Malta Permanent Residence Programme for Nigerians: the ultimate guide

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme is an excellent option for Nigerians to expand global mobility, investment, and business opportunities. The following are some of the main benefits of participating in the MPRP.

Live in Malta, a developed European country with a high level of safety and a relatively low cost of living. Most country residents speak English, making integration into society easier for Nigerians.

Enjoy visa-free travel within the Schengen area, which comprises 26 European countries, including Malta, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Netherlands, and many more.

Malta permanent residence by investment

The visa-free stay for Malta residents is up to 90 days out of 180. The time spent in Malta doesn’t count.

Set Malta as a ‘safe haven’. With Malta MPRP for Nigerians, you won’t be obliged to live in the country to maintain your permanent residence. If you want, you can create a safe haven with this investment.

An investor can rent or buy property in Malta and open a Maltese bank account to transfer capital to the country. Should there be issues in the state of residence, residents are free to move quickly to Malta.

Explore the benefits and requirements of the Maltese investment programme

Access to quality education. If you and your children successfully get Malta permanent residency for Nigerians, you’ll no longer need a visa to study in Maltese schools and universities. You can also access educational institutions in the Schengen countries for short-term courses or visit schools and universities before entering them.

Access to Malta’s healthcare system. You can turn to Maltese medical facilities for treatment. There are a lot of excellent hospitals and clinics that provide high-quality services. Also, one can use their right to travel to the Schengen Area visa-free to visit clinics in other countries.

Run a business in Malta. Permanent residents may establish companies in Malta. The country has a stable economy, a safe banking system, tax incentives for companies and many attractive business sectors.

Ngozi,

Owner of an agricultural business in Nigeria

Malta permanent residence for running a business in Europe without intermediaries

Ngozi’s company produces and exports cocoa beans, nuts, coconuts and other foods. He has clients in Europe; he turned to a partner in Germany to work with them. But the partner let Ngozi down several times, leading to a profit loss.

To work with European customers without intermediaries, the businessman decided to get residency in Europe and register a business there. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme suited his goals best.

The investor obtained a Malta PR permit in 11 months. Now he can register a company there and work with European customers directly.

Learn a case

Take advantage of Malta’s tax system. The MPRP does not give applicants special tax incentives. They are to pay the usual tax rates. However, a permanent resident status allows an investor to live in Malta for 183+ days a year, which is necessary to become a country tax resident.

Malta’s tax rates for residents may be attractive to investors and business owners. Additionally, the country has Double Taxation Agreements with 70+ states: they allow residents of Malta not to pay taxes on foreign income at full rates.

Get a life-long residential status in Malta for the whole family. Permanent residence for investors is a life-long status; you will only need to renew your PR cards every five years. Investors may include spouses, children, parents and grandparents in the applications.

Only investors from countries outside of the EU, EEA and Switzerland can take part in the MPRP. Also, one needs to meet the requirements set by the government of Malta; they are designed to ensure that the candidates have no problems with the law and can support themselves while they reside in Malta.

Investor. Here are the essential eligibility requirements for the main applicant:

1. Over 18 years old.

2. Clean criminal record. A police certificate is required.

3. Not under any sanction.

4. Should be able to confirm the legality of income sources.

5. No visa denials in countries with a visa-free regime with Malta.

6. Comprehensive health insurance coverage.

7. With assets of at least €500,000, including €150,000 of liquid financial assets.

A spouse of the main applicant can be added to the programme application. An investor should provide documents supporting that the couple is in an officially registered marriage or unregistered partnership. The spouse’s full health insurance coverage is also necessary when applying for Malta residency for Nigerians.

Children. An investor can include children under 18 years old in the MPRP application. One may also bring children over 18 years if they are unmarried and principally dependent on the main applicant or the spouse. Further documentation is required, including their birth certificates and proof of health insurance coverage.

Parents and grandparents can also be supported if they are principally dependent on the applicant or the spouse. You should provide evidence of your relationship with your parents or grandparents, such as birth certificates.

Investors must fulfil certain investment conditions such as buying or renting real estate, making charitable donations, and paying government fees.

You have to choose between renting and buying a real estate property in Malta. If you decide to rent, you should find an object for €10,000+ per year in the south of Malta or Gozo or €12,000+ per year in other regions. The minimum time of rent is five years.

