Malta permanent residency by investment and citizenship by naturalisation: how to get it

Malta permanent residence program is a path to Maltese permanent residency by investment.

Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services through direct investment leads to obtaining citizenship.

Both routes are suitable for high-income non-European residents interested in working and studying in Europe or planning Malta immigration.

Explore the benefits and requirements of the Maltese investment programme

Malta passport and permanent residency benefits:

1. Freedom to travel to more than 180 countries for Malta passport holders, including the USA, Canada, and Australia. Every Maltese citizen is also a citizen of the European Union.

2. Visa-free travel to Schengen states for Maltese residence permit holders allows visiting other countries of the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in six months.

3. Citizenship or residency in a well-respected, economically, and politically stable European country.

4. Future generations inherit citizenship status. A child will get a Malta passport even if born outside of Malta.

5. Right to live, work, and study in all 27 EU countries and Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland.

6. Tax optimisation for investors — 0% tax rate on foreign income not transferred to Malta. There is no inheritance tax or surcharge for the main applicant’s spouse, children or other relatives included in the application.

7. Right to open accounts in international banks in Malta with a high level of financial security.

8. Tourism and real estate in Malta attract entrepreneurs from all over the world. Investors receive a stable income. For example, renting out real estate earns at least 5% per annum.

9. British and American schools and universities' branches are situated in Malta. Malta residents can get an education in public universities for free.

10. Living in a warm climate. The average annual temperature is about 23 °C during the day. The coldest month is January: the temperature ranges from 12 to 20 °C.

Malta passport is considered one of the strongest one in the world due to a large number of countries, now it's 187, that can be visited without arranging for a visa in advance. In 31 of these countries, a visa is issued upon arrival, while in another 11 countries, an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) is required

Obtain a Maltese passport or residency card is possible according to two options:

1. Apply for Malta citizenship by naturalisation path. An applicant can obtain Maltese citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services through direct investment. The Maltese Citizenship Act provides for this. The minimum investment is €690,000.

2. Participate in Malta permanent residency by investment program. Wealthy individuals from non-EU countries can obtain a permanent residency permit within six months. An investor can buy or rent real estate, pay government fees and make a charitable contribution. They must also confirm that they have capital of €500,000.

Malta citizenship requirements for an investor:

• age over 18 years old;

• no criminal record or criminal prosecution;

• not under sanctions;

• no visa denials to countries that have a visa waiver regime with Malta;

• ability to confirm the legality of the origin of the invested funds.

The relatives are also eligible to apply for Malta citizenship by naturalisation. Among them: spouse or partner, children under 18; children over 29, unmarried, and financially dependent on principal investor; financially dependent parents or grandparents over 55 of either investor or spouse.

Malta permanent residency requirements for an investor:

• age over 18 years old;

• no criminal record or criminal prosecution;

• no visa denials to countries that have a visa waiver regime with Malta;

• ability to confirm the legality of the origin of the invested funds;

• owning a capital of at least €500,000, of which at least €150,000 thousand must be financial assets.

An investor can add to the application the family members: spouse or partner, children under 18; children over 18, unmarried, and financially dependent on the principal investor; financially dependent parents or grandparents of either investor or spouse.

If people, who live together without being registered as civil marriage, bring documents proving common-law marriage, they can participate in Malta permanent residence program. They can use a joint bank account statement, registration certificate, shared ownership, testimonies from relatives and friends, and photos and videos from vacations.

Malta is one of the European countries which offers citizenship or residency for the LGBT couples. They must be officially registered

The Maltese permanent residence program is the only investment route in Europe with no age limits for relatives.

To apply for a Malta golden visa, an applicant must bring:

1. Passports of all family members.

2. Proof you have the necessary funds for the investment.

3. Documents sustaining the funds have legal sources.

4. Bank statements from your country of origin.

5. Proof of family relationships, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, divorce certificate or custody documents.

6. Documents proving financial dependency for adult children, parents, or grandparents.

7. Biometric data for the main applicant and others over 12.

8. Police certificates, proving you do not have a criminal background.

9. Medical insurance.

10. Any other necessary documents, if required.

The Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment is the official name of Malta’s golden visa for obtaining citizenship. There is no requirement to reside in Malta before or after receiving citizenship.

Igor Buglo,

Head of the Maltese office, MBA

There is no difference between Malta citizenship by naturalisation and Malta passport receiving by origin. Investors and their family members get the same rights and privileges as native inhabitants.

A sum of the contribution defines when the investor can apply for citizenship. If the contribution amounts to €600,000, the residence permit must be kept for three years. If an investor contributes €750,000, the residence period cuts to one year.

