Every fee Identità and Residency Malta actually charge in 2026 — and why nobody can lawfully sell you a Maltese passport any more.
Overview
Malta's immigration fees flow to two agencies. Identità (the former Identity Malta Agency) charges for employment permits and visas: since the Labour Migration Policy took effect on 1 August 2025, a first-time single permit costs EUR 600, renewals EUR 150 per year, a change of employer EUR 600 and a change of designation EUR 300, with health and elderly/disability-care occupations paying EUR 150 across the board. The Key Employee Initiative (EUR 45,000 salary threshold) and Specialist Employee Initiative (EUR 30,000) use the same fee schedule with faster processing. The Residency Malta Agency charges EUR 300 per applicant for the Nomad Residence Permit (income threshold EUR 42,000) plus EUR 100 per residence card, and runs the Malta Permanent Residence Programme — a EUR 60,000 administration fee, EUR 37,000 contribution, EUR 375,000 property purchase or EUR 14,000 annual rent, EUR 2,000 NGO donation and EUR 7,500 per dependant. Citizenship can no longer be bought: the Court of Justice of the EU ruled against the investor-citizenship scheme on 29 April 2025 and Act XXI of 2025 removed it. Verified against identita.gov.mt, residencymalta.gov.mt and nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt as of June 2026.
Malta Immigration Fees at a Glance (2026)
| Route / Fee | Amount | Who collects | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single permit — first application | EUR 600 | Identità (Expatriates Unit) | From 1 August 2025; EUR 150 instead for health and elderly/disability-care occupations |
| Single permit — renewal | EUR 150 per year | Identità | Combined work-and-residence authorisation under S.L. 217.17 |
| Change of employer / change of designation | EUR 600 / EUR 300 | Identità | Fees introduced by the 2025 Labour Migration Policy |
| Key Employee Initiative (KEI) / Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI) | Standard single-permit fees | Identità | Salary thresholds EUR 45,000 (KEI) and EUR 30,000 (SEI); 2-week vacancy advert instead of 3 |
| Schengen short-stay visa (type C) | EUR 90 adults; EUR 45 children aged 6–11 | Central Visa Unit (Identità) | EU Visa Code fee, raised EU-wide in June 2024 |
| National long-stay visa (type D) | Varies by category | Central Visa Unit | Check the CVU's published fee and application schedule for your visa type |
| Nomad Residence Permit | EUR 300 per applicant + EUR 100 residence card | Residency Malta Agency / Identità (card) | EUR 300 due again on each annual renewal; income threshold EUR 42,000 gross per year |
| Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) | EUR 60,000 administration + EUR 37,000 contribution + EUR 2,000 NGO donation | Residency Malta Agency | Plus EUR 375,000 property purchase OR EUR 14,000/year rent; EUR 7,500 per dependant; licensed agent only |
| Naturalisation as a citizen | Administrative fees under the Maltese Citizenship Act schedules | Komunità Malta | Residence: 12 months immediately before applying + 4 years within the preceding 6; discretionary |
Employment Permit Fees — the 1 August 2025 Re-Pricing
- The new fee schedule: A first-time single permit costs EUR 600, renewals EUR 150 per year, a change of employer EUR 600 and a change of designation EUR 300. Health-sector occupations and carers for the elderly and persons with disability pay EUR 150 across all these transactions.
- The employer drives the application: The single permit is employer-led, and the worker cannot start until Identità approves. Budget for the fee at each stage — switching employer mid-permit triggers the full EUR 600 again.
- Compliance is a cost trap: From 1 August 2025 the vacancy must have been advertised locally for at least 3 weeks (2 weeks for KEI, SEI, EU Blue Card and Skilled Occupation List roles) within the 2 months before submission. A non-compliant application is ineligible — the fee and timeline restart on a corrected refiling.
- KEI and SEI buy speed, not discounts: The fast-tracks use the same fees; what changes is processing speed, a shorter advert period, and the salary thresholds — EUR 45,000 gross for KEI, EUR 30,000 for SEI.
- EU Blue Card: Issued under S.L. 217.27 for holders of higher education qualifications paid at least 1.5 times Malta's average gross annual salary; the threshold updates annually, so confirm the current figure with Identità before relying on it.
- If you lose your job: Single permit holders whose employment is terminated from 1 August 2025 get 30 days to stay and find new work, extendable to 60 days with proof of self-sufficiency — no extra fee for the grace period itself.
Residency Malta Programme Costs — Nomad Permit and MPRP
- Nomad Residence Permit payment mechanics: After Residency Malta checks your online application it issues a receipt with instructions to pay the non-refundable EUR 300 fee per applicant by bank transfer from the main applicant's own account. Processing takes about 30 working days from the Finance Department's confirmation of funds; the residence card costs EUR 100 per person, payable by card at Residency Malta's offices, and replacement cards or a change of address cost EUR 50.
- Nomad renewals repeat the fee: The permit runs one year and is renewable up to a maximum of four years; each renewal costs EUR 300 per applicant again and requires bank statements proving at least 5 months' cumulative presence in Malta over the previous 12 months.
- Nomad insurance floor: A health insurance policy with at least EUR 100,000 cover for the EU (including Malta) and the UK, prepaid for a full year — monthly-payment policies are not accepted.
