Malta Digital Nomad Visa for Families (2026): Kids, Income and School

🇲🇹 Can Kids Come? The Short Answer

A while back, when we were looking for somewhere to live for a while, our wish list was short. Marty wanted to stay in Europe. I wanted better weather. And English was important to all of us. Malta came up.

We haven’t been yet. But it’s stayed on our radar, so we dug into what it would actually take to live there as a family.

The good news? Yes, your spouse and kids can come. Malta’s digital nomad visa, the Nomad Residence Permit, lets you include your family and stay up to four years. The catches? Everyone has to be in your first application, there’s no free schooling, and you need to actually live in Malta for at least five months a year to renew.

The Short Version (checked 03-10-2026)

• Can kids come? Yes. Your spouse and children can be included, but only in your first application (newborns are the exception).
• Income: €42,000 gross a year. Malta’s official pages don’t add anything for family members.
• Length: 1 year, renewable three times, up to 4 years.
• Fees: €300 per person to apply, plus €100 per person for the residence card.
• The catches: no free education, no free healthcare, and you must live in Malta for at least 5 months in each 12 to renew.

Checked against Residency Malta Agency and the Malta Tax and Customs Administration on 03-10-2026. Visa rules change, so check current details with Residency Malta before you apply.

📋 Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit at a Glance

Comparing countries? Our digital nomad visas by country tracker shows which visas let the whole family come, and our family visa guide explains where to start.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Who Counts as Family in Malta

Residency Malta lists these dependants:

• Your spouse.
• Minor children of you and/or your spouse.
• Adult children who aren’t married and mainly depend on you.
• Adult children who can’t live independently because of a medical condition or disability.

Blended family? If you don’t have sole custody of a child, and both parents aren’t on the same application, you need Residency Malta’s approval before you can include that child. These are looked at case by case. Minor children also need consent forms signed by both parents.

⚠️ The Rule That Trips Families Up: Add Everyone at the Start

Once you’ve paid your fees or been approved, you can’t add anyone else to your application. The next chance is when you renew, a year later.

The only exception is a newborn. If you have a baby while you’re on the permit, you can add them by emailing Residency Malta with Forms N2 and N4, the baby’s passport and birth certificate.

What that means for our family: if your partner or kids might join you later, include them from day one. Planning to come first and bring the family over in a few months doesn’t work with this permit.

💶 How Much Income a Family Needs

The main applicant needs a gross income of at least €42,000 a year, about €3,500 a month. You also need to show your income is guaranteed for at least 5 months from the day you apply.

Good to know: some private websites say Malta adds an extra amount for each family member. We couldn’t find that on any Residency Malta page. The official figure is €42,000 whatever your family size, but Residency Malta reviews every application on its merits, so a comfortable buffer helps.

The income can come from a job with a foreign employer, your own company registered abroad, or freelance contracts with clients based outside Malta.

🎒 School and Healthcare: Budget for Both

This is the big one for families. Residency Malta says permit holders are not entitled to free education. They’re also not entitled to free healthcare, social benefits or a Maltese pension.

What that means for our family: if your kids will go to school in Malta, budget for school fees. Or plan to worldschool, homeschool or use an online school while you’re there. Our international school directory, worldschooling legal guide and online homeschool programs can help you weigh it up.

📅 The 5-Month Rule for Renewals

Your first permit lasts one year from when your residence card is issued. You can renew it three times, for up to four years in total, at Residency Malta’s discretion.

To renew, you need a bank statement showing payments made in Malta that prove you’ve lived there for at least 5 months in total over the past 12 months. Apply 2 to 3 months before your permit expires.

What that means for a travelling family: Malta can be a base for slow travel around Europe, but not a base you rarely see. With the permit, you can also travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180.

If you don’t renew in time: you’d have to wait 12 months after your permit expires to apply again, and your earlier time on the permit counts towards the 4-year limit.

💳 Fees

Example: a family of four would pay 4 × (€300 + €100) = €1,600 (our calculation from the official fees).

🩺 Insurance

Every person on the permit needs health insurance that:

• Covers the European Union (including Malta) and the UK
• Has at least €100,000 of cover per person
• Is prepaid for a full year (monthly payment plans aren’t accepted)
• Meets Residency Malta’s table of minimum benefits

Travel insurance isn’t accepted. You’ll also sign a declaration that you’ll pay any medical costs your insurer doesn’t cover. Our health insurance guide for nomad families compares options.

📄 Documents You’ll Need

When You Apply

• Form N4 for each person in the application
• Consent forms signed by both parents for each child under 18 (you sign the forms on their behalf)
• A signed letter of intent explaining why you want to move to Malta
• Copies of every page of each passport, including blank pages
• Proof of your work and income
• An original police conduct certificate for everyone aged 18+, less than 6 months old and translated into English if needed (also for children, if your country issues them for under-18s)

After Approval in Principle

• Health insurance for each person, with the receipt and table of benefits
• Accommodation: a 12-month lease or purchase contract registered with the Housing Authority, plus a utility bill, photos of the building and a declaration of its size and bedrooms

Family tip: the property has to be “standard for a comparable family in Malta”, so make sure it suits your family size. Hostels, boats and caravans aren’t accepted.

