Malta budget would lift short-let eco-tax to €10 and end free buses for nomads

Eco-tax jumps from €1.50 to €10 a night

Malta's eco-contribution on short-let apartments would rise from €1.50 to €10 a night per person under the Budget 2027 plan Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presented to parliament Oct. 26. Hotel guests would pay €8 a night. The measures are set to start Jan. 1 but are still budget announcements, with details to follow once the legal texts are published.

• Short lets: €10 a night, capped at €80 per stay (now €1.50, capped at €22.50)

• Hotels and collective accommodation: €8 a night, capped at €64

• Cruise passengers who disembark: €10 per person

• Comino visit: new €5 fee, Malta residents exempt

• Gozo Channel ferry, non-residents: €11 for adults, up from €4.65

The levy currently applies to adults 18 and older staying in licensed accommodation and must appear as a separate line on the invoice. The government expects €182 million a year from the increase. Opposition leader Alex Borg has proposed charging the higher rate only from May to October; the government hasn't adopted that idea.

What changes for nomads on short lets and the Nomad Residence Permit

Short-stay nomads in licensed holiday rentals pay the most. At €10 a night, the new €80 cap is reached on the eighth night, so a month-long short-let stay would cost each adult €80 in eco-tax instead of today's €22.50. Nomads renting under ordinary long-term leases should check whether their flat is licensed tourist accommodation; the levy is tied to that licence.

Nomad Residence Permit holders face a separate cost. Free public transport would continue only for Maltese citizens, EU citizens resident in Malta and long-term residents, a status granted after five years of legal residence. Permit holders would pay standard fares.

Local press reported the Tallinja card would cost about €33 a month for non-EU residents, roughly €396 a year, though the budget speech didn't set the fare. The budget made no change to the permit itself.

Who keeps free travel

British nationals living in Malta under the pre-Brexit agreement keep free buses, along with EU citizens resident there. Tourists and short-term visitors pay standard fares.

Nomad Residence Permit holders who drive on a non-EU licence would also face a new €83 monthly fee on category B licences issued or renewed from Jan. 1, unless their nationality is exempt. Our Malta guide covers the permit route.