Immigrate to Malta from Canada

If you want to immigrate to Malta from Canada, you do not need an entry visa and you can stay in this country for up to 90 days in any 180-day period (working requires a permit). After this period, things change, and Canadian citizens must comply with long-term immigration conditions. In the following lines, we will tell you what moving to Malta from Canada entails and what are the formalities involved. With the help of our immigration lawyers in Malta, you can benefit from a simple and fast relocation process, free of complexities.

How to relocate to Malta from Canada in a few steps

Canadian citizens who want to stay more than 90 days in Malta must apply for a national long-stay (D) visa or a residence permit. Once this visa is issued, a residence permit for Malta is also obtained, which allows Canadians to live and work in this country legally. Here are some of the accessible programs, if you want to immigrate to Malta from Canada:

• Non-EU nationals with sufficient own resources can apply to Identità for an economically self-sufficient residence permit; there is no 'Ordinary Residence Program' requiring a deposit of at least EUR 5,000 in a bank account in Malta.
• The Malta Permanent Residence Programme (which replaced the Malta Residency and Visa Program in 2021) involves capital of at least EUR 500,000-650,000 and a property bought for at least EUR 375,000 or rented for at least EUR 14,000 a year as well as a EUR 60,000 administration fee, a EUR 37,000 government contribution and a EUR 2,000 donation. A long-term resident permit is obtained in Malta, and here our immigration lawyer in Malta can help you with specialized legal advice.
• You can also opt for the Global Residence Program as a Canadian citizen if you make a qualifying property purchase of at least EUR 275,000 (EUR 220,000 in Gozo or the South) or a lease of at least EUR 9,600 a year (EUR 8,750) and pay a minimum annual tax of EUR 15,000. Beneficiaries of this program become Maltese tax residents.

If you want to directly obtain citizenship in Malta, you can opt for naturalisation after at least 5 years of residence; the citizenship-by-investment programme was abolished in July 2025 after the EU Court of Justice ruling (C-181/23). You can learn more about moving to Malta from Canada from our specialists.

Advantages of the Schengen visa for Canadians

Moving to Malta from Canada comes with various advantages. Once the Schengen visa is obtained, it allows travel in different countries, without the need for passport control at the borders. Canadians who obtain permanent residence in Malta will be taxed at progressive rates of 0-35% on income obtained in Malta. If they are not domiciled in Malta, foreign income is taxed only when remitted to Malta.

Also, as a permanent resident, the obligation to live in Malta is not imposed. The advantage is freedom of movement with such status. We remind you that if you want to immigrate to Malta from Canada, you have various programs at your disposal. All this can be explained in detail by our Maltese immigration lawyers so that together you can make a good decision. Malta immigration enters our attention, so you can contact us at any time.

Immigration facts about Malta

Here are some details about immigration to Malta, if you want to relocate from Canada:

• Net migration in 2023 was 20,960 persons (about 37 per 1,000 population), according to the NSO.
• Net migration in 2024 was 10,614 persons (about 18.5 per 1,000 population).
• A population of 574,250, of whom 29.4% foreign nationals, was registered at the end of 2024 (NSO).

If you want to move to Malta from Canada, you can benefit from the legal support offered by our specialists. We can take care of the necessary documents and registration with the relevant authorities. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want to immigrate to Malta from Canada.