Family
Malta Family Members Policy
Malta's ex-gratia policy for bringing family members. This is a separate route from Family Reunification, with its own rules, thresholds, and limitations.
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This is not Family Reunification
Which family route should I read first?
Family Reunification and the Family Members Policy solve different problems. This chooser helps you avoid mixing them up.
Has the sponsor lived lawfully in Malta for at least 12 months?
Is your family member already in Malta or in a status gap?
Does your spouse's right to work matter from the start?
Can the sponsor likely meet the higher formal income threshold?
What is the Family Members Policy?
The Family Members Policy is an ex-gratia policy published by Identità Malta. Unlike Family Reunification (which is based on EU directives), this policy is at Malta's discretion and can be changed or withdrawn.
Financial threshold
Identità Malta The published financial threshold is based on the median wage of €18,940 per year, plus 20% per additional family member.
This is different from Family Reunification, which uses the average wage as the benchmark.
Sponsor residency requirement
Identità Malta In most cases, the sponsor must have been legally resident in Malta for at least 12 months before applying under this policy.
Application while family member is in Malta
Identità Malta Policy Applications made while the family member is already present in Malta are generally treated as inadmissible under this policy. This means your family member should not enter Malta before the application is processed and approved.
Important notice
Work rights
Identità Malta Policy The Family Members Policy does not grant automatic work rights to family members. If your spouse or dependant wants to work in Malta, additional steps or a separate work authorisation may be required. See our spouse work rights guide for details.
This is a key difference from Family Reunification, where work access may be available under applicable conditions.
Work rights details may evolve
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Key differences from Family Reunification
- Legal basis: Ex-gratia policy, not EU directive.
- Financial benchmark: Median wage (€18,940) vs. average wage.
- Sponsor residency: 12 months required in most cases.
- Already in Malta: Application generally inadmissible if family member is already present.
- Work rights: Not automatic under this policy.
- Discretionary: This is a policy, not a legal entitlement — it can change.
When to choose this route
This policy may be relevant when Family Reunification requirements cannot be met, or when the specific conditions of this policy better match your situation. However, because it is discretionary and has significant limitations (particularly around work rights and the in-Malta inadmissibility rule), careful assessment is needed.
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