Remote-work residence for foreign employment/business; family inclusion is separate from local work rights and tax eligibility.
Route overview
Typical timeline / duration: One year; up to three discretionary renewals, maximum four years. Renewal requires continued eligibility and evidence of at least five months in Malta in the preceding year.
Important notes
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicant working for a foreign employer, own foreign company, or foreign clients under the published categories; nationality exclusions and background checks apply.
Gross annual income at least €42,000; applications submitted before 1 April 2024 retain €32,400. The €42,000 threshold is not a new 2026 increase.
Valid passport, compliant health insurance and residential accommodation; no services to Maltese clients or a foreign company's Maltese subsidiary.
Eligible dependants can accompany the main applicant, but neither may work for Malta-based businesses on nomad status. Local work requires renouncing nomad status and seeking the appropriate employment/self-employment permit; it is not a simultaneous add-on Single Permit.
A main applicant's other permits are automatically revoked when the Nomad Residence Permit is issued. This route does not lead to permanent/long-term residence or citizenship.
The MTCA guidance linked by Residency Malta applies the income-tax rules from 1 January 2024, not a new January 2026 rule. Its 10% rate covers qualifying main applicants' authorised-work income, not every holder or all income. Initial-period treatment, foreign-tax relief and other income need individual tax assessment.
Preparation checklist
Identify your foreign-employer, business-owner or freelance category and obtain supporting contracts.
Document gross earnings and check the threshold applicable to your application date.
Check family eligibility, insurance and accommodation against the current portal checklist.
Confirm entry-visa arrangements for your passport separately from permit approval.
Review existing permits and local-work plans before changing immigration status.
Obtain individual advice on Maltese and foreign tax obligations, and retain renewal evidence.