Malta · Work
Malta Blue Card
First stay: 2 yrs
EU Blue Card (Malta)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Blue Card is a work route for Malta. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €600 ≈ $670
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government fees€600 ≈ $670
- EUR 600 (≈ $670)First application; renewals EUR 150 (≈ $170) per year.
RenewalRenewable
The first Blue Card is valid two years; on renewal you can request three years.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Residence on a Blue Card counts toward long-term residence, which needs 5 years of legal continuous residence.
CitizenshipGeneral rule: 5 years of residence
Naturalisation needs residence in Malta throughout the 12 months before applying and at least 4 years in total in the 6 years before that, plus other conditions.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Malta
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant is a third-country national.
- A higher education qualification from a course of at least three years, or ten years of relevant professional experience.
- ICT managers and professionals (ISCO groups 133 and 25) can qualify with three years of relevant experience within the last seven years.
What you must show2
- Gross annual salary of at least 1.5 times the Malta average gross annual salary, as published by the National Statistics Office.
- Fee: EUR 600 (≈ $670) for the first application; renewals EUR 150 (≈ $170) per year.
Documents3
- An employment contract or binding job offer for highly qualified work of at least six months.
- Proof of one job advert run for at least two weeks within the two months before applying.
- Evidence of sickness insurance covering all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals.
Steps1
- Applications are made online; the employer applies through the Single Permit portal after Identità grants access.
After you arrive2
- The first Blue Card is valid for two years; on renewal the holder can choose three years.
- A holder who loses the job has three months to find a new one before the card is withdrawn.
When you become tax resident
How Malta decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Residence for the ordinary rates and the remittance basis follows residence and domicile in Malta under the Income Tax Act.
- Foreign-source income
Remittance basis (non-dom)
For a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Malta, income arising outside Malta is taxed only on the amount received in Malta and capital gains arising outside Malta are not taxed; Maltese-source income is taxed normally.
- Special regime
Not ordinarily resident or not domiciled · Tax relief
All tax rules for Malta Tax records checked
Full official text
Blue Card for highly qualified workers with a contract of at least six months and salary at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 600 (≈ $670) · First application; renewals EUR 150 (≈ $170) per year. 1
- Income · Gross annual salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary in Malta (Labour Force Survey, National Statistics Office); the law allows 1.2 times for ISCO major groups 1 and 2 where the Minister has determined a particular need. 1 2
Requirements
- The applicant is a third-country national. 1
- A higher education qualification from a course of at least three years, or ten years of relevant professional experience. 1
- ICT managers and professionals (ISCO groups 133 and 25) can qualify with three years of relevant experience within the last seven years. 2
- Gross annual salary of at least 1.5 times the Malta average gross annual salary, as published by the National Statistics Office. 1 2
- Fee: EUR 600 (≈ $670) for the first application; renewals EUR 150 (≈ $170) per year. 1
- An employment contract or binding job offer for highly qualified work of at least six months. 1 2
- Proof of one job advert run for at least two weeks within the two months before applying. 1
- Evidence of sickness insurance covering all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals. 2 1
- Applications are made online; the employer applies through the Single Permit portal after Identità grants access. 1
- The first Blue Card is valid for two years; on renewal the holder can choose three years. 1
- A holder who loses the job has three months to find a new one before the card is withdrawn. 1
Stay
- First Blue Card valid two years; renewal may be for three years.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
- First Blue Card up to 24 months
Nationality
Third-country nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Highly qualified work for the contract employer.
Official sources
- EU Blue Card · Identita (Expatriates Unit) · checked 2026-10-10
- Highly Qualified Employment Regulations (S.L. 217.27, EU Blue Card) · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
- Long-term residence (non-employment permits) · Identità, Government of Malta · checked 2026-10-11
- Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188) · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
Blue Card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Card | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Key Employee | Needs income of €45k+ a year ≈ $50k | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Single Permit (work) | – | – | No |
| Specialist Employee | Needs income of €30k+ a year ≈ $34k | – | – |
| Blue Card Portugal | Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930 | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Blue Card?
A fee of EUR 600 (≈ $670). First application; renewals EUR 150 (≈ $170) per year.
How long can I stay on the Blue Card?
First Blue Card valid two years; renewal may be for three years.
Can I work on the Blue Card?
Highly qualified work for the contract employer.
Who can apply for the Blue Card?
Third-country nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Blue Card lead to permanent residence in Malta?
Time on the Blue Card counts toward permanent residence in Malta, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. The general rule for citizenship is 5 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Blue Card holders in Malta?
Malta: not ordinarily resident or not domiciled - foreign-source income taxed only when received in Malta: For a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Malta, income arising outside Malta is taxed only on the amount received in Malta and capital gains arising outside Malta are not taxed; Maltese-source income is taxed normally. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Malta: not ordinarily resident or not domiciled - foreign-source income taxed only when received in Malta
Tax relief
Details
- On: Income arising outside Malta and received in Malta (remittance basis)
- Who: Not ordinarily resident in Malta, or not domiciled in Malta
For a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Malta, income arising outside Malta is taxed only on the amount received in Malta and capital gains arising outside Malta are not taxed; Maltese-source income is taxed normally.
Taxed on
Income arising outside Malta and received in Malta (remittance basis), plus all Maltese-source income and Maltese capital gains;.
Who it applies to
- Not ordinarily resident in Malta, or not domiciled in Malta (Income Tax Act proviso (i) and (ii)).
- Persons charged at 15 cents in the euro under article 56(11) are taxed only on Maltese-source income and capital gains and on foreign-source income received in Malta.
Exclusions
- Maltese-source income and Maltese capital gains are fully taxable.
- Foreign-source income that is received in Malta (including foreign-source income remitted) is taxed.
Tax residence
Status depends on ordinary residence and domicile as defined for Maltese tax law; visa status is not the test.
Visas
Independent of the immigration permit.
Other taxes
Social security contributions and VAT are separate; Nomad Residence Permit income rules are in a separate record.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Malta
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- EU Blue Card · Identita (Expatriates Unit) · checked 2026-10-10
- Highly Qualified Employment Regulations (S.L. 217.27, EU Blue Card) · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
- Long-term residence (non-employment permits) · Identità, Government of Malta · checked 2026-10-11
- Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188) · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.