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Malta Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit Malta Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    A
  • Passport Ranking
    27/198
  • Passport Score
    176.3/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    157
  • Visa-required Countries
    41
  • Access to the World's GDP
    75%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    59%
  • Access to the World's Population
    45%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    80%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    No
    No provisions
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    5 years
    The last year must be uninterrupted.
  • Physical presence requirement
    –
  • Language test
    Yes, Maltese or English
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
  • Can minor children naturalize?
    –
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
    –
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
    –
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    0 years / 5 years
    Must be married for 5 years. No in-country residency requirements.
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    5 years
    Can reside abroad during 5 years of marriage.
  • Language test
    No
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    No provisions
  • Citizens of specific countries
    No provisions
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Visas and Residencies
Visas and Residencies
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Residence-based
A tax resident of a country with a RESIDENCE-BASED tax system pays taxes on their WORLDWIDE income. However, if you lose tax residency status there (e.g., by moving out), the country will generally stop taxing you.

Non-citizens will be taxed on their worldwide income ONLY if they remit that income to Malta OR if they are "domiciled" in Malta. (Most foreigners never become domiciled in Malta even if they live there full-time.)
Malta is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), allowing its citizens to live and work in any other EEA country, plus Switzerland. (The EEA consists of 27 European Union countries plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.)
Schiff Sovereign's Take on Malta
Malta is a collection of three major islands (including one named “Malta”) located in the Mediterranean. Situated around 60 miles south of Sicily, Malta is warm, sun-soaked and beautiful.

The island nation’s native language is Maltese, which sounds like Arabic, but also draws from Italian, English and French. 

However, almost everyone in Malta also speaks English — it was a British colony for 150 years — and Italian, due to its proximity to Sicily.

Malta is a great retirement destination. It’s pretty, safe, and incredibly scenic.

But consider it only if you are not claustrophobic – the largest island is only about 10 miles wide. And it can feel somewhat cramped at times, as the population density is quite high.

One reason there are so many people living there is its favorable business climate. Malta boasts strong film animation and startup sectors; it’s a place where entrepreneurs thrive. It’s also a highly attractive destination for those who run online businesses — and especially edgier ones, such as online gaming, in particular.

It's a place where you might want to physically base the business (versus just basing it there on paper). The workforce is educated and multilingual, and Malta is relatively inexpensive, so you could set up offices and hire employees there with relative ease. (The social security, tax and minimum wage requirements are also relatively low compared to the rest of the EU.)

Additionally, the Maltese introduced a straightforward Citizenship By Investment program – the only CBI program in the EU (which commands a serious premium), and a very competitively priced Golden Visa.

If you are considering the Maltes CBI program – or any of the others, for that matter – you will definitely do yourself a favor by joining Total Access. The CBI discount you will receive as a member will either match or exceed the price of joining.

(See all applicable program prices and member discounts in our interactive CBI calculator.)

And if all you want is to spend a year in Malta, you can also consider its Digital Nomad Visa.

Another exciting part – Malta can be extremely tax-efficient.

On the corporate side, the taxes seem to be high at 35%. Yet, with proper structuring, it is possible to cut down your effective tax rate to just 5-7%. (And in some cases, to zero.)

And on the personal side, similar to the UK, Malta employs the concept of “tax domicile”. This means that most foreigners will never become liable to pay tax on their non-Maltese income there, even if they live in Malta for years. See more details here.
Schiff Sovereign's Rolodex
Service Providers available in Malta
  • Immigration (residency, citizenship)
  • Tax advice (attorneys and/or accountants)
  • Asset protection (specialized LLCs, trusts, etc)
  • Corporate services (company formation, etc.)
  • Citizenship by Ancestry
  • Citizenship by Investment
Obtain access to our Rolodex by signing up for Sovereign Confidential Join Sovereign Confidential Today

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Malta Overview
  • Region
    Europe
  • Capital City
    Valletta
  • Largest City
    Birkirkara
  • Currency
    Euro
  • Languages
    Maltese, English, Italian
  • Population
    519.6 thousand (172nd)
  • Life Expectancy
    83.2 years (12th)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $17.2 billion (132nd)
  • GDP/Capita
    $33,020 (39th)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Expensive (5/7)
  • Climate
    Very comfortable (1/5)
  • Safety
    Very Safe (2/7)
  • Pollution
    Polluted (4/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Native

