Malta vs Portugal: which digital nomad visa fits you?

Malta Nomad Residence Permit and Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa, side by side. Every figure comes from the official government source, with the date we last checked it.

Income: Malta is lower
Family: Malta: Yes · Portugal: Not confirmed
Renewable: Malta: Yes · Portugal: Yes

	MaltaNomad Residence Permit	PortugalD8 Digital Nomad Visa
Minimum income	≈ $3,926/mo€42,000 / year	≈ $4,128/mo€3,680 / month
Official rule	€42,000 gross per year (€32,400 for applications filed before 1 April 2024)	€3,680 per month: average monthly income over the last 3 months of at least 4× Portugal's guaranteed minimum monthly wage (RMMG €920 in 2026)
Stay	1 year	Residence permit valid 2 years
Renewable	Yes	Yes
Family	Yes	Not confirmed
Fees	€300 non-refundable application fee per person + €100 residence card per person	Not confirmed
Official source	nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt ↗Verified, checked Oct 24, 2026	aima.gov.pt ↗Verified, checked Oct 24, 2026

USD figures are approximate (FX Oct 20, 2026). The official currency figure is what the authority applies.

Key differences

Malta sets a fixed bar: €42,000 gross a year (€32,400 for applications filed before 1 April 2024). Portugal ties its bar to the minimum wage: €3,680 a month, 4× the 2026 RMMG of €920, averaged over your last 3 months.
Malta grants 1 year, renewable at Residency Malta’s discretion if you still meet the criteria and can show you lived in Malta for at least 5 months of the last 12. Portugal’s D8 leads to a 2-year AIMA residence permit, renewable for successive 3-year periods.
Malta charges €300 per person plus €100 per residence card, and confirms a spouse or partner and children can be included. The Portuguese pages we check don’t state the fee or family rules.
Malta requires fully comprehensive health insurance with at least €100,000 cover (travel insurance isn’t accepted). Portugal asks for proof of tax residence. Both are for work for employers or clients outside the country.

Quick answers

Which needs less income, Malta or Portugal?

Malta Nomad Residence Permit has the lower bar: about $3,926 a month, versus about $4,128 for Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa (a gap of roughly $202 a month at exchange rates of Oct 20, 2026). Malta Nomad Residence Permit: €42,000 gross per year (€32,400 for applications filed before 1 April 2024) (nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt, checked Oct 24, 2026). Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa: €3,680 per month: average monthly income over the last 3 months of at least 4× Portugal's guaranteed minimum monthly wage (RMMG €920 in 2026) (aima.gov.pt, checked Oct 24, 2026).

Which lets you stay longer, Malta or Portugal?

Malta Nomad Residence Permit: 1 year. Renewable at Residency Malta’s discretion if you still meet the criteria. Apply 2 to 3 months before the permit expires, with bank statements showing you lived in Malta for at least 5 months (cumulative) in the last 12. Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa: After arriving on the D8 visa, you apply to AIMA for a residence permit. It is valid for 2 years and can be renewed for successive 3-year periods.

Can I bring my family on the Malta or Portugal visa?

Malta Nomad Residence Permit: yes, family members can be included. Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa: not confirmed on the official page we checked.

How much do the Malta and Portugal visas cost?

Malta Nomad Residence Permit: €300 non-refundable application fee per person + €100 residence card per person. Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa: not confirmed on the official source.

Full official notes

Malta Nomad Residence Permit

For employees of a foreign-registered employer, partners/shareholders of a foreign-registered company, or freelancers with foreign clients; people serving a foreign company’s Maltese subsidiary are not eligible. Income must be guaranteed for at least 5 months (cumulative) from the day of application and shown in the last 3 months’ bank statements. Spouse/partner and children can be included in the application. Fully comprehensive health insurance with at least €100,000 cover (travel insurance is not accepted) covering the EU incl. Malta and the UK, for one full year. Must work for an employer/clients outside Malta. The residencymalta.gov.mt HTML pages show a captcha to automated readers, so the eligibility and FAQ text was read via a search-engine copy of the official pages; the official application checklist PDF was read directly.

Sources: nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt · nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt · nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt · nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt

Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa

Rule from the MNE visa portal (4× RMMG, 3-month average, from employment or self-employment for entities outside Portugal; proof of tax residence required). The MNE portal blocks automated access, so its text was read via a search-engine copy of the official page. RMMG €920 from 1 Jan 2026 per Decreto-Lei 139/2025 (DGERT). Residence permit from AIMA valid 2 years, renewable for successive 3-year periods.

Sources: vistos.mne.gov.pt · aima.gov.pt · diariodarepublica.pt · dgert.gov.pt

Not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the issuing authority before you apply. How we verify