📝 How to Apply

1. Apply online through the Residency Malta portal, with everyone in the family included.
2. Pay €300 per person once you receive the receipt of application.
3. Wait about 30 working days while Residency Malta runs background checks.
4. Get your Letter of Approval in Principle, then submit insurance and accommodation within 30 working days. You can start with temporary accommodation (15 days to a month, prepaid) and secure a 1-year lease once you arrive.
5. Travel to Malta (with an entry visa if your nationality needs one), then email Residency Malta to book your biometrics.
6. Collect your cards in person, usually 3 to 4 weeks later.

Already in Malta? You can apply while you’re there on a valid visa or visa-free stay, but applying doesn’t extend your permitted stay. Apply 2 to 3 months before your allowed stay ends.

Be thorough: Residency Malta won’t tell you why an application is refused, there’s no appeal, and you’d have to wait 12 months to try again.

💻 Work and Tax

• What you can do: work remotely for a foreign employer, your own foreign company, or freelance clients based outside Malta.
• What nobody in the family can do: provide services to, or work with, companies or people based in Malta. That rule covers your dependants too.
• Tax rate: income from your remote work is taxed in Malta at 10%.
• The first 12 months: no Maltese tax is charged on that income until 12 months after your permit is issued, unless you choose to declare your residence isn’t casual.
• Already taxed at home? If you can prove you’ve paid at least 10% foreign tax on that income, you don’t need to file a Maltese tax return for that year (unless you have other Maltese income).
• Tax residency: getting the permit doesn’t make you a Maltese tax resident by itself.

Tax gets complicated fast, so speak to a tax adviser before you go. Our remote work guide for families covers setting up location-independent work.

🔍 What We Couldn’t Confirm

We only use official government sources, so we’d rather tell you what’s missing than guess:

• De facto partners. The dependant list only says “spouse”, but the renewal checklist mentions de facto partners renewing jointly. Ask Residency Malta before you plan around it.
• Extra income per dependant. Not on any official page we found.
• School enrolment. We know education isn’t free for permit holders, but not exactly which schools children can enrol in or what they’d pay.

🧭 Is Malta’s Permit Right for Your Family?

It suits families who:

• Want an English-speaking base in Europe with warm weather
• Earn €42,000+ a year from outside Malta
• Plan to spend at least 5 months a year there
• Can budget for private school and full health insurance, or will worldschool

Think twice if:

• You want to add family members later
• You’re counting on free public schooling or healthcare
• You want a path to permanent residence
• Your partner needs to work locally

Weighing up the cost? Our 50-destination cost comparison shows how places stack up.

❓ Malta Digital Nomad Visa for Families: FAQs

Can my kids come on Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit?

Yes. Your spouse and children can be included as dependants, as long as they’re in your first application. Newborns are the only ones who can be added later outside a renewal.

How much income does a family need for Malta’s digital nomad visa?

€42,000 gross a year. Residency Malta’s official pages don’t add an extra amount for each family member.

How long can we stay in Malta?

One year at first, renewable three times, for up to four years in total.

Can my kids go to school for free in Malta?

No. Residency Malta says Nomad Residence Permit holders aren’t entitled to free education, so budget for school fees or plan to worldschool.

How much does Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit cost?

€300 per person to apply (non-refundable) plus €100 per person for the residence card. For a family of four, that’s about €1,600.

Do we have to live in Malta all year?

Not all year, but to renew you need to prove you’ve lived in Malta for at least 5 months in total over the previous 12.

Does Malta’s nomad permit lead to permanent residence?

No. Residency Malta says it doesn’t lead to any permanent or long-term residency or citizenship.

🌊 Our Takeaways

Malta ticks a lot of boxes for families: Europe, sunshine, English, and up to four years with the whole family on one permit.

But go in with your eyes open. Put everyone on your first application, budget for school fees and full health insurance, and plan to spend at least 5 months a year on the island.

It’s still on our list. If we make it there, we’ll come back and tell you how it really went. 🇲🇹

🔗 Official Sources

• Residency Malta Agency: Nomad Residence Permit FAQs (version 14.1, updated 17-04-2026)
• Residency Malta Agency: Eligibility
• Residency Malta Agency: Nomad Online Application Checklist (PDF)
• Residency Malta Agency: Health Coverage Table of Minimum Benefits (PDF)
• Malta Tax and Customs Administration: Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules guidelines (PDF)

Last checked 03-10-2026. Visa rules, income figures and fees change, so check current details with Residency Malta Agency before you apply.