Malta passport ranking: is Malta citizenship a really good choice for an investor?

European destinations. Malta is an EU member state and participates in the Schengen Agreement. Therefore, the Maltese citizens have the freedom of movement within the region without limits.

Where to travel with the Maltese passport

The UK is visa-free too. However, the stay period is limited to 90 days in half a year after Brexit.

The total number of European visa-free countries for Maltese citizens amounts to 46 countries.

Americas. Malta has a visa-waiver agreement with the USA and Canada. To visit these countries, a Maltese citizen gets an electronic travel authorisation online.

21 Latin American states, including Brazil, Argentina, and Peru, can be visited without visas. The list is completed with 24 Caribbean countries.

Asia. Singapore and Hong Kong are available for 90 days in half a year without visas. Asian destinations include Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and 18 other countries.

The Middle East is represented by popular visa-free destinations like Israel, Qatar, and the UAE.

Africa. 33 African destinations are visa-free for Maltese citizens, including, for example, Seychelles.

Oceania. Australia and New Zealand can be visited upon getting an electronic travel authorisation. Visas aren’t needed for visiting Fiji, Micronesia or Palau Islands.

Besides visa-free travel, investors gain new opportunities with Maltese passports. Citizenship allows them to:

• move to Malta or any other EU state;

• study in European universities without visas and quotas for foreigners;

• get medical treatment in EU clinics;

• buy property in the elite Maltese resorts;

• create and develop an international business;

• get access to the most reliable banks in the European Union.

The Malta citizenship benefits extend to the investor’s family members. A spouse, their children under 29, and parents and grandparents over 55 can get Maltese passports with the investor.

Learn the benefits and obtaining terms of Maltese citizenship for investors

An investor first gets a residence permit, spends one or three years in the resident status, and then applies for citizenship.

The Maltese Citizenship Act regulates the procedure and complies with European standards.

Step-by-step procedure for obtaining Malta citizenship

1

2 weeks

Get a Police Clearance Certificate

The condition is to pass a check against international databases in Malta

2

3 weeks

Obtain a Malta residence permit

Immigrant Invest helps prepare documents, buy or rent a property in Malta, and get an appointment for fingerprinting in Malta

3

4—5 months

Eligibility Test

The investor must apply for the check within 12 months after getting the residence permit

4

1 or 3 years later

Applying for citizenship

The investor can apply only after passing the Eligibility Test. One or three years must pass since becoming a resident

5

4 months

Fulfilment of investment conditions

The investor gets an approval from the Maltese Minister and contributes to the state fund, donates and pays fees

6

2 months

Submitting biometrics and taking an oath

The investor and family members over 6 years old visit the Community Malta Agency for fingerprinting and taking an oath of allegiance

7

4 days

Receiving passports

The investor and family members over 12 years old collect the documents in person

1

2 weeks

Get a Police Clearance Certificate

The condition is to pass a check against international databases in Malta

2

3 weeks

Obtain a Malta residence permit

Immigrant Invest helps prepare documents, buy or rent a property in Malta, and get an appointment for fingerprinting in Malta

3

4—5 months

Eligibility Test

The investor must apply for the check within 12 months after getting the residence permit

4

1 or 3 years later

Applying for citizenship

The investor can apply only after passing the Eligibility Test. One or three years must pass since becoming a resident

5

4 months

Fulfilment of investment conditions

The investor gets an approval from the Maltese Minister and contributes to the state fund, donates and pays fees

6

2 months

Submitting biometrics and taking an oath

The investor and family members over 6 years old visit the Community Malta Agency for fingerprinting and taking an oath of allegiance

7

4 days

Receiving passports

The investor and family members over 12 years old collect the documents in person

The most crucial step to Malta citizenship is the Eligibility Test, a type of Due Diligence. A government agency, Maltese law enforcement agencies and independent companies, conduct the check.

Due Diligence is needed to prevent people with an unreliable reputation from getting Maltese passports. It also helps prove to the world community that Malta has nothing to do with offshore jurisdictions and money laundering. Each investor is screened for a diversified portfolio of assets across multiple jurisdictions.

The Maltese government carefully selects candidates for a passport and refuses if it finds issues in the investor’s biography or business operations. For all the time that the country grants citizenship to cosmopolitans, about 25% of applicants were refused.

Everything you need to know to pass Due Diligence

Immigrant Invest helps cosmopolitans to obtain Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services. Our certified Anti Money Laundering Officers conduct preliminary Due Diligence, which reduces the rejection rate to 1%. Lawyers prepare documents and apply for residency and citizenship on the investor’s behalf.

When the investor passes the Eligibility Test, they must fulfil several investment conditions to get the Maltese passport:

• €600,000+ or €750,000+ — contribution to the National Development and Social Fund;

• €10,000 — charitable donation;

• €700,000+ or €16,000+ per year — purchase or rental of residential property in Malta.

Expenses on obtaining citizenship depend on the time spent in the resident status. A fund contribution of €750,000 will be required if the investor applies for a passport a year after obtaining a residence permit. If the investor maintains the residence permit for three years, they will contribute at least €600,000.

The number of family members also affects the contribution amount. An additional €50,000 must be contributed per applicant, starting with the fourth family member.

Besides the fund contribution, the applicant donates €10,000 to a Maltese non-government organisation. They also buy or rent housing on the island to have a registered address.

The administrative fees include paying for the Eligibility Assessment, government fees for residence cards, and health insurance.

Creditereform, a German credit agency, has given Malta an A+ rating. It means that the country’s economy will develop and grow steadily, despite the crisis due to the pandemic in 2020.

Malta strives to strengthen the country’s reputation in the international arena and maintain its high passport ranking. Therefore, it is interested in attracting highly qualified specialists and talented businessmen who can share their experience and business connections.

The naturalisation path for exceptional services by direct investment attracts wealthy people from all over the world. Investments help the Maltese government develop its economy and infrastructure. For example, money goes to healthcare and social projects.