Malta Digital Nomad Visa Cost 2026 — Fees, Insurance, and Timeline

TL;DR

• Residency Malta says the non-refundable administrative fee is EUR 300 per applicant, and payment should be made by bank transfer from the main applicant’s bank account. Current Malta Nomad FAQ
• Official Malta publications are not fully aligned on the residence-card charge. The official FAQ PDF v12 lists EUR 27.50 per person, while the live FAQ should be rechecked before payment. FAQ PDF v12 Current Malta Nomad FAQ
• The health-insurance cost is separate from the government filing fee. After approval in principle, Malta asks for a fully comprehensive policy covering Malta and other European countries for one full year. Malta checklist Current Malta Nomad FAQ
• The current Malta FAQ says processing is expected to take 30 working days from the receipt of funds after payment. That does not include any entry-visa time if your nationality needs one. Current Malta Nomad FAQ

Who qualifies

This guide is for third-country nationals planning a Malta Nomad Residence Permit budget before they pay. Residency Malta frames the route for remote employees, self-employed people, and shareholders whose business activity is carried out outside Malta. Current Malta Nomad FAQ

If you are still testing route fit, check the immigration side first. Malta’s permit still depends on non-EU nationality, remote work outside Malta, and the published income threshold, so a cost budget only makes sense after the basic route works. Malta overview Malta eligibility check

Documents

Malta’s official checklist and FAQ split costs across stages. The initial file still needs the normal permit documents such as passport copy, work-status proof, recent bank statements, CV, and a letter of intent. Malta checklist Current Malta Nomad FAQ

• Budget the government fee separately from your evidence costs. The permit fee is not the same thing as translations, police certificates, courier costs, or any entry-visa costs tied to your nationality.
• After approval in principle, Malta asks for proof of accommodation and a fully comprehensive health-insurance policy covering Malta and other European countries for one full year. Malta checklist
• If you want a working file checklist before you spend money, start with the Malta document checklist and then compare the live Nomad FAQ before you transfer the fee.

Cost & timeline

The official number that is stable across Malta’s publications is the EUR 300 administrative fee per applicant. If dependants are included, the same fee applies to each additional applicant. Current Malta Nomad FAQ FAQ PDF v12

The residence-card charge needs extra care. The official FAQ PDF v12 lists a EUR 27.50 card fee per person, but Residency Malta’s live FAQ should be rechecked before payment because official Malta fee publications have not stayed perfectly aligned. FAQ PDF v12 Current Malta Nomad FAQ

For timing, the current FAQ says processing is expected to take 30 working days from receipt of funds. If entry clearance is needed, Malta says any visa-issuance timeline sits outside that processing clock. Current Malta Nomad FAQ

Once you arrive and complete biometrics with Identita, the current FAQ says the residence card is usually issued in 3 to 4 weeks. Current Malta Nomad FAQ

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Count the government fee per person

   Start with EUR 300 for the main applicant and add EUR 300 for each dependant because Malta treats the administrative fee as a per-applicant cost.

2. Step 2: Separate filing fees from evidence costs

   Keep police certificates, translations, bank-document prep, courier charges, and any entry-visa costs outside the Malta government fee total so your budget does not understate the real filing cost.

3. Step 3: Price the post-approval stage

   After approval in principle, budget for one year of qualifying private health insurance plus accommodation evidence that will support card issuance in Malta.

4. Step 4: Recheck the live card-fee figure before paying

   Use the official FAQ PDF v12 as a historical fee anchor for the EUR 27.50 card charge, but verify the live Nomad FAQ before you treat that figure as current.

5. Step 5: Keep proof of payment and plan the next clock

   Pay from the main applicant’s bank account, keep the transfer evidence, and then plan around Malta’s current 30-working-day processing estimate plus any separate visa time. Book a Malta planning call