October 21, 2023

Navigating a top Digital Nomad Visa option in Europe: the Malta Nomad Residence Permit

Malta, with its beautiful Mediterranean climate and rich history, has become a hotspot for digital nomads seeking a new English-speaking, Schengen country in Europe to temporarily call home, whether alone or with family. If you’re considering relocating to this picturesque, island nation, and want to brighten up that remote work schedule in the middle of the Mediterranean, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the application process on how to apply for Malta’s Digital Nomad visa; the Malta Nomad Residence Permit.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the eligibility and requirements, how to engage a trusted representative, the application compilation and submission process, and what to do once you’re approved!

If you need an entry visa to travel to Malta (EU) and access the Schengen area, we’ll also help to identify the most efficient way for you to apply for your Schengen visa. This way you can travel to Malta as soon as possible, attend your biometrics collection appointment, and within around 3 to 4 weeks your residence cards should be printed and ready for collection at the Residency Malta Agency offices.

The best way to apply for your entry-visa to Malta and other Schengen countries may vary depending on where you are located, whether a Maltese Embassy or Consulate is present there, any requirement to apply through third-party service providers such us VFS Global or BLS International, availability of the Premium Visa Service to your location by the Malta Central Visa Unit, amongst others.

What are the eligibility requirements for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

Launched in 2021, the Malta Nomad Residence Permit was designed for individuals who can work remotely and independently using telecommunications technologies.

To be eligible for this permit, you must satisfy the following criteria:

Age: 18 years or older.
Income: A guaranteed minimum gross yearly income of €32,400.
Employment Status: Employed, self-employed, or freelance.
Documents: Your Passport, CV, documentary proof of your employment or self-employment status, evidence of your income and remote work, and your latest 3 months bank statements. If your spouse or children are tagging along, you’ll just need their passports, and marriage or birth certificates.
Background History:
Visa History: If you have been rejected for a Schengen visa, you are ineligible to apply unless a Schengen visa approval has been subsequently issued.
Nationality: You can’t apply if you’re a citizen of the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Nationals from, or who have close ties with, the following countries are also ineligible to apply; Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
Accommodation: Post-approval, a valid shared accommodation or private residential lease agreement that covers the 12-month period of the residence permit to be issued, and registered with the Housing Authority Rent Registration Unit.
Health Insurance: Post-approval, a health policy (not a travel plan) with a minimum cover of EUR 30,000, including inpatient and outpatient treatment in Malta is required for the duration of the permit. If you’re a UK citizen, no private health insurance is required, instead treatment in Malta’s healthcare system is free for UK nationals.

Why engage a representative to apply for this permit?

You are not required to engage a representative. Whilst engaging a Malta Government licensed agent is a requirement to apply for the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP), this is not the case for prospective Malta Nomad Residence Permit applicants.

That being said, if you’re looking to mitigate risk and increase your overall chances of approval, then choosing the right representative with experience in the local immigration industry is something to consider. For additional reassurance, you can still opt for a Malta Government licensed agent, in which case you’ll be dealing with a Malta certified accountant or warranted advocate, and preferably one with some extent of experience in dealing with nomad applications. Professional fees are not capped or restricted by the authorities, but are at the discretion of each respective service provider; this means you can expect a range of professional fee quotations.

Do your research, raise concerns and specific questions during your free consultation, and assess whether the connection feels right, as you’ll be working closely with their team throughout the process.

Attard Baldacchino’s dedicated team of focused professionals can take the pressure off you by successfully supporting you in the process from beginning to end, keeping it as simple as possible for you. Our team doesn’t stop there, you can reach out to us at any time during the validity of your permit, and if not, we’ll check-in on you well ahead of your renewal deadline to help assess your future options.

A simple signed and witnessed declaration by the applicant to appoint Dr Russell Attard Baldacchino as your nomad representative is all that’s needed to make this happen. To us, it’s not just about delivering on our engagement, but building a relationship that lasts!

What is the application process for Malta’s Digital Nomad Permit?

The process is pretty straightforward, in fact we can walk you through it in 10 easy steps:

Step 1: Schedule your free eligibility assessment with Dr Russell Attard Baldacchino.
Step 2: If you’re eligible, send us your passport data page, CV, and proof of residential address so that we can run our preliminary due diligence checks;
Step 3: You’ll receive our Engagement Letter for signature via DocuSign (enough waste already) and our invoice will follow;
Step 4: We’ll set up a group chat on your preferred messaging app (we appreciate everyone’s unique security preferences)
Step 5: You’ll receive a tailor-made checklist of documents, specifically designed for your case. All you have to do is share the information and digital copies of the documents we request. There’s no need to fill in any forms, draft any letters or declarations, or try to figure out how to structure and submit your application; our team will do all of that for you!
Step 6: You’ll receive all the completed forms or documents that you’d need to print and sign in wet blue ink, and share just the scanned copies with us (you can hang on to those originals).
Step 7: Our Nomad team will submit your application to the Residency Malta Agency, and you’ll be kept in copy for all official correspondence.
Step 8: After an initial application completeness and admissibility check by the Residency Malta Agency, you’ll receive an official application submission receipt and application fee request (that’s just EUR 300 per applicant).
Step 9: Transfer the application submission fee directly to the Residency Malta Agency from your personal bank account. Once the receipt of funds is issued, your application processing will begin.
Step 10: Assuming no major feedback is raised by the Agency during application processing, you can expect to receive the application decision within around 4 to 6 weeks.

