Malta · Spouse visas
Malta Spouse of a citizen
Exempt person status for the spouse of a Maltese national (Article 4(1)(g), Cap. 217)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for Malta. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Renew through the Expatriates Online Portal (Form E.02), no earlier than 3 months and no later than 6 weeks before the permit expires.
CitizenshipAfter 5 years of marriage
A spouse can apply to be registered as a Maltese citizen after at least 5 years of marriage and living together with the Maltese citizen, and must still be married and living together at registration.
Where to applyInside the country
Apply through the Expatriates Online Portal (Form E.01); the originals are presented at a biometrics appointment in Malta.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant is the spouse of a Maltese citizen and is still married to and living with that person.
- The marriage is registered in Malta and both spouses sign the application in wet ink.
- The Minister can declare a spouse no longer exempt by order if exemption is not in the public interest.
Documents4
- Full copy of the applicant's valid passport including blank pages.
- Passport bio page and ID card of the Maltese spouse.
- Marriage certificate registered in Malta and, if applicable, a divorce certificate of a previous marriage.
- Birth certificate, apostilled if not issued in an EU country, and proof of address in Malta.
Steps3
- Submit Form E.01 and the documents through the Expatriates Online Portal using an e-ID account.
- Originals are presented at the biometrics appointment.
- Applications take 8 to 10 weeks to process.
After you arrive1
- To update the address, the Maltese spouse first updates their ID card, then the Non-EU Section is contacted.
When you become tax resident
How Malta decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- 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
What you need to arrange
- Accommodation
Birth certificate, apostilled if not issued in an EU country, and proof of address in Malta
- Police certificate and civil documents
Marriage certificate registered in Malta and, if applicable, a divorce certificate of a previous marriage
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Exempt person status for the non-EU spouse of a Maltese citizen under Article 4(1)(g) of the Immigration Act: the holder is outside the prohibited-immigrant provisions as long as the couple is married and living together. 1 2 3
Requirements
- The applicant is the spouse of a Maltese citizen and is still married to and living with that person. 3
- The marriage is registered in Malta and both spouses sign the application in wet ink. 1
- The Minister can declare a spouse no longer exempt by order if exemption is not in the public interest. 3
- Full copy of the applicant's valid passport including blank pages. 1
- Passport bio page and ID card of the Maltese spouse. 1
- Marriage certificate registered in Malta and, if applicable, a divorce certificate of a previous marriage. 1
- Birth certificate, apostilled if not issued in an EU country, and proof of address in Malta. 1
- Submit Form E.01 and the documents through the Expatriates Online Portal using an e-ID account. 2
- Originals are presented at the biometrics appointment. 1
- Applications take 8 to 10 weeks to process. 2
- To update the address, the Maltese spouse first updates their ID card, then the Non-EU Section is contacted. 2
Stay
- Exempt status lasts as long as the spouse remains married to and living with the Maltese citizen.
Nationality
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
No licence condition on employment applies to the spouse of a Maltese citizen; the Act's licence requirement covers only spouses of foreign forces members and government advisers.
Family
Children under 21 of the applicant, where married to a Maltese national, can apply for exempt status; parents of the spouse are not covered.
Official sources
- Form E.01 Exempt person status new application (spouse of a Maltese national) · Identita (Expatriates Unit, Malta) · checked 2026-10-11
- Expatriates FAQs: general queries (exempt status and partner of a Maltese national) · Identita (Expatriates Unit, Malta) · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Act (Cap. 217), Part II exempt persons · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
- Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188) · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a citizen | – | – | Limited |
| Spouse of a resident (policy) | Needs income from €19k a year ≈ $21k | – | – |
| Spouse of a resident | – | 1 yr, renewable | No |
| Partner of a citizen | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Spouse of a citizen Portugal | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen?
Exempt status lasts as long as the spouse remains married to and living with the Maltese citizen.
Can I work on the Spouse of a citizen?
Limited. No licence condition on employment applies to the spouse of a Maltese citizen; the Act's licence requirement covers only spouses of foreign forces members and government advisers.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a citizen?
Children under 21 of the applicant, where married to a Maltese national, can apply for exempt status; parents of the spouse are not covered.
Who can apply for the Spouse of a citizen?
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.
Is there a tax break for Spouse of a citizen 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
Spouse and partner 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.
- Form E.01 Exempt person status new application (spouse of a Maltese national) · Identita (Expatriates Unit, Malta) · checked 2026-10-11
- Expatriates FAQs: general queries (exempt status and partner of a Maltese national) · Identita (Expatriates Unit, Malta) · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Act (Cap. 217), Part II exempt persons · Government of Malta (legislation.mt) · 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.