In a recently released public statement, Malta’s Parliamentary Secretary in charge of Communities and Citizenship under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Alex Muscat firmly defended the right for the country to make its own decisions in regards to the attribution of citizenship.
Mr Muscat explained: “Much to our disappointment, our initiatives have found themselves harshly politicised. The arguments being raised against the previous programme are largely political, with little to no legal substance to them. Nonetheless, we have revised our initiatives, and we have introduced more stringent conditions which must be satisfied by those seeking to become Maltese citizens.”
He went on to elaborate that “.. the Government believes that the only way is forward. We will not simply shelve initiatives that are proving to be beneficial to our society, but we will improve them. We have always displayed an attitude of dialogue on national and international levels, both with stakeholders and with the European Commission itself.”
The newly launched citizenship program announced in November 2020, has been formally named “The Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exception Services by Direct Investment” and grants successful applicants the right to live, work, study and set up business in 27 EU countries together with visa-free travel rights to an ever-growing list of 183 countries.
Recently, the Malta Individual Investor Program underwent a review, and below are the details about the revised Malta Citizenship by Direct Investment that replaced the previous Citizenship Program.
To give you a quick run-through, under the new route, applicants are offered residence in Malta, leading to citizenship which can be achieved in either of two ways.
- An individual can either choose to apply for citizenship after one year of being a resident of Malta; or
- Pursue the path of Maltese citizenship after three years, of course with a difference in the contribution fees.
Additionally, the updated program will be accepting a maximum number of 400 applicants per year and is capped at 1,500 for the entire scheme.
Eligibility Criteria for Maltese Passport through Investment
For you to be eligible for the Malta Citizenship by direct Investment, you must meet several obligations, namely:
- Be 18 years of age, or older. Eligibility may also extend to applicant’s dependents including the spouse or de facto partner, or a person with whom a relationship is held through a status which is the same as or similar to marriage, children, parents and grandparents under certain terms;
- Propose to make a contribution as determined in the section entitled ‘Contribution Fees’;
- Provide proof that s/he has been a resident in Malta for at least 12 months preceding the day of the issuance of the certificate of naturalisation;
- Meet all the application requirements; and
- Commit to providing proof of residence in Malta and proof of title to a residential property in Malta in accordance with the program regulations.
The Malta government aims to attract only people of the highest of standards through the Malta Citizenship by Direct Investment and accord them Maltese citizenship. Applicants will be subject to due diligence scrutiny and expected to:
- Have a clean criminal record;
- Not have been denied a visa to a country with which Malta has visa-free travel arrangements; and
- Not be deemed a potential national security risk, have a reputational risk or are subject to criminal proceedings.
What are the costs of applying?
Residency Stage
| Part-payment of the non-refundable deposit | Residence permit | Residency Card | |
| Applicant | € 10,000 | €5,000 | €27.50 |
| Each Dependant | NIL | €1,000 | €27.50 |
Eligibility Stage
Eligibility Payment Request Voucher (EPRV)
| Due Diligence Fee | Administrative Fee | |
| Applicant | €15,000 | €1,000 |
| Each Dependant | €10,000 | €1,000 |
| Benefactor | €15,000 | €1,000 |
Citizenship Stage
Investment Request Voucher (IRV)
| Exceptional Direct Investment | Administrative Fee | |
| Applicant | €590,000 (36 Months Residency) | €5,000 |
| €740,000 (Less than 36 Months Residency) | ||
| Each Dependant | €50,000 | €1,000 |
Investment Obligations
| Applicant | * Purchase an immovable residential property in Malta | €700,000 |
| OR | ||
| * Take on a lease of residential immovable property in Malta | €16,000 | |
(*) – To be retained for a minimum period of 5 years from the date of issue of the certificate of citizenship
| Applicant | Donation to a registered philanthropic, cultural, sport, scientific, animal welfare or artistic non-governmental organisation or society, or as otherwise approved by the Agency.
For increased transparency, agents should refrain from suggesting to their clients voluntary organisations in which the agent’s shareholders or directors are involved. |
€10,000 |
The Malta Citizenship by Direct Investment can offer you and your family the growth and settlement rights not only in Malta but also in 27 EU countries.
If you’d like to speak to us, please either send us a webchat (click the icon bottom right of this page), email or book in for a video consultation easily in our partner calendar. We find video conferencing to be the most efficient use of your time to ascertain the best program for you and your family. We encourage you to take advantage of it since your first consultation is free of charge.
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