Citizeo Expand your global options
Pathway

Malta Family Residence

Malta Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Certain relatives can apply to join a foreign resident in Malta once the resident meets the family residence requirements. Malta also has a separate family policy with different rules. Check which process applies to your family, because the rights and requirements differ.

Family covered
Spouse aged at least 21 and unmarried minor children, including eligible stepchildren
Sponsor history
Two years of continuous lawful residence and a qualifying permit valid for at least one year
Evidence
Family records and proof of your relative's citizenship or permit

Summary

Malta’s standard family-reunification scheme lets an eligible spouse or minor child join a resident who meets the permit and prior-residence requirements. A separate policy may cover some families outside that scheme, but it has different work rights and should not be treated as the same permission.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The legal family-reunification route covers a spouse aged at least 21 and unmarried minor children, including a spouse’s children where custody and dependence requirements are met.

The sponsor must hold a Maltese permit valid for at least one year with a reasonable prospect of permanent residence, and have at least two years of legal, continuous residence in Malta. Income must meet the legal average-wage requirement plus the required increase for each family member, with suitable housing and health coverage.

The family must document the relationship and meet the applicable support, housing, and health-coverage requirements. Marriage and birth records from abroad may need authentication and translation before they can be accepted in Malta.

Under the legal family-reunification procedure, the joining relatives must be outside Malta when applying. A relative already in Malta may need a different family policy or residence basis.

More about this route

For this legal route, the sponsor’s residence history and the joining relatives’ location both affect timing. Family members must apply from outside Malta. A household choosing a school or signing a lease needs to allow for that process instead of assuming everyone can relocate on the principal worker’s schedule.

Check when your family can apply
  1. Sponsor history and permit Check continuous residence, validity, and the prospect of permanent residence.
  2. Eligible relatives abroad Confirm covered relationships and that joining relatives are outside Malta.
  3. Household threshold Document the required income, housing, and other support evidence.

Malta's separate family policy has different conditions and should be assessed independently.

What This Route Allows

A family permit allows you to live with the sponsoring relative in Malta. Permission to work depends on the category and any additional employment requirements. The joining relative should have their own status documented; the sponsor’s residence card does not serve as the family member’s permission.

What This Route Is Not

The approved family category determines the rights granted. Living with a relative is not itself citizenship, and a later change in the relationship or the sponsor’s status can affect renewal.

Next Steps

The sponsor’s residence history, permit validity, and household income establish whether the legal scheme is available. Joining relatives must be outside Malta for this procedure. If the household instead needs the separate family policy, its conditions and work rights should be examined directly rather than assumed to match legal family reunification.

Stay up to date on this pathway

Get an email when something important changes.

No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Discussed in these reports

Other routes in Malta.

Sources