Expatlas
Buy me a coffee

No ads, no paywall, no "sign up to see prices": just me versus a stack of consulate websites. If Expatlas saved you a dozen open tabs, a coffee funds the next country.

Buy me a coffee
Your passport

The rules change with your passport. Pick yours.

Malta

1 programme · EUR · Maltese / English

Re-run the quiz →
Malta · traditional luzzu boats
Malta · traditional luzzu boats
Showing Malta's requirements for Brazilian citizens. Other passports:🇺🇸 US🇬🇧 UK🇿🇦 ZA🇨🇦 CA🇦🇺 AU🇨🇳 CN🇮🇳 INAll passports

Nomad Residence Permit

Official nomad visa

Brazilian citizens can enter Malta visa-free for a short stay, but the Nomad Residence Permit is still a separate application. Applying from inside Malta is allowed for Brazilian applicants. The consular fee is 300 EUR. Official processing runs 6–10 weeks. Allow about 0 weeks for the Brazilian police clearance, which then needs an apostille. There is no double-tax treaty between Brazil and Malta.

How do Brazilian citizens apply for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

Can Brazilian citizens apply from inside Malta?

Yes. Brazilian applicants may submit from inside Malta.

How long does the Malta Nomad Residence Permit really take for Brazilian citizens?

12–16 weeks (≈ 3–4 months)

  • Police clearance (verified)0w
  • Apostille (typical)1w
  • Consular appointment (typical)4w
  • Processing 6–10w official6w
  • Post-arrival registration (typical)2w

Official processing: 6–10 weeks. The rest is doc gathering + waiting in a queue, none of which the consulate counts.

Avoid these

What do people get wrong about the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

  • Underestimating timing by a factor of 2–3. The "60-day processing" line is real, but it's only the consulate's processing window. The door-to-door reality includes police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead, and post-arrival registration, so most applicants land between 4 and 7 months.
  • Skipping or mis-formatting the apostille. Apostille is the single most cited rejection reason. Every supporting document from your home country needs an apostille from the right authority, and they expire. Don't apostille more than 4 months before submission.

Documents

What Brazilian applicants typically submit

Documents needing an apostille (Brazilian authorities):

  • Certidao de Antecedentes Criminais from the Policia Federal. This is the document checklist v.5 tied directly to the apostille requirement, and Brazil is not in the Australia / New Zealand / USA / UK / Canada exemption group.
  • Certidao de casamento, where a spouse is included in the application as a dependant.
  • Certidao de nascimento for each child included in the application.
  • Certidao de averbacao or other civil-registry certificate evidencing a change of name, where the applicant's name differs across documents.
  • Private documents are not covered by a Brazilian apostille. Bank statements, client contracts and employer letters are private documents and carry no cartorio apostille. Residency Malta wants bank statements downloaded directly in PDF from the bank's portal or app, not certified paper, so this is a non-issue for the financial half of the file.

Worth knowing: Malta is the shortest European nomad route a Brazilian passport can take, because both of the usual friction points are absent. Brazil is not on Residency Malta's 98-nationality entry-visa list, so there is no consulate, no VFS centre and no national D visa anywhere in the process: the whole application goes through Residency Malta's online portal, and the applicant then flies in visa-free under Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 and emails the agency to book biometrics. That also means a Brazilian can apply while already sitting in Malta on the 90-days-in-180 allowance, which is worth doing carefully rather than casually, because the checklist precludes applicants whose visa has expired and refuses applications from people who are overstaying, and the receipt of application is expressly not an extension of stay. The one place Brazilian nationality costs something is the police conduct certificate. Residency Malta exempted only Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Canada from apostille, so the Policia Federal certidao, free and instant though it is, still needs a cartorio apostille and an English translation before it counts. Neither bilateral agreement a remote worker would want exists, and both sides confirm it: Receita Federal's treaty list does not include Malta, and Brazil's Ministerio da Previdencia lists no social security agreement with Malta, while Malta's Department of Social Security lists bilateral agreements only with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and, in limited form, Libya and the UK. So INSS contributions and Maltese contributions do not aggregate, and no treaty tie-breaker sits between Brazilian worldwide-income tax residence and Maltese tax residence.

