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Living in Malta as an Expat: Costs, Safety, Pros & Cons

Living in Malta

Saying “yes” to Malta is an easy choice. Thousands of digital nomads and other expats have made the move and are successfully running their own companies or working for Maltese operations here.

But what about the details?

What will it cost to live in Malta? Do you have to worry about crime in one of Europe’s southernmost countries? Does Malta have an expat community? Can you retire to Malta?

Picking up stakes and moving to another country can be a quick decision but some research can help you feel more connected once you arrive.

We’ll address these questions with special attention paid to the comparative costs, best cities to live and details of the expat life here, along with other relevant information on Malta.

Read on for all you need to know about living in Malta.

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Your Guide to Buying (or Selling) Property in Malta

Buying Property In Malta

Malta is a country at many people’s center of attention. People and businesses who think of the world as one global place, see the opportunity that Malta represents.

That means that Malta also has a dynamic and shifting real estate market that has some important intricacies to it.

Finding a home is about more than just making a list of must-haves and then buying the property that fits the bill. Conversely, selling a property in Malta’s hot real estate market also takes strategy.

From the perspectives of both tax rates and regulations, the Maltese government is obviously paying close attention to the property market in Malta and is set on actively participating. Some of these stipulations apply in particular if you’re not a Maltese citizen.

This guide will walk you through all of the finer details of buying and selling property in Malta from the taxes involved to how your nationality affects the rules you need to follow.

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Malta’s Permanent Residence Scheme

Malta Permanent Residence

Malta has a straightforward if sophisticated process when applying for residence permits that you will need when staying for more than three months.

If you decide that you love Malta as much as I do and want to stay permanently, it is usually just as easy to obtain permanent residence status after living here for five years.

Effective permanent residence in Malta is also one of the necessary steps before you apply for Maltese citizenship.

From costs to requirements to benefits of permanent residence in Malta, you’ll find everything you need to know about this important legal step in this guide.

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How to Get Maltese Citizenship in 2019

How To Get Maltese Citizenship

There is a long list of reasons for why you might want to live in Malta. We have some of the best weather in Europe — partly because we’re on the geographic edge of the continent. Our country is packed with culture, surrounded by beaches and full of people enjoying a laidback way of life.

Malta also has a stable government, which respects the rule of law and delivers a relatively crime-free environment to the Maltese people. Our economy is forward-looking and set up to focus on growth for the foreseeable future.

Maybe most importantly, we took the decision over fifteen years ago to join the EU and participate in the European community. Malta approaches the rest of the world with open arms.

That, in part, means that Malta has one of the world’s strongest passports. Being able to carry the passport ranked 9th by Henley Partners is one of the great advantages of Maltese citizenship.

So, how easy is it to get Maltese citizenship? The answer depends on your family, how much time you have and your willingness to spend money on the process.

This comprehensive guide will take you through the process of setting yourself up to become a citizen of Malta. We’ll cover the time it takes, requirements for each of the routes to citizenship and the fees involved.

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Malta’s Residence Permits: Everything You Need to Know

Malta Residence Permit

The most famous historical trivia about Malta is that it spent several centuries as the home base for an itinerant order of crusader knights. The island country’s connection to the Order Saint John carries on today, at least in spirit and symbols.

Malta’s willingness to grant a home to those coming from abroad also endures into the 21st century.

These days there is a comprehensive system of residence permits. The golden visa for the very wealthy gets the headlines but there are similar programs for a broad spectrum of participants.

Below you’ll find a complete guide on to how to qualify for each of Malta’s residence permits and the benefits you’ll enjoy if you’re granted one.

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Guide to Malta’s Tax Rates

Malta Tax Rates

At first glance, Malta appears to have a tax system that is very similar to what you’d find in Western Europe, North America or other developed countries.

There are tax brackets in Malta and the top bracket pays 35% of their above-threshold income.

For our purposes, the most interesting aspect of the tax system are Malta’s tax rates on foreign residents of Malta.

In a nutshell, if you qualify for this status, you will only pay Maltese tax on the income you generate in Malta or on money you remit to Malta. That probably means you pay a lot less than 35%.

There are exceptions and other points to keep in mind. And there are situations where you might want to become a Maltese citizen and therefore become subject to Malta’s entire tax system.

This guide will lead you through the finer points of all those eventualities. We’ll cover everything Malta’s capital gains taxes to the tax rates in Malta for corporations

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Malta’s Real Estate Market Report: Prices & Trends in 2019

Malta Real Estate Market

Over the past two to three years, Malta has made headlines around the world for its robust real estate growth. But headlines being what they are, often raise more questions than they answer…

  • Does the sunny outlook apply across the islands?
  • Are some types of property more popular than others?
  • Are renters feeling the squeeze as much as buyers?

And then all of the questions that inform how you’ll behave if you’re entering Malta’s real estate market as an expat:

All of these questions and more will be answered as we dig into Malta’s real estate market. Find out where trends are going and what they mean for the financial future of buyers and sellers alike.

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