Non-EU retirees can apply under the Malta Retirement Programme (age 55+, in receipt of a pension) or the Malta Permanent Residence Programme; both require a qualifying property purchase or rental, health insurance and evidence of stable income.
A few things to line up early:
Visa rules change often — treat this as a starting point and confirm the latest official requirements before you plan.
Remember: buying a home and gaining the right to live there are usually separate steps. See how ownership works in Malta, and what it costs to live there in our cost-of-retiring guide.
Malta taxes residents on a remittance basis, so foreign income kept offshore is not taxed; the Malta Retirement Programme offers a flat 15% on pension income remitted to Malta, with a minimum tax of about EUR 7,500 a year, provided you remit most of your pension there. Take advice on which basis suits you.
Malta's public health service is good and free at the point of use for those enrolled, and UK state pensioners can register an S1 so the UK funds their care; English is the language of medicine, which makes it easy to navigate. Many expats add affordable private cover for shorter waits. Very safe, English-speaking and familiar to Britons, and unusually for the Mediterranean they drive on the left, so the roads feel immediately natural to UK retirees.
Sliema and St Julian's for a lively seafront with every amenity; the historic Mdina and the Three Cities for character; and Gozo for a slower, greener island pace.
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