Malta in 2026: Citizenship, Permanent Residence, Nomad Visa and Tax Residency. The Complete Guide

People still write to me asking for “the Maltese passport for €600,000”. That door closed in July 2025. What remains is a set of residence and tax statuses that are often mixed up. In this guide I separate them, using the BRIDGES Malta pages, the Residency Malta Agency and the EU Court judgment. Everything was checked on 31 October 2026.

Four statuses, four different goals

Status	What it gives	Entry point
Citizenship by investment	closed since 24 July 2025	new applications not accepted
MPRP permanent residence	permanent status from the start	property from €375,000 or rent from €14,000 a year
Nomad Residence Permit	residence for remote work, up to 4 years	income from €42,000 a year
GRP tax status	15% on foreign income remitted to Malta	minimum tax €15,000 a year

Citizenship by investment is over

On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU held in Case C-181/23 that granting nationality in exchange for predetermined payments breaches EU law. Malta removed the scheme with Act XXI of 2025 on 24 July 2025. Files submitted before that date are handled under a transitional rule. What is left and what is not is in the citizenship guide.

Permanent residence: the MPRP

This is the programme I discuss most with families now. The status is permanent straight away, with no renewals of the status itself. You either buy a home from €375,000 or rent one from €14,000 a year, and on top pay a government contribution, an administrative fee and a donation. Parents and grandparents can join. Costs and the family rules are in the MPRP guide.

Remote work: the Nomad Residence Permit

For people whose employer or clients are abroad. The income threshold is €42,000 a year gross for applications from 1 April 2024. The card is issued for a year and can be extended three times. Details in the nomad permit guide.

Tax: the Global Residence Programme

The GRP is a tax regime for non-EU nationals: foreign income remitted to Malta is taxed at 15%, with a minimum of €15,000 a year. It pays off only on a substantial income. See the GRP guide.

The passport itself

For those who already have it or reach it by naturalisation, the Maltese passport ranks 7th of 199 in the BRIDGES Passport Index of 4 October 2026, with 184 destinations without a prior visa. More in the passport guide.

My honest view

Malta is no longer a shortcut to an EU passport. It is a strong option for a permanent European status for a large family, and a tax tool for someone with a high foreign income. I always start by asking what the family actually needs: a status, a place to live, or a tax regime. The answer decides which of the four doors to knock on.