How the 90/180 rule applies here
If you are visa-exempt, you can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The limit applies to the Schengen Area as a whole, not to Malta: days spent in Italy or Spain count towards the same 90-day limit.
- The 180 days are a moving window, not a calendar period. For any given date, count back 180 days, including that date, add up the days you spent in the area, and the total must never exceed 90.
- The day you arrive and the day you leave both count as full days, even if you are only there for a few hours.
- Malta is a full member of the Schengen Area, and Gozo and Comino count exactly like the main island. Flying in from another Schengen country, or taking the ferry from Sicily, changes nothing.
- Only the passage of time restores your allowance. The European Commission states it plainly: an uninterrupted absence of 90 days gives you a fresh 90 days.
Staying longer than 90 days
For stays beyond 90 days you need a Maltese residence permit, handled by Residency Malta Agency. The two routes people ask about most are aimed at very different people: remote workers, and those ready to invest to settle.
Nomad Residence Permit
For non-EU nationals who work remotely using telecommunications: employed by a foreign company, running a business for a foreign company as partner or shareholder, or freelancing for foreign clients. You need health insurance covering the EU (including Malta) and the UK, a rental or purchase agreement for your home in Malta, and a clean police record. People providing services to a Maltese subsidiary of their foreign employer are not eligible.
Money: a minimum gross income of €42,000 a year for applications made from 1 April 2024; applications submitted before then keep the earlier €32,400 threshold.
Malta Permanent Residence Programme
A residence-by-investment programme for non-EU nationals who want permanent residence. You must rent or buy a qualifying home and keep it for at least five years, and show stable and regular resources to support yourself and your dependants.
Money: capital assets of at least €500,000, of which €150,000 in financial assets (or €650,000, of which €75,000 in financial assets); a home rented for at least €14,000 a year or bought for at least €375,000; a €60,000 administrative fee, a €37,000 government contribution and a €2,000 donation to a local NGO.
The mistake worth avoiding
Taking on Maltese work while on the Nomad Residence Permit. The permit is for work done for foreign employers or clients, and providing services to your employer’s Maltese subsidiary makes you ineligible. If Maltese work is part of the plan, you need a different permit from the start.
Common questions
Do days on Gozo and in other Schengen countries count against my time in Malta?
Yes. Gozo and Comino are part of Malta and of the Schengen Area, and there is no separate Maltese allowance. A week in Valletta and a week in Sicily count towards the same 90-day limit.
Does a flight to the UK or Tunisia reset my days?
No. The UK and Tunisia are outside the Schengen Area, so time there stops you adding days, but it does not reset the count. The rule always looks back 180 days, so a short trip only helps once enough older days have dropped out of the window.
Does a Maltese residence permit change how the rule applies to me?
Once you hold one, your stay in Malta is governed by that permit rather than by the 90/180 rule. Stays in other Schengen countries are still limited, so check the terms before planning long trips elsewhere.
Check it at the source
Immigration rules change, and the financial thresholds change most often of all. These are the official pages this guide is based on.
Count your Schengen days
Open the Schengen 90/180 calculatorThis guide is a planning aid, not legal advice. The final decision on entry and length of stay rests with the border officer or the consulate. Confirm the rules with the official sources above before you travel.