- MPRP administration fee in instalments: EUR 15,000 within one month of application and EUR 45,000 within two months of the Letter of Approval in Principle, plus EUR 7,500 added per dependant. The EUR 37,000 government contribution, EUR 2,000 NGO donation and the property commitment (EUR 375,000 purchase or EUR 14,000 annual rent) come on top.
- MPRP asset test: Capital of at least EUR 500,000 including EUR 150,000 in financial assets, or EUR 650,000 including EUR 75,000 in financial assets, per S.L. 217.26 as amended by L.N. 310/2024 and L.N. 146/2025.
- Licensed agents only: MPRP applications must go through an agent licensed by the Residency Malta Agency; agents' professional fees are additional and are not set by government — get them in writing before engaging.
Citizenship After 2025 — No More Investment Route
- The CJEU ended the golden passport: On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU (Grand Chamber, Case C-181/23, Commission v Malta) ruled Malta's investor-citizenship framework contrary to EU law, holding that Union citizenship cannot result from a commercial transaction.
- Act XXI of 2025: Published 24 July 2025, it amended the Maltese Citizenship Act to remove the EUR 600,000–750,000 monetised route. Merit-based naturalisation survives but is discretionary and granted for exceptional service to Malta or humanity — it cannot be bought.
- What ordinary naturalisation costs: The route is residence-based — 12 months immediately preceding the application plus 4 years within the preceding 6 — with adequate knowledge of Maltese or English. Fees are modest administrative charges under the Citizenship Act's schedules, not investment sums; check the current figures with Komunità Malta before filing.
- Beware stale marketing: Any 2026 offer of Maltese 'citizenship by investment' misdescribes the law. The remaining investment-linked route is the MPRP — permanent residence, not citizenship — and it confers Schengen mobility, not an EU passport.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Malta single permit cost in 2026?
EUR 600 for a first-time application, EUR 150 per year for renewals, EUR 600 for a change of employer and EUR 300 for a change of designation — the schedule introduced by the Labour Migration Policy on 1 August 2025. Health-sector occupations and carers for the elderly and persons with disability pay EUR 150 across all of these. The application is employer-led, and it is ineligible unless the vacancy was advertised locally for at least 3 weeks (2 weeks for KEI, SEI, EU Blue Card and Skilled Occupation List roles) in the 2 months before submission — a compliance failure means refiling and restarting the clock.
Can I still buy Maltese citizenship by investment?
No. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled Malta's investor-citizenship scheme contrary to EU law on 29 April 2025 (Case C-181/23, Commission v Malta), and Act XXI of 2025, published on 24 July 2025, removed the EUR 600,000–750,000 investment route from the Maltese Citizenship Act. What remains is discretionary merit-based naturalisation for exceptional service to Malta or humanity — which cannot be purchased — and ordinary naturalisation after 12 months' residence immediately before applying plus 4 years within the preceding 6. Anyone marketing a Maltese golden passport in 2026 is selling something that no longer exists; the MPRP (residence, not citizenship) is the only investment-linked route left.
What does the Malta Permanent Residence Programme actually cost all-in?
Budget for four government layers: a EUR 60,000 non-refundable administration fee (EUR 15,000 within a month of applying, EUR 45,000 within two months of the Letter of Approval in Principle, plus EUR 7,500 per dependant), a EUR 37,000 contribution, a EUR 2,000 donation to a registered NGO, and the property commitment — EUR 375,000 purchase or EUR 14,000 per year in rent. You must also show assets of EUR 500,000 (EUR 150,000 financial) or EUR 650,000 (EUR 75,000 financial). Applications go only through a licensed agent, whose professional fee is additional and unregulated, so a family of four realistically commits well over EUR 130,000 before property.
What fees do digital nomads pay for Malta's Nomad Residence Permit?
A non-refundable EUR 300 administrative fee per applicant — main applicant and each dependant — paid by bank transfer from the main applicant's own account after Residency Malta issues its receipt, plus EUR 100 per person for the residence card issued through Identità, payable by card at Residency Malta's offices. The EUR 300 falls due again at every annual renewal, up to the four-year maximum, and renewals also require bank statements showing at least 5 months' cumulative presence in Malta in the previous 12 months. Factor in a prepaid one-year health insurance policy with at least EUR 100,000 EU-and-UK cover; the income threshold is EUR 42,000 gross per year.
Is the Key Employee Initiative cheaper than a standard single permit?
No — KEI and SEI applications use the same fee schedule as the ordinary single permit (EUR 600 first application, EUR 150 yearly renewal). What you are paying for is speed and a lighter labour-market test: fast-track processing, a 2-week vacancy advert instead of 3, and initial permits renewable up to three years. The eligibility price is the salary: at least EUR 45,000 gross per year for KEI (managerial or highly technical roles with certified qualifications or experience) and EUR 30,000 for SEI (specialist roles). If the offered salary is below the threshold, the fast-track fails eligibility entirely — renegotiate the contract before applying rather than after a refusal.
How much is a visa to come to Malta in the first place?
A Schengen short-stay (type C) visa costs EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11 — the EU Visa Code fee that rose EU-wide in June 2024. For stays over 90 days, Malta's national long-stay (type D) visa fees vary by category — employment, study, family reunification and programme visas each have their own fee and document list published by Identità's Central Visa Unit, so check the CVU schedule for your specific type. Approved Nomad Residence Permit applicants from visa-required countries are contacted directly by the CVU and pay any visa fee on top of Residency Malta's EUR 300; some jurisdictions can use the CVU's extended or premium visa services.