Post-Approval, Final Approval, and Card Printing

Once your approval in principle is in your email inbox, you’ll need to submit proof of cover from your Health Insurance provider (not needed for UK citizens), as well as proof of your initial temporary accommodation booking, which covers a minimum of two weeks from your estimated date of arrival in Malta.
Within a few days after submission of the insurance and accommodation proof, the final approval letter is issued, at which point you may proceed to request for your biometrics collection appointment to be scheduled, and after your 12-month residence card would be printed.

What if you need a Schengen visa to get to Malta?

If based on your nationality, a visa is required to enter Malta and the Schengen area, then unless you are already in possession of a valid Schengen visa, you would be required to apply for a Malta Schengen visa to enter Malta for your biometrics collection appointment. If you’re not sure about this, here is 30 minutes of our time to help figure it out.

The great thing about doing this under the Malta Nomad Residence Permit, is that upon final approval, your case is immediately routed to the Central Visa Unit (CVU) and you could avail of Malta’s Premium Visa service. For just EUR 300, the CVU will send you a dedicated link, whereby you would upload your final approval letter and supporting documentation. A courier will then collect your passport from your specified address, bring the passport to Malta, have the visa attached to your passport, and deliver it back to your specified address in just a matter of weeks. In other words, no need for physical document submissions, no physical meetings, and not even the need to leave home to complete the process.

The only potential downside is that the Premium Visa Service is not currently available for all jurisdictions, and the list tends to vary from time to time. Checking whether the service is available for your location can be done at any point in time, so one can easily achieve clarity on this possibility. If you aren’t fortunate enough to be located in a country where the Premium visa service is offered, then you would need to apply through the nearest Malta Embassy or Consulate, or possibly through third-party service providers like VFS Global or BLS International. In any case, if you have the option, then go for the Premium Visa service!

How much does the Malta Digital Nomad visa cost?

Professional Fee: This would be the fee charged by the service provide or licensed agent that you may opt to engage for their professional experience to guide you through the application fees. Professional fees typically range from around EUR 2,000 to EUR 5,000 for a sole applicant, and additional fees may apply if other family members are also included in the nomad residence permit application and Schengen visa process. We offer free 30-minute consultation sessions, whilst adopting a strictly confidential and a no-obligation quotation process.
RMA Application Fee: A EUR 300 fee per applicant is paid directly to the Residency Malta Agency after submission of the application. An official application submission receipt and payment request is issued by RMA after verifying that the respective application was admissible. The RMA Nomad team are very efficient, and normally get this done in just a day or two.
Premium Visa Fee: A fee of EUR 300 applies for those who opt for this Premium Visa Service, and the great thing is that the fee is standard, even if there’s more than one passport.
Card Printing Fee: At the biometrics collection appointment, a fee of EUR 27.50 per residence card to be printed must be paid by the applicant using their bank debit or credit card at the Residency Malta Agency’s offices.
Health Insurance Coverage: Unless you’re a UK citizen, you’ll need to have an adequate Health Insurance Policy in place, with a minimum of EUR 30,000 limit, covering both in-patient and outpatient cover, for Malta. Including cover for Schengen travel is advisable if you’ll be moving around. Basic policies start at just a few hundred Euro, depending on the age of the insured.
Accommodation: Don’t underestimate the strict accommodation requirements or costs. Applicants must submit proof of a legal residential lease agreement that has also been registered with the Housing Authority Rent Registration unit, and which must specifically cover the 12-month validity of the residence permit to be issued. Whilst having the liberty to choose between a private or shared residential lease agreement, one should keep in mind that since shared accommodation lease agreements can only cover a maximum period of 6 months, in the case of shared accommodation lease agreements, two or more back-to-back agreements may be needed. You could find shared accommodation lease options starting at around EUR 400 p/m, and private units starting at around EUR 800 p/m. You can schedule an e-meeting for more details on qualifying accommodation options in Malta for digital nomads.

This blogpost is being published strictly for informational and educational purposes, and should be correct and accurate at the time of publication. The content of this publication should not be considered as formal legal, immigration, or tax advice.