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
Explore Now
Found a mistake /
Have a suggestion ?
Please let us know if you spot any inaccuracies on this page or have a suggestion on how to make it even more useful.
Report Here
PREMIUM REPORTS
Malta inside Schiff Sovereign resources
Resource TitleProductTypeDate
October 2024 SC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A31-Oct-2410/31/24
No Tax, All Gain: Crypto Havens of 2024Sovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert23-Apr-2404/23/24
European Golden Visas 2024: A Comprehensive RoundupSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper05-Mar-2403/05/24
October 2023 SC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A30-Oct-2310/30/23
TA Monthly Call Recording: Maltese Residency and Citizenship and Other Topics with Chetcuti Cauchi AdvocatesSovereign Total AccessTAMonthly Calls27-Apr-2304/27/23
Next TA Service Provider Call: Send Us Your Questions On Maltese Residency, Taxation, and MoreSovereign Total AccessTAMonthly Calls10-Apr-2304/10/23
Digital Nomad Visas Roundup: Part I (Europe and Asia)Sovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Mar-2303/06/23
The Most Critical Changes to Citizenship By Investment Programs in 2023Sovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert25-Jan-2301/25/23
A Common-Law Partnership Can Lead to Foreign Residency Similar to MarriageSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert06-Jun-2206/06/22
The Blue Card: European Residency for ProfessionalsSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter15-Feb-2202/15/22
Economic Citizenship Programs (2024 Edition)Sovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper20-Jan-2201/20/22
10 Residency Options for Digital Entrepreneurs, Freelancers & Remote EmployeesSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter15-Oct-2110/15/21
European Citizenships by Ancestry: Part I (Southern Europe)Sovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper05-Oct-2110/05/21
Best European Visas for People with Independent MeansSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter17-Jul-2107/17/21
Global Cyptocurrency Regulations and Taxation: A RoundupSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert10-Jun-2106/10/21
January 2021 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-Jan-2101/29/21
Reporting requirements when applying for residency/citizenship programsSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper25-Jan-2101/25/21
July 2020 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A31-Jul-2007/31/20
Golden Visas - a Roundup of Economic Residencies around the WorldSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Jul-1707/06/17
Sovereign Man Country Rankings: The Right Country for YOU, with Simon's insightsSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Apr-1704/06/17
Meet FATCA’s even nastier cousin: CRSSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert26-Feb-1602/26/16
Cartagena, Colombia: Another undervalued real estate market you should know aboutSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert03-Jun-1406/03/14
An overview of economic citizenship optionsSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert22-Jan-1401/22/14
Malta's new economic citizenship programSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert01-Nov-1311/01/13
Cyprus, Antigua & Malta: New economic citizenship programs are on the riseSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert21-Oct-1310/21/13

Articles featuring Malta

Malta Citizenship By Investment 2023
Second Citizenship

Malta: A look at the Rolls Royce of European CBI programs in 2023…

Given the hefty price tag, Malta’s Citizenship By Investment (CBI) offering is not something we’ve written about much historically. But with CBI programs – and EU ones, in particular – dropping like flies in recent years, we figured we’d cover this option… While it still exists. Let’s get into the details below. Malta: A look […]
Malta Citizenship By Investment 2023
Second Residency

Malta: Affordable Residency Program for Retirees

Malta is the smallest of all the EU countries, with a population of only around 500,000 people. But that doesn’t mean you should overlook it as a potential retirement or overseas living destination. Find out why below… An Affordable Maltese Residency Program For Retirees Malta is a go-to destination for retirees, gambling operators and blockchain […]
Second Citizenship

Malta CBI vs EU: Another excellent passport program under threat from Brussels

Considering Alternative Citizenship By Investment? Here’s why you shouldn’t wait… Brussels does NOT like Citizenship By Investment (CBI) programs one bit. First they went after the Cypriot CBI. Next came Vanuatu.And now, they’re taking Malta to court over their CBI program, too. Here’s why this should spur you to take action if you’re in the […]
Malta Global Residency Program 2022
Second Residency

Malta Global Residency Program For Non-Retirees 2022

During a recent episode of the Knowledge Series we unpacked Malta’s residency program for pensioners. Today, we look at how you can enjoy Mediterranean island living — along with attractive tax benefits — as a non-retiree. Let’s get into the details below… Malta: Far more than just a retirement destination Renowned for its stunning architecture, […]

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