Malta Budget 2027: what changes for non-EU residents

• Free public transport stays for Maltese citizens, EU citizens living in Malta, and Long-Term Residents.
• Most other non-EU nationals will pay about €33 a month for their Tallinja card. Reports say it covers buses and ferries. One report says British nationals covered by the Brexit agreement keep free travel; who exactly is covered is not yet clear.
• Start: 1 January 2027.
• Not yet known: how to show your status, the exact price, and which ferries are included.

Some reports say “less than five years in Malta” instead of “no Long-Term Residence”. Most say Long-Term Residence. Check the official notice when it is out.

• A new €400 “infrastructure contribution” for non-EU nationals, reported as paid every year. Under-18s do not pay it.
• It applies to renewals and to most new applications. The exact list is not out yet.
• The fee for a new single permit (work permit) goes from €600 to €800.
• So a new adult work-permit application costs about €1,200 where both charges apply. Other fees may be added.
• Many other Identità fees will also go up. No amounts were given.
• Not yet known: whether Long-Term Residents pay the €400.

• A new charge of €83 a month (about €996 a year) for non-EU holders of category B and B1 licences issued or renewed from 1 January 2027.
• Reported exemptions: Long-Term Residents and their spouses, EU and EEA citizens, citizens of the United Kingdom, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, and people whose residence permit is for a job that involves driving.
• With a residence permit, you may drive on your non-EU licence for 12 months after you arrive. Leaving and coming back does not restart the 12 months. If you already live here, the 12 months count from your last entry before 1 January 2027. After that you need a Maltese or EU licence, unless your permit is for a driving job. One summary also leaves out licences from the UK, the UAE and Australia; other reports do not say this. If you hold one of these, check the official rule before you rely on it.
• Reports also say the licence will end when your residence permit ends, and cannot be renewed while the charge is unpaid. Which licences this covers is not yet clear.

• As announced, from 1 January 2027 free childcare is for Maltese citizens, EU citizens living in Malta, and Long-Term Residents.
• Families already in the scheme keep it until their children are too old for it.
• The new rule is for families joining from 2027.
• One report says families who meet the conditions for Long-Term Residence may qualify. Whether you need the status itself is not yet clear.
• From 1 January 2027, non-EU workers without Long-Term Residence will no longer get the yearly payment for people who work atypical hours (nights, weekends, shifts), as announced.

As announced, a Long-Term Resident who rides the bus and drives a car would avoid about €396 a year in bus fares and €996 a year in licence charges. That is our own sum of the reported figures, not an official number.

The main conditions are below. The status does not come automatically after five years. The full list also includes health insurance.

• Five years of legal, continuous residence in Malta.
• Enough regular income, and suitable housing.
• The I Belong 100-hour course, passed with at least 75%. The certificate must be less than one year old when you apply.
• A Maltese language certificate at MQF Level 2, passed with at least 65%.

If you are not ready yet, you will likely pay the new charges for a while. Identità can take up to six months to decide, so start now.

1. Count your years. Find the date of your first regular residence permit. Some permits, such as student permits, do not count. Check if you are ready.
2. Book the Maltese course early. The I Belong Maltese MQF Level 2 course is closed to new applicants. The Directorate points to Maltese courses at the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Employability, Jobsplus and other licensed institutions.
3. Time the I Belong course. To join the 100-hour course you first need the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture (or an old Stage 1 certificate). Because the certificate must be under a year old when you apply, plan the course close to your application date. Check course dates early. See how to apply.
4. Keep your papers ready. Payslips, FS3 forms, your lease and your travel dates. Identità will ask for them.

• Not sure if you qualify? Ask Identità before you apply. The €500 application fee is not a guarantee.
• No place on the I Belong course? Email the Directorate at ibelongcourses@gov.mt and keep the reply.
• Someone offers a shortcut for money? Do not pay. Only Identità grants the status. Never give your passport or log-in details to an agent you cannot check.

• MaltaToday: more fees, fewer benefits for third-country nationals
• Lovin Malta: TCNs lose free public transport and childcare
• Lovin Malta: non-EU drivers and the new licence charge
• Lovin Malta: work permit fees rise from €600 to €800
• Newsbook: the €400 infrastructure contribution
• Times of Malta: non-EU workers lose free childcare (the €33 bus and ferry card)
• The Malta Independent: the full list of measures (childcare and licence details)
• The Malta Post: higher costs for non-EU workers (the €33 card)
• PwC Malta: Budget 2027 summary (the 1 January 2027 start)

The Long-Term Residence requirements in section 5 come from Identità’s own guidance, summarised on our Long-Term Residence page.