member. If you fall short, the Director considers all relevant circumstances and may still accept the declared income for justified reasons. You must also have your own accommodation.

Apply online through the Expatriates Unit portal with Form L and pay €500. The Director must give a written decision as soon as possible and at the latest within six months; in complex cases this can be extended by another six months. If no decision is given in time, the application passes automatically to the Immigration Appeals Board. Approved applicants receive a long-term resident permit valid for five years, and the status itself is permanent.

Long-term status can be lost, among other cases, after twelve consecutive months outside the territory of the European Union. A long-term resident of another EU state who moves to Malta must show resources equal to the average gross wage in Malta plus 20% per family member. Holders of the Malta Retirement Programme lose that special tax status if they become long-term residents.

A refusal, withdrawal or loss of status, or a refusal to renew the permit, can be appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board. The written decision gives the reasons and explains how to lodge the appeal.