Malta’s Permanent Residence Programme has been amended three times since it launched in 2021. The most significant round of changes — Legal Notice 310 of 2024, effective 1 January 2025, followed by Legal Notice 146 of 2025 — raised costs substantially and restructured the fee model.
If you are considering the MPRP, you need to understand what the programme looks like now — not what it looked like when you first read about it.
What Changed on 1 January 2025
Property thresholds were raised and standardised. The previous system had different minimums for Gozo/South Malta versus the rest of the island. That regional pricing is gone. The new minimums apply everywhere:
- Purchase: €375,000 (up from €300,000 in Gozo/South and €350,000 elsewhere)
- Rent: €14,000/year (up from €10,000 in Gozo/South and €12,000 elsewhere)
Administration fees increased:
- Main applicant: €60,000 (previously €40,000), paid in two stages — €15,000 on submission, €45,000 on approval in principle
- Per dependent: €10,000 (previously no charge), split €5,000 on approval + €5,000 within eight months
The government contribution was unified at €37,000 regardless of whether you purchase or rent — replacing the old split of €28,000 (purchase) / €58,000 (rent).
Asset requirements were introduced in dual-pathway form:
- Option A: Total assets of €500,000 with at least €150,000 in financial assets
- Option B: Total assets of €650,000 with at least €75,000 in financial assets
Dependent child age cap: From January 2025, dependent children must be under 29 at the time of application (previously open-ended if unmarried and financially dependent). Adult children with certified disabilities are exempt from this cap.
What Changed in Mid-2025 (Legal Notice 146)
Legal Notice 146 of 2025 brought further structural refinements:
- Temporary residence from application start. Applicants can now obtain a one-year temporary residence permit at the very beginning of the process — within approximately one month of submitting an application. This allows families to move to Malta immediately, enrol children in schools, and begin building their life before the permanent certificate is issued.
- If the application is ultimately refused, the temporary permit is revoked within 15 days of the refusal notice.
This is a significant practical improvement. Previously, families had to wait through the full 6–8 month process before they could legally establish themselves in Malta. Now you can arrive within weeks of starting.
What the MPRP Does and Does Not Give You
Does give you:
- Permanent residency in Malta — indefinitely renewable, no minimum stay required
- Right to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period (days in Malta do not count against this)
- Right to reside, settle, and stay in Malta
- Up to four generations of family included
Does not give you:
- Maltese citizenship (that is a separate, far more demanding pathway)
- An automatic right to work (employment requires a separate Employment Licence from Jobsplus)
- A specific tax rate — the MPRP is a residency programme, not a tax programme. Your tax position is determined separately, usually through the GRP or ordinary non-dom residence
The Total Cost — Worked Example
For a couple (two applicants) buying a property at €375,000:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Administration fee (main applicant) | €60,000 |
| Dependent fee (spouse) | €10,000 |
| Government contribution | €37,000 |
| Property purchase | €375,000+ |
| NGO donation | €2,000 |
| Stamp duty (5% of property) | €18,750 |
| Total approximate outlay | €502,750+ |
Plus professional fees for an accredited agent (mandatory — applications cannot be submitted directly). Budget an additional €10,000–€20,000 for professional and legal fees.
Is It Worth It?
For the right person, yes. The MPRP gives you permanent EU residence with no minimum stay requirement. You can maintain your MPRP status while spending most of your time elsewhere — as long as you keep a registered address in Malta and maintain the required property and asset thresholds for the first five years.
After five years, you can dispose of the qualifying property and assets, while maintaining a registered address (which can be a simple rental with no minimum cost threshold).
Who should seriously consider it: Non-EU nationals — Australians, Canadians, Americans — who want a permanent European base, Schengen access, and the optionality of Malta without committing to spending the majority of their year there.
[Book a consultation](/consultation) to get the MPRP application process started.