Tax

How is Nomad Residence Permit income taxed for Brazilian citizens?

Under the Nomad Residence Permits (Income Tax) Rules (S.L. 123.210, introduced by Legal Notice 277 of 2023, effective 1 January 2024), income from authorised remote work is exempt from Malta income tax for the first 12 months from the date the permit is issued (or from 1 January 2024, whichever is later), provided residence in Malta during that period is merely of a casual nature; the expectation is that the income is taxed in the home country instead. After that period a 10% flat tax applies to that authorised-work income, with relief where at least 10% tax has already been paid on it abroad. Main applicants may opt in to taxation earlier by written declaration (declaring residence not merely casual). The Residency Malta Agency does not provide tax advice and directs applicants to seek independent advice.

Tax treaty with BrazilianNo
Social-security totalisationNo

What Brazilian tax still does

Brazil taxes on residence, not citizenship, but leaving does not end it by itself. Residency ends when you file the Comunicação de Saída Definitiva and then the Declaração de Saída Definitiva; skip them and the Receita Federal keeps assessing your worldwide income. Brazil has treaties with most of Europe, though not Germany, where the 1975 treaty has had no effect since 2006.

Money, roughly (sourced)

Regime: Nomad Residence Permit, 10% flat on authorised work income (12-mo exemption first), about 10% effective tax on €60k/yr.

10% flat applies to 'qualifying income' from authorised remote work after a 12-month income-tax exemption; other Malta-source income stacks on top at progressive 0-35%. Double-taxation relief applies where >=10% foreign tax already paid. Benefit hinges on holding a valid permit and the non-dom remittance basis.

Capital gains: see note. No flat headline CG rate: Malta-source gains on immovable property/securities are taxed under specific rules (often an 8% property transfer tax or added to income), but for a relocating remote worker with a foreign brokerage the key fact is that foreign gains are untaxed.

Living comfortably to well in Valletta runs about €1,900–€2,650/mo for one person, incl. rent. Roughly 27% more than the same living in São Paulo, which runs about R$8,700/mo (≈ €1,500).

Estimate your take-home in the tax calculator →

Worth a specialist's time. A short call before you commit usually pays for itself, especially for US citizens (FEIE/FATCA), existing UK ties, or unwinding SA tax residency.

Nomad Residence Permit basics, same for every passport

Income requirement
EUR 42,000 per year (gross)
Application fee
€300
Family allowed
Yes

What this visa gets you

  1. Visa

    Entry document

  2. Temporary residency

    1 year initially, up to 4 years total

  3. Permanent residency

    Not via this programme

  4. Citizenship

    Not via this programme

What nomads report from Malta, the cost of living, and the programme background are on the full Malta profile.

FAQ

Malta Nomad Residence Permit: common questions

Can Brazilian citizens get the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

Yes. The Nomad Residence Permit is open to Brazilian passport holders as non-EU nationals. The main requirement is proof of gross income of at least €42,000 per year.

Can I apply for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit from inside Malta?

Yes. Brazilian applicants may submit the Nomad Residence Permit application from inside Malta.

How long does the Malta Nomad Residence Permit take for Brazilian applicants?

Official processing is 6–10 weeks. Door-to-door, including police clearance, apostille, consular appointment lead time, and post-arrival registration, most Brazilian applicants take about 6–10 weeks (roughly 1–2 months).

Do I need an apostille for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

Yes. Supporting documents issued in Brazil (such as your police clearance) must be apostilled by the competent Brazil authority before submission. Apostilles can expire, so don't obtain them more than a few months ahead of applying.

How much does the Malta Nomad Residence Permit cost?

The government application fee is about €300. The consular fee paid in Brazil is approximately 300 EUR. Budget separately for police clearance, apostille (if required), translations, and required health insurance.

Can I bring my family on the Malta Nomad Residence Permit?

Yes. Spouses and dependent children can generally be included as dependants, usually with a higher combined income requirement and their own supporting documents.

Fees, income thresholds, and consular policy for Malta, emailed when they move. About once a month.

What's next

Keep going

Expatlas provides information for orientation only and is not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with official government sources and consult an immigration lawyer for your specific case.

Malta digital nomad visa for Brazilian citizens | Expatlas