The email from Identità arrives in your inbox two working days after your application, and it contains three things: a date, a time and a list of papers. That is how the residence card in Malta starts for most Europeans, and it is one of the smoothest residence procedures in the EU, provided you arrive with originals.
Do you need a residence card in Malta as an EU citizen?
For the first three months, your ID card or passport is all you need. Beyond three months, the rules of the Free Movement of European Union Nationals and their Family Members Order require you to register your residence. The agency in charge is Identità, the national identity agency formerly called Identity Malta, and the department that handles foreigners is the Expatriates Unit.
You get an eResidence card. Its number identifies you with other administrations, and it is the key that lets you ask for an e-ID account. It is not a work permit: EU and EEA citizens do not need one. You can start your job before the card arrives. Our Malta checklist shows where this step sits among the others.
How do you apply for the eResidence card?
- Apply online on Identità's Expatriates Portal as soon as you know you will stay more than three months.
- Wait for the reply. Identità answers within 48 working hours with an appointment, the form to fill in, and the list of documents that matches your situation (employed, self-employed, self-sufficient, student, family member).
- Go to the appointment on time, with your identity document, the completed form and every document asked for, in original and in copy. Identità keeps the copy.
- Give your biometric data (fingerprints and photo) at the appointment.
- Receive your card. Identità does not publish a delivery time for the card. If you need to chase, write to the Expatriates Unit at eu.identita@gov.mt or call +356 2590 4800.
Which documents does Identità ask for?
The exact list is sent to you after your application, because it depends on why you are staying. In every case you bring a valid ID card or passport and the form you were sent. Then come the supporting documents:
- Employees and self-employed people: proof of your activity. The self-employed route uses the Jobsplus history, the VAT certificate, the tax certificate and the social security number.
- People with their own means (for example retirees): proof of sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance, or an S1. Only people with a pension from the Maltese State are exempt from the insurance requirement.
- Students and family members: the documents listed in your email.
Foreign documents must follow Identità's policy on recognition of foreign public documents, and anything not in English or Maltese needs an official translation. It is much easier to have them translated at home before you travel. Our healthcare guide explains why the health insurance question matters for people who do not work.
How much does the eResidence card cost, and how long does it last?
Applying for and receiving the eResidence document is free for EU and EEA nationals. Replacing a damaged card costs €16.50, and replacing a lost one costs €22, with an official report from the Malta Police.
On validity, be careful. Identità's pages for EU nationals describe the document as issued according to the scope of your residence, but do not give a number of years. Our fact sheet says it is generally valid five years and, for a dependent, as long as the card of the person they depend on. Read the date on your card the day you collect it and put the renewal in your diary. You renew online on the same portal before expiry, and Identità gives you a new biometric appointment.
What is the card used for day to day?
The residence card in Malta is not something you keep in a drawer. You show it to open a bank account, to sign a lease, to register a car and to exchange your driving licence after 185 days of residence. Landlords copy it, employers check it, and public hospitals accept it as proof of your entitlement to care if you pay Maltese contributions. It also carries certificates that work with a card reader for sensitive online services, although for most people the e-ID login is enough.
Treat it like a passport: if it is lost or stolen, report it to the police, because Identità will ask for the official report before it issues a replacement for €22. Keep a photo of both sides in a safe place. If you move house, tell Identità, because the address on file is the one used for letters about your renewal.
What happens after you have the card?
The card opens the next doors. Ask for your e-ID account by ticking the box on the application form; an activation link follows by email, usually within six working days. Then move to the numbers: if you work, your social security number comes through your employer. If you do not, you apply for it yourself online or at a Servizz.gov counter.
Report any change of address to Identità, and report loss, theft or damage of the card.
What are the common mistakes with the residence card?
- Believing you need a work permit. You do not.
- Arriving without originals. The agency wants original and copy.
- Foreign documents in the wrong language or form. Have them translated by a listed translator.
- Forgetting the address change. It must be declared to Identità.
- Treating the right of residence as absolute. Identità reminds applicants that it can be limited on grounds of public policy, public security or public health, or if you become an unreasonable burden on Maltese social assistance.
How long should you plan before you can rely on the card?
Count in weeks, not days. The reply from Identità within two working days only gives you the appointment. After the biometric session, Identità does not publish how long the card takes. For that reason, keep your national ID card or passport as your working document, and do not schedule anything that needs the card, such as a car registration or a licence exchange, for the week after your appointment. If your employer or landlord needs proof, the appointment confirmation and the receipt you are given at Identità usually serve in the meantime; ask the counter what they will accept.
What if you are Swiss or British?
Swiss nationals use the same portal and the same forms, with a "Swiss National" box. Identità says that Swiss people who stay more than three months apply for a residence permit straight away. The fee page names only EU and EEA nationals as exempt, so ask Identità whether anything is due. British nationals who lived in Malta by 31 December 2020 kept their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. Those who arrive now go through the permits for non-EU nationals, which we describe in moving to Malta from the UK.