Your family needs a separate residence application. For many non-EU Single Permit holders, the main routes are statutory Family Reunification and Identità’s separate Family Members Policy. Eligibility, timing and conditions differ.
| Situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| I hold a Malta Single Permit. Can my family live here on it? | No. The Single Permit covers its holder. Each family member needs a separate application under a route that fits their nationality and status. |
| How long must I have lived in Malta? | Identità’s current guidance says two years of lawful, continuous residence before applying under Family Reunification. The Family Members Policy generally requires 12 calendar months from the date of the sponsor’s initial permit, with a possible, discretionary early exception for certain KEI or SEI permit holders. |
| Can my family member work on a family residence permit? | Not automatically. Identità says a family member under Family Reunification must apply for an employment licence after the first year and first renewal. A Family Members Policy permit does not itself grant work rights. |
Your Single Permit does not cover your family
A Malta Single Permit authorises its holder to reside and work in Malta; it does not give family members permission to live or work here. Each family member needs a separate application under a route that fits their circumstances.
For many non-EU nationals, the main possibilities are statutory Family Reunification under S.L. 217.06 and Identità’s separate Family Members Policy. Identità describes the policy as an ex-gratia option for people who do not qualify under the regulations. It is not simply another name for Family Reunification.
Which family route might apply?
Family Reunification is the formal route under S.L. 217.06. Identità’s application form says the sponsor must hold a residence permit valid for at least one year, have at least two years of lawful residence in Malta, and meet the route’s income, accommodation and insurance requirements. The sponsor must also show reasonable prospects of permanent residence; a temporary work permit does not by itself establish that.
The Family Members Policy has separate criteria and is discretionary. Its policy page describes sponsors as legally resident and holding a permit valid for at least one year. Identità’s FAQ describes eligible sponsors as holding a work permit or another employment-eligible permit. If you have a student permit or another non-employment status, do not assume you qualify under the policy; ask Identità which route applies.
Nationality and status can change the process. EU citizens exercising free-movement rights have a separate family-member route. Refugees and people granted subsidiary protection or other special protection should use the rules for their status, rather than assume the ordinary Single Permit route applies.
Long-term residents are a distinct category from ordinary Single Permit holders. Malta government guidance identifies family members of Maltese long-term residents as a recognised Family Reunification category; individual eligibility and conditions still need to be checked.
How long must you have lived in Malta?
For Family Reunification under S.L. 217.06, Identità’s current FAQ says the sponsor must have resided legally and continuously in Malta for at least two years before applying. An earlier 12-month application rule was deleted by a 2018 amendment, so do not use that former rule to plan your application.
Under the Family Members Policy, the general rule is that the sponsor has a permit valid for at least one year and waits 12 calendar months from the issue date of their initial permit before applying. Identità will consider waiving that wait for some KEI or SEI Single Permit holders who have an Approval in Principle and meet additional conditions. This is discretionary, not an automatic exception. The policy lists €50,000 gross annual income for the sponsor and one dependant, plus €6,000 gross for each additional dependant, alongside insurance and schooling conditions where relevant.
A pending first Single Permit application does not, by itself, give family members a right to apply for residence. The policy’s early consideration provision is specific to certain KEI or SEI applicants with an Approval in Principle and other conditions. Confirm your circumstances with Identità rather than treating any pending work-permit application as sufficient.
Who may qualify, and what income is required?
Under the formal regulations, the core family categories include a spouse aged 21 or over and unmarried minor children, including qualifying adopted children. For a child from a previous relationship, custody, the other parent’s consent and the child’s dependency may matter. Under the Family Members Policy, Identità may consider unmarried adult relatives who can show financial or physical dependency, but this is not automatic. A non-married partner and parents are not listed as ordinary eligible family members in Identità’s formal-route FAQ.
The financial tests differ. For Family Reunification, Identità says the sponsor’s basic gross income from primary employment is assessed against the average wage in Malta, plus 20% for each family member. For the Family Members Policy, the policy page currently lists €18,940 as the median-wage benchmark, plus 20% of that wage for each family member, and says disposable income is assessed after tax and social-security deductions. Identità links €18,940 to an NSO release dated 12 June 2024 and says the figure may be reviewed. Treat it as dated published guidance, not a guaranteed current threshold; check the current calculation before applying.
Where family members apply, and what documents to prepare
Identità says family members generally must be outside Malta when an application is submitted under either route. The Family Members Policy states an exception for minor children born in Malta. Do not assume that entering as a visitor or having a family application pending allows someone to stay after their permitted period; visa entry rules and a residence decision are separate.
For Family Reunification, Identità’s document guidance includes proof of the sponsor’s residence and residence prospects, the family relationship, accommodation, income and health insurance. Depending on the case, custody documents, legalised or apostilled certificates and certified translations may also be needed. Check the current checklist and application requirements with Identità before submitting.
A family residence permit does not automatically allow work
A permit under the Family Members Policy does not itself grant the family member a right to work. They need their own work authorisation. Under formal Family Reunification, Identità says an employment licence may be applied for through Jobsplus after the family member’s permit has been renewed following the first year. That is not automatic permission to work.
Renewals and changes to your work permit
An existing family permit is renewed on the basis on which it was issued. Identità says Family Members Policy permits are renewable while their conditions continue to be met, and that a policy permit cannot be converted to Family Reunification. This concerns the family member’s permit; do not assume a sponsor’s pending permit renewal automatically settles the family member’s status.
A Single Permit is tied to a specific employer and occupation. Changing employers requires a Change of Employer application. The official guidance reviewed does not establish a universal rule for how each employer change or pending sponsor renewal affects a dependant’s individual permit, so check with Identità rather than assuming it continues or ends automatically.
Questions people ask
Can my family apply while my first Single Permit application is pending?
Do not assume they can. A pending Single Permit application is not the same as an issued permit or a family residence decision. Identità’s early Family Members Policy consideration is specifically described for certain KEI or SEI holders with an Approval in Principle and additional conditions. Ask Identità which route, if any, applies to your case.
Can my spouse work on a family residence permit?
Not automatically. A Family Members Policy permit does not grant work rights. Under Family Reunification, Identità says the family member may apply for an employment licence after the first year and first renewal; the licence is not automatic.
Does the same family route apply to EU citizens and long-term residents?
Not necessarily. EU citizens exercising free-movement rights have a separate family-member route. Malta government guidance recognises family members of Maltese long-term residents under Family Reunification, but individual eligibility and conditions still need checking. People with protection or other special status should check their own rules.
Can an adult child or unmarried partner join me?
Under the formal route, the core categories are a qualifying spouse and unmarried minor children. The Family Members Policy may consider an unmarried adult relative with evidence of financial or physical dependency, but this is discretionary. Do not assume an unmarried partner qualifies as a spouse.
Sources
- Identità — Single Permit
- Identità — Family Reunification and Family Members Policy FAQ
- Identità — Family Reunification application form G.01
- Identità — Family Members Policy
- Legislation Malta — Family Reunification Regulations, S.L. 217.06
- Parliament of Malta — Family Reunification (Amendment) Regulations, 2018
- Identità — General Queries FAQ
- Identità — Non-EU Employment FAQ
- Identità — EU Nationals: Family Member
- Government of Malta, Ministry for Health and Active Ageing — International Applicants Guidebook
General information, not individual immigration or legal advice. Confirm your own status and current requirements with the relevant authority.