An applicant meets three mandatory investment conditions:

• contribute to the National Development and Social Fund (the NDSF);

• donate money to a non-governmental organisation;

• buy or rent real estate.

Additional investment for each family member is €50,000.

In the case of renting real estate, an investor first applies for a residence permit. To get it, the investor rents housing for €12,000. The rent should last for a year or three years, depending on the option.

The investor applies for a Malta passport in a year or three years. The investor concludes a new leasing agreement for €16,000 per year. It is obligatory to rent housing for at least five years.

In the case of buying real estate, the property must remain in the investor’s ownership for five years from the date they were granted permanent residence. After five years, it can be sold, and part of the investment returned.

The Maltese Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) is the official name of the investment route. Malta is the only country in Europe that offers permanent residence by investment, not temporary.

Igor Buglo,

Head of the Maltese office, MBA

Permanent residence status, as opposed to a temporary residence permit is granted for life and is confirmed by a Certificate of Maltese Residence, issued by the country’s Government after approval and fulfilment of investment conditions.

The Malta Permanent Residence Program is not subject to a quota, and there are no restrictions on obtaining a Malta Permanent Resident Card. Permanent residency can get citizens of any country except for the European Union. You do not need to know the language or history of the country, and there is no obligation to live in Malta.

An applicant fulfils mandatory investment conditions:

• make a charitable donation;

• pay administrative and state fees;

• buy or rent real estate;

• capital of at least €500,000, including liquid financial assets of €150,000.

When buying real estate, the property must remain in the ownership of the main investor for five years from the date they were granted permanent residence. After five years, it can be sold, and part of the investment returned.

1. Preliminary Due Diligence Check. The investor undergoes an initial check against International legal and business information databases. They are also checked for harmful or compromising information materials on the Internet.

2. Collection and execution of documents for applying for a particular tax status. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers make a list of needed documents for the application. The applicant provides originals. Lawyers submit documents for translation and certification, and they also fill out forms on behalf of the applicant. At this stage, the investor pays the administration fee.

3. Compliance with the terms of the Malta Global Residence Program. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare a property rental or purchase declaration, the letter from the tax service and state forms that need to be filled out. A lawyer from Immigrant Invest accompanies them.

4. Applying for Due Diligence. The Residency Malta Agency conducts the Due Diligence on the applicant, which takes about four months. If necessary, the investor mud provides additional information, about the business and finances. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare the documents, answer any questions and submit them to the agency.

5. Approval of the application. The Residency Malta Agency approve the application and notify Immigrant Invest’s lawyers. Next step, the applicant must fulfil the investment conditions.

The remaining €30,000 of the administration fee is payable within two months from approval. Payments related to state contributions, charitable donations, and renting or purchasing property can take eight months.

At this stage, the applicants buy medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000 per person.

6. Applying for Malta residence permit cards and submitting biometrics. All applicants must come to Malta a second time to submit an application and biometrics for residence permit cards. Family members over 18 can go separately without the principal applicant to apply for a residence permit and submit biometrics no later than six months after beginning the insurance and rental agreement.

Immigrant Invest lawyer accompanies applicants. The application and the necessary documents are submitted to the Identity Malta Agency by appointment.

7. Obtaining a residence permit card. Identity Malta Agency reviews the application for a residence permit within 5‑6 weeks. After consideration, the agency sends a letter with notification of readiness of the residence permit cards by mail. The letter is sent to the applicant’s Maltese residence address, confirmed by the previous lease or purchase agreement.

All applicants need to come to Malta for the third time to personally pick up residence permit cards from Identity Malta upon presentation of a letter.

Lizhong and Xinyan,

Received permanent residence in Malta in 2016

How to renew Malta permanent residence

In May 2015, Lizhong applied to Immigrant Invest to obtain permanent residence in Malta. The investor decided to become a Maltese resident to travel to the Schengen countries without a visa, send his son to study at a European school, and move the whole family to the European Union.

When Lizhong applied to Immigrant Invest, Malta had an investment program — Malta Residence and Visa Program. In March 2021, new rules came into force, and the program is now called the Malta Permanent Residence Program.

Learn a case

Malta is not the only country in Europe offering a path leading to a residence permit by investment. The most sought after programs are also operated in Greece, Portugal, Сyprus and Spain.

The EU states confer a residence permit by investment, carefully checking the reliability of each investor. The legality of the origin of income, reputational risks, and business ties are considered. And the flow of investors wishing to receive the status is constantly growing.

A residence permit in a European country provides freedom of travel within the Schengen Area and the prospect of citizenship in an EU country.