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Good practice Imported

Malta Nomad Residence Permit

Malta · Valletta · See the Malta profile · See the Valletta profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 76% 57/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Malta's Nomad Residence Permit grew from 180 applications in its first six months (2021) to 1,031 applications in 2024 alone, with ~542 active permit holders averaging €76,000 income and an estimated €5m in local spending — one of the better-documented EU nomad schemes.

180 applications
Applications (first 6 months) (2021 H2)
1031 applications
Applications (2024)
542 people
Active permit holders (2024)
76000 EUR
Average annual income of permit holders (2024)
5 EUR million
Estimated local spending by permit holders (2024)
32,400 to 42,000 EUR/year
Minimum income threshold increase (April 2024)
Malta Nomad Residence Permit

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Residency Malta Agency, Government of Malta
Period
2021–present
Region (NUTS)
MT00
Keywords
Digital nomad visas, remote-worker migration, talent attraction

Context

Malta's Residency Malta Agency launched the Nomad Residence Permit in June 2021, granting non-EU nationals a renewable one-year residence status (extendable up to 4 years) to work remotely for employers or clients based outside Malta, for a €300 application fee and a flat 10% tax on authorised work income.

Results

The Malta Independent tracked the scheme from launch: it recorded 180 applications in the first six months (roughly one per working day), mostly from UK and US nationals with an average income of €60,000 and average age 27. By 2024, annual applications had grown to 1,031, with about 542 active permit holders reporting an average annual income of €76,000 and an estimated €5 million in local spending.

Conclusions

The minimum income threshold was raised from €32,400 to €42,000 per year in April 2024, tightening eligibility as demand grew. Malta offers the most longitudinally documented small-state nomad scheme in this catalogue — real growth in application volumes over multiple years from an independent national newspaper — though it remains a narrow, income-gated instrument with no equity or broader labour-market ambition.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k) — €300 application fee per applicant; flat 10% tax on authorised remote-work income; no public capital infrastructure cost disclosed.
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years) — Launched June 2021; income threshold raised April 2024; 1,031 applications reported for 2024.
Staffing & skills
Administered by a single dedicated agency, the Residency Malta Agency, Government of Malta

Conditions for success

  • Simple, low-cost application fee (€300) and clear flat tax rate (10%) on authorised work income
  • Income-based eligibility filter to target higher-earning remote workers
  • Periodic threshold adjustment (minimum income raised from €32,400 to €42,000 in April 2024) to manage demand growth

Common failure modes

  • No equity mechanism exists — demographic data show applicants skew toward higher income and younger age (average 27, average income €60,000-€76,000), limiting broader labour-market impact

Where it fits

Governance type
single national agency-administered visa scheme
Scale
national (small state)
Income level
high-income EU member state

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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