There is no single address update that changes every record. The right process depends on your ID or residence status. An address filing is not, by itself, permission to live or work in Malta.
| Situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| Maltese citizen | Submit Form ID10a online or at Identità, then attend in person for biometrics. Bring your existing e-ID and proof of the new address. |
| EU/EEA national or family member with a residence document | Apply to update the document through Identità’s Expatriates Unit Portal. Identità’s FAQ and checklist say the update is free, but Gov.mt still lists €22; confirm the current instruction. |
| Swiss national | Swiss nationals have a distinct residence-document route, not the EU/EEA registration route. Check Identità’s Swiss-specific instructions or contact the Expatriates Unit. |
| Non-EU national with a residence document | Use the process for your permit type. Identità directs Single Permit holders to its Single Permit portal; other non-EU permit holders use the Expatriates Portal. Fees and procedures vary. |
| UK national with a Withdrawal Agreement residence card | Email Identità’s Brexit Unit to request an appointment. This process is for holders of that specific residence card. |
Choose the process for your status
Maltese citizens update their residential address through the Identity Card service. Form ID10a can be submitted online or completed at the office, but you must attend in person for biometrics. Bring your existing e-ID and proof of the new address.
EU and EEA nationals intending to reside in Malta for more than three months must register their residence with Identità. Existing holders of an EU/EEA residence document or a family member’s residence card can apply to update it through the Expatriates Unit Portal. Identità’s checklist asks for the existing card, a valid travel document, and address evidence such as a lease, utility bill, bank statement or purchase contract. If you cannot provide address proof, the checklist refers to CEA Form D, an address-owner declaration.
Swiss nationals are not EU/EEA nationals and should not assume the EU/EEA registration route applies to them. Identità’s applicant notes, dated 2023, say Swiss nationals residing in Malta for more than three months should apply for a residence permit. If you already hold a Swiss-national residence document and have moved, check Identità’s current Swiss-specific instructions or contact the Expatriates Unit about updating it.
If you hold a non-EU Maltese residence permit, Identità’s Rights and Obligations guide says you must report changes to details linked to the permit within three days; it expressly includes your address and gives different contact emails by permit type. It warns that late notification may put the permit at risk. For the application channel, use the process for your exact permit category and stage. Identità’s current Single Permit FAQ says address changes for Single Work Permit applicants must be registered through the Single Permit portal immediately; it says people holding an interim receipt must visit an Identità office to submit the change in person, for a €50 fee. Identità’s general queries page, however, directs Single Permit holders to email the unit. Because these official instructions differ, confirm the current channel with Identità if the portal route does not fit your situation. Holders of non-employment residence permits, such as study, family or self-sufficiency permits, should use the Expatriates Portal. Identità lists a €50 fee for those applications, but says the fee is nil for exempt-status and Withdrawal Agreement address changes. Requirements can vary by category. For an overview of residence routes, see Malta residence permit requirements.
If you hold a residence card under the EU–UK Withdrawal Agreement, Identità says to email the Brexit Unit to request an appointment. Its guidance asks for passport and residence-card details and evidence of the new address. This procedure is for holders of that specific card, not every UK national.
If you are applying for your first residence document
An address change is different from applying for your first residence document. EU and EEA nationals intending to reside in Malta for more than three months must register their residence. Identità’s 2023 applicant notes set out a separate residence-permit application for Swiss nationals intending to reside in Malta for more than three months. Non-EU nationals need the residence route that matches their circumstances; a pending application does not by itself regularise a non-EU national’s immigration status.
An address filing is not proof of permission to live or work in Malta. Whether you may remain while a residence application is pending, or work while it is pending, depends on your circumstances and permit route. Check the status and conditions of your specific application with Identità rather than relying on an address update.
Prepare proof of your new home and check the fee
Use your principal residence and be ready to show a lawful basis for occupying the property. Identità refers to ownership, an official registered lease or the owner’s consent; the documents requested depend on your application route. For private residential leases covered by the registration rules, the lessor must register the agreement with the Housing Authority within 30 days of its start. The Housing Authority says this deadline was extended from 10 to 30 days from 1 September 2024.
There is an official fee conflict for EU nationals and their family members: Identità’s current EU FAQ and change-of-address checklist say the update is free, while Gov.mt’s Moving Home page still lists €22 for a residence-card address change. Confirm the current fee with Identità before applying. For non-EU applicants, do not assume one fee applies to every permit: Identità lists €50 for some non-employment and Single Permit address-change situations, and lists exempt-status and Withdrawal Agreement changes as free.
Update other records separately
Updating an address with Identità does not automatically update every government or private record. Servizz.gov lists separate address-update processes for Tax, VAT, Jobsplus and Social Security. Contact any other agency, utility, bank, healthcare provider or private service that holds your old address to ask how to update it.
Questions people ask
Does one address update change all my Malta records?
No. Update the address on the ID or residence document that applies to you, then contact other government agencies and private providers separately.
Does registering my new address let me stay or work while an application is pending?
No. An address filing is not permission to reside or work. Whether a pending application lets you remain or work depends on your route and circumstances; confirm your status with Identità.
What if I cannot provide a bill or lease as proof of address?
Identità’s EU change-of-address checklist refers to CEA Form D, an address-owner declaration, when an applicant cannot provide proof. Check the checklist for your own status and route.
Is an EU/EEA address change free?
Identità’s current EU FAQ and checklist say the update is free, but Gov.mt still lists €22. The official pages conflict, so confirm the current instruction with Identità.
Sources
- Gov.mt, Moving Home
- Identità, Change of Residential Address
- Identità, Registration Certificate and eResidence Document
- Identità, EU Change of Address
- Identità, EU Nationals FAQs
- Identità, Checklist for Change of Address, EU and Non-EU
- Identità, Working and Residing in Malta
- Identità, Applicant Notes for Residence Applications, 2023
- Identità, Non-EU Employment FAQs
- Identità, Non-EU General Queries
- Identità, Non-Employment Permit Change of Address
- Identità, Exempt Person Status FAQs
- Identità, Brexit FAQs
- Identità, Property Deregistration FAQs
- Identità, Information for Non-EU Nationals and Prospective Employers
- Identità, Rights and Obligations
- Servizz.gov.mt, Change of Address
General information, not individual immigration or legal advice. Confirm your own status and current requirements with the relevant authority.