Author
National legislation provides for the possibility for third-country nationals residing regularly in Malta to access long-term residence.[1] The criteria are the same for all migrants: no special conditions are foreseen for beneficiaries of international protection, except for the inclusion of half the time spent as an applicant for fulfilment of the duration requirement.
To be able to apply for such permit, applicants must have to fulfil a list of requirements:[2]
- They first need to have resided legally and continuously in Malta for five years immediately prior to the submission of the application;
- Applicants are also requested to provide ‘evidence of stable and regular resources which have subsisted for a continuous period of two years immediately prior to the date of application and which are sufficient to maintain the applicant and his family without recourse to the social assistance system in Malta or to any benefits or assistance’.[3] The law provides that these resources have to be equivalent to the national minimum wage with an addition of another twenty percent of the national minimum wage for each member of the family;
- An appropriate accommodation, regarded as normal for a comparable family in Malta, a valid travel document and a sickness insurance are also requested to be entitled to apply;
- In addition, Regulations require language (Maltese) and integration conditions, including courses of at least 100 hours about the social, economic, cultural, and democratic history and environment of Malta recognised by an examination pass mark. These courses are provided by the Human Rights and Integration Directorate, as part of the ‘I Belong’ integration programme.
The application[4] for long-term residence has to be submitted in writing to the Director for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs, via Identitá. The law provides for a time limit of six months after an application is lodged to receive an answer. If the Director fails to give a decision within this period specified, the application shall automatically be passed on for appeal to the Immigration Appeals Board.[5]
Long-term residence status applications cost around € 140.
The number of protection beneficiaries seeking long-term residence continues to rise, from one permit issued in 2021 to 28 in 2024.[6] It seems that protection beneficiaries seek long-term residence due to the difficulties they face in accessing family reunification and Maltese citizenship. Data on 2025 was not made available as of early May 2026.
This was also confirmed by Identitá during 2024 talks with NGOs, where questions on the relationship between long-term residence permits and international protection were discussed. In particular, queries focused on the impossibility of long-term residents to be given a travel document, whether protection beneficiaries obtaining long-term residence lose their protection-related entitlements, and on the status of family members. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Security and Employment, long term residence holders retain their passport if they continue to renew their protection certificate, as do their family members, however this information could not be verified by NGOs or practitioners.[7]
Challenges experienced by protection holders attempting to access long-term residence largely relate to the requirement to undergo the ‘I Belong’ course, organised by HRD. The course is offered exclusively by HRD, limiting options for attendance. Furthermore, the ‘I Belong’ certificate expires after one year.
[1] Status of Long-Term Residents (Third Country Nationals) Regulations.
[2] Also explained in this checklist, provided by Identitá, available at: https://bit.ly/3YhL6GA.
[3] Regulation 5, Long-Term Residence Regulations.
[4] Available at: https://bit.ly/3KgHvE4.
[5] Regulation 7, Long-Term Residence Regulations.
[6] Information provided by Identitá.
[7] Information provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Security and Employment on 24 July 2025, see annex to the country report on 2024.