01
Bank statements in the wrong format
Malta wants the export your bank produces. Screenshots and hand-assembled PDFs get sent back even when the figures are right.
How we handle itWe tell you which export to pull, and check it before it goes in.
Malta Nomad Residence Permit · Checked 9 September 2026
Malta Digital Nomad Visa from Pakistan
Freelancers, remote employees and business owners who earn income from clients or companies outside Malta may qualify for the Nomad Residence Permit.
Next Visa Step helps you review your income, prepare the supporting documents and understand the application process.
Income, main applicant
€42,000 / year gross
- Works out at
- About €3,500 a month
- How it is set
- gross fixed
- Permit length
- 1 year, renewable to 4
- Application fee
- €300 per person
Set by the Residency Malta Agency, raised from €32,400 on 1 April 2024. See every change since 2023
The short answer
Income requirements for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit
For people who keep earning from outside Malta after they move.
A minimum gross yearly income of €42,000, earned outside Malta. That is about
€3,500 a month, the same requirement expressed differently. Malta's digital
nomad visa is formally the Nomad Residence Permit, so the two names describe one route.
Residency Malta sets the figure.
The amount is one thing, the proof is another. Your last three months of statements show what you earned. Separately, you evidence a guaranteed income source for five cumulative months from the day you apply. That is about future income, not time in Malta, which is a renewal condition.
This route may suit you
- Freelancers with foreign clientsContracts with clients outside Malta, and statements that match.
- Remote employeesA contract abroad that permits remote work.
- Business ownersMalta names this separately, and wants ownership evidenced.
- You intend to live thereRenewal asks for five months a year in Malta.
What to check before applying
- A Maltese client or employerNot permitted, and it underpins the tax treatment.
- An older police certificateOriginal, under six months old at submission.
- No plan for accommodationPrepaid at approval, a year's agreement for the card.
- Income that stops after you applyThe guaranteed source runs five months from the application date.
How much does the Malta Nomad Residence Permit cost?
What the government charges
€300 per person to apply, non-refundable, plus €100 per person for the residence card. Entry visa, accommodation and insurance are your own costs. Our fee is separate. Both figures come from Residency Malta.
Documents
What documents support the application?
Malta names three ways of earning and asks each for different proof. Working out which set is yours is the part we handle.
Identity and admissibility
Who you are
- Form N4, one per person
- Passport, every page, one PDF
- Police certificate, original, under six months
- Letter of intent and CV
- Civil documents for family
- Representative declaration
Professional activity
What work you do
- Employment contract, or service contracts
- Or incorporation and share register
- Remote work permitted in writing
- Employer or clients outside Malta
Financial evidence
How the money reaches you
- Three months of statements, official format
- Income reconciling to its contracts
- Guaranteed income source going forward
- An account in your own name
Freelancer
Clients established abroad
Every payment traced back to the contract behind it.
Remote employee
One foreign employer
Contract in force, remote work permitted, credits that match.
Company owner
Your own business, outside Malta
Ownership evidenced, then how the money reaches you.
Translation is not authentication. The checklist asks for an English translation of anything not in English. It sets out no apostille requirement, and that silence is not an exemption, so we check what your documents need.
What happens after the permit is approved?
Accommodation and insurance come after the decision. At approval in principle: prepaid temporary accommodation of up to a month, with the booking and the receipt. Fifteen nights minimum if you need an entry visa. For the card itself: a one year residential agreement and a full year of health insurance. Travel insurance is not accepted.
Filing from Pakistan: the application goes through Residency Malta's own portal, not a visa centre. Download the current checklist before you submit. Official Malta checklist.
From experience
Why do strong applications still get questioned?
Usually a document that is right in substance and wrong in form.
02
Income that is only shown looking backwards
Statements prove what you earned. Malta also asks for a guaranteed source running five months from the day you apply, and a backward-looking file does not answer that.
How we handle itWe find what evidences income going forward and present it alongside the statements.
03
Company revenue presented as personal income
Malta asks separately for ownership and for income. Company sales are not the owner's earnings, and one person signs for both.
How we handle itOwnership on its own, then the route the money takes to you, with the statements kept apart.
04
Nothing ready when the approval arrives
Approval starts a clock, and the booking must be prepaid with a matching receipt. Arranging that from Pakistan at short notice is where good files stall.
How we handle itBoth are lined up while the file is still being assessed.
Working with us
How Next Visa Step prepares your application
Three stages. The first decides whether the other two happen.
Stage 1
Profile and income review
We review how you earn, your recent bank statements and the documents supporting your ongoing work. You receive a clear explanation of any gaps to address before applying.
Stage 2
Document preparation
We help organise the forms, letter of intent, work evidence and supporting records for your application. Your checklist reflects how you earn and whether family members are included.
Stage 3
Submission guidance
We guide you through the portal, payment instructions and documents needed after approval in principle. We also explain the entry visa and residence card stages relevant to your case.
Questions
Malta Nomad Residence Permit FAQs
What is the income requirement for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit in 2026?
A minimum gross yearly income of €42,000, or about €3,500 a month. What proves it is separate: three months of bank statements, plus evidence of a guaranteed income source running five cumulative months from the day you apply.
Can a Pakistani passport holder apply, and can my income come from Malta?
Yes to the first: the permit is open to third country nationals. No to the second. A holder cannot work for, or carry out economic activity with, any entity based or registered in Malta.
How much does the permit cost?
€300 per person to apply, non-refundable, plus €100 per person for the residence card. Entry visa, accommodation and insurance are your own costs. Our fee is separate.
Can my spouse and children come with me?
Yes, if they are in the application before you pay. After that they cannot be added, and the next chance is renewal. A baby born in the meantime is the one exception.
Do my Pakistani documents need translation, or an apostille?
Translation is what the checklist asks for. Authentication is a separate question, and the checklist being silent on apostille is not an exemption. We check what your documents need before you spend anything.
What accommodation and insurance does Malta require?
At approval, prepaid temporary accommodation of up to a month, and at least fifteen nights if you need an entry visa, which a Pakistani passport does. For the card, a one year residential agreement and a full year of insurance. Travel insurance is not accepted.
How long does the permit last, and does it lead to permanent residence?
One year, renewable three times to a maximum of four, at the Agency's discretion and only while you still meet the criteria. It does not lead to permanent residence or citizenship.
How long does an application take, and where do I apply?
Online, through Residency Malta's portal, with no visa centre step. The Agency expects 30 working days from the receipt of funds. An entry visa and the residence card sit outside that.
What tax will I pay in Malta?
The Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules provide for 10 percent on authorised work, and for it not to be chargeable for the first 12 months. Neither is automatic. Speak to a Maltese practitioner.
The tax answer above follows the Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules. Read them before you plan around the rate: the Malta Tax and Customs Administration guidelines. We do not give tax advice.
Find out if your Malta file is ready
Tell us how you work, your income and when you plan to move. We will help you identify the documents you need and what to address before applying.