Malta · Spouse visas
Malta Spouse of a resident (policy)
Income needed: from €19k a year ≈ $21k
Family Members Policy permit (ex gratia) for the spouse of a third-country resident
Checked against official sources on Record corrected 11 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a resident (policy) is a spouse visas route for Malta. Applicants need income from €19k a year ≈ $21k. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- from €19k a year ≈ $21k
Cost, time and long term
Shown, not spent€19k+/yr ≈ $21k · +2 more
- EUR 18,940 a year (≈ $21,200)Sponsor disposable income above the median wage, after tax and social security, plus 20% of the median for each family member in the application. The policy gives the median as an estimate of EUR18,940, (≈ $21,200) based on the NSO release of 12 June 2024, and says the figure may be reviewed.
- EUR 50,000 a year (≈ $55,900)Key Employee or Specialist Employee Initiative sponsors applying before the 12-month residence period: gross income of at least EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) covering the sponsor and one dependant, plus EUR 6,000 (≈ $6,700) for each additional dependant.
- EUR 3,788 a year (≈ $4,230)Additional 20% of the median wage for the spouse.
RenewalRenewable
The permit is renewed only if the conditions continue to be met.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
- Only from age 21
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- Sponsor holds a Maltese residence permit with at least one year validity and has held it for 12 calendar months.
- Sponsors on the Key Employee or Specialist Employee Initiative can apply before 12 months with an approval in principle and at least EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) gross a year.
- The spouse is at least 21 years old and in a monogamous marriage.
- The spouse is outside Malta when the application is made; applications for family members already in Malta are inadmissible.
- Health insurance of at least EUR100,000 (≈ $112,000) per family member for the whole permit period.
What you must show1
- Sponsor income exceeds the median wage plus 20% for each family member, declared with the Commissioner for Revenue.
Documents1
- Written request, passport copies, civil status certificates and the last six payslips.
Steps2
- The sponsor applies online on the Expatriates portal with Form G.05; the decision comes within 60 days.
- Visa-required spouses then apply for a visa at the Maltese representation abroad.
After you arrive1
- Renewal requires the conditions to be met again, and applications use Form G.06.
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
Full official text
For the spouse of a non-EU national who holds a Maltese residence permit but does not qualify under the Family Reunification Regulations. It is granted ex gratia after the sponsor has lived in Malta for one year. 1
What you must show
- Income of over EUR 18,940 a year (≈ $21,200) · Sponsor disposable income above the median wage, after tax and social security, plus 20% of the median for each family member in the application. The policy gives the median as an estimate of EUR18,940, (≈ $21,200) based on the NSO release of 12 June 2024, and says the figure may be reviewed. 1
- Income of at least EUR 3,788 a year (≈ $4,230) · Additional 20% of the median wage for the spouse. 1
- Income of at least EUR 50,000 a year (≈ $55,900) · Key Employee or Specialist Employee Initiative sponsors applying before the 12-month residence period: gross income of at least EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) covering the sponsor and one dependant, plus EUR 6,000 (≈ $6,700) for each additional dependant. 1
Requirements
- Sponsor holds a Maltese residence permit with at least one year validity and has held it for 12 calendar months. 1
- Sponsors on the Key Employee or Specialist Employee Initiative can apply before 12 months with an approval in principle and at least EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) gross a year. 1
- The spouse is at least 21 years old and in a monogamous marriage. 1
- The spouse is outside Malta when the application is made; applications for family members already in Malta are inadmissible. 1
- Health insurance of at least EUR100,000 (≈ $112,000) per family member for the whole permit period. 1
- Sponsor income exceeds the median wage plus 20% for each family member, declared with the Commissioner for Revenue. 1
- Written request, passport copies, civil status certificates and the last six payslips. 1
- The sponsor applies online on the Expatriates portal with Form G.05; the decision comes within 60 days. 1
- Visa-required spouses then apply for a visa at the Maltese representation abroad. 1
- Renewal requires the conditions to be met again, and applications use Form G.06. 1
Stay
- Residence permit renewed only if the conditions continue to be met.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
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
Family members under this policy have no automatic right to work; employment requires changing the purpose of stay to a single permit.
Family
Unmarried minor children and, case by case, dependent adult children.
Official sources
- Family Members Policy, version 5.3 (4 April 2025) · Identita (Expatriates Unit, Malta) · checked 2026-10-11
Spouse of a resident (policy) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a resident (policy) | Needs income from €19k a year ≈ $21k | – | – |
| Spouse of a citizen | – | – | Limited |
| 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 much money do I need for the Spouse of a resident (policy)?
Income of over EUR 18,940 a year (≈ $21,200). Sponsor disposable income above the median wage, after tax and social security, plus 20% of the median for each family member in the application. Income of at least EUR 3,788 a year (≈ $4,230). Additional 20% of the median wage for the spouse. Income of at least EUR 50,000 a year (≈ $55,900). Key Employee or Specialist Employee Initiative sponsors applying before the 12-month residence period: gross income of at least EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) covering the sponsor and one dependant, plus EUR 6,000 (≈ $6,700) for each additional dependant.
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a resident (policy)?
Residence permit renewed only if the conditions continue to be met.
Can I work on the Spouse of a resident (policy)?
Family members under this policy have no automatic right to work; employment requires changing the purpose of stay to a single permit.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a resident (policy)?
Unmarried minor children and, case by case, dependent adult children.
Who can apply for the Spouse of a resident (policy)?
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 resident (policy) 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 2026-10-12 against 1 official source. 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.
- Family Members Policy, version 5.3 (4 April 2025) · Identita (Expatriates Unit, Malta) · 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.