If you choose to purchase a real estate property, the price would depend on the location: €300,000+ for the south of Malta or the island of Gozo or €350,000+ for other regions.

You should own the property for at least five years after getting permanent residence. While you own real estate, you may rent it out if it’s situated in a Special Designated Area (SDA). And once the 5-year span ends, you can sell or keep it. However, investors must always have a registration address in Malta.

There’s a government contribution of €28,000+ if you buy real estate and €58,000+ if you rent. Also, an investor must donate €2,000 to a Maltese charitable organisation, and the administration fee one needs to pay is €40,000.

In summary, the investment conditions include:

1. Renting or purchasing real estate in Malta for five years. That is €10,000+ annually to rent or €300,000+ for a real estate purchase.

2. An administrative fee of €40,000.

3. Government contribution of €28,000 to €58,000, depending on the real estate investment option, and an additional €7,500 per parent or grandparent supported.

4. A donation of €2,000 to a Maltese non-governmental organisation.

Additionally, an investor should have at least €500,000 in total assets, including €150,000 liquid assets in the form of deposits, bonds, or stocks. During the first five years of obtaining Malta permanent residency for Nigerians, the applicant should confirm the ownership of these assets every year.

You may apply for permanent residence permits for family members even after the initial application approval. There are additional fees: €7,500 for a spouse, parent or grandparent, and €5,000 for a minor grandchild or a child over 18.

Individual cost calculation for permanent residence in Malta

Get the cost calculation

Original documents or certified true copies are needed for the application. All documents in other languages must be translated into English.

The essential list of documents for the MPRP application includes the following:

1. International passports, identification cards, and residence permits.

2. Birth certificates.

3. Marriage or divorce certificates.

4. Evidence of a residential address abroad, such as residence certificates, utility bills or other documents.

5. Statement of Source of Funds & Wealth.

6. Bank statements.

7. Evidence of business ownership or employment: a certificate of incorporation, a share register, an employment contract, etc.

8. Medical insurance.

9. Police certificate.

10. Change of name documents, if applicable.

11. Military records, if applicable.

There are also government forms the licensed agent will help the applicant fill out.

Immigrant Invest lawyers gather and prepare all the necessary documents and make sure that the application goes as smoothly as possible.

For third-country nationals, there are various purposes for obtaining a residence permit in Malta. It could be for business, work, studies, or family unification. Let’s briefly tackle each:

Work permits. For foreign employees or self-employed applicants, the types of residence permits they can apply for are the Single Permit or the EU Blue Card.

A Single Permit is one of the most common ways to immigrate to Malta, allowing you to live and work in the country legally. You need to have a job offer from a Maltese company to apply for this permit.

The EU Blue Card is a residence permit for those who have a contract or job offer of at least one year. It is also meant for highly qualified freelancers or professionals earning at least 1.5 times more than the average annual salary in Malta.

The validity period of both Single Permit and Blue Card is one year, and they may be renewed.

Visas for students and researchers. You need the endorsement of a university to apply for a Student Visa in Malta. The permit is valid for a year or the course’s time.

Researchers may also be able to apply for a Malta residence permit if they are chosen by a research institution based in Malta. A higher education degree or a doctoral degree is required. The validity of the permit is one year.

Visas for family unification. If a foreigner has legally lived in Malta for at least two years and has a residence permit valid for at least one year, they can apply for residency for their family members: spouses or partners and minor children.

Residence permits for HNWIs. The Malta Global Residence Programme enables one to obtain a temporary residence permit in the country. The first is valid for a year, and the following ones are issued for two years.

The GRP includes a special tax regime for residence permit holders: they pay 15% tax on foreign income received in Malta, and the minimum amount of tax is €15,000 annually. The income earned in Malta is taxed at a 35% rate.

Investors with residence permits acquired under the Malta Global Residence Programme are not obliged to live in the country; however, they mustn’t spend more than 183 days a year in any other jurisdiction.

1. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme is an investment programme which allows non-EU nationals, including Nigerians, to obtain permanent residence permits in Malta.

2. Investors over 18 with legal income and health insurance may get permanent residency. Also, they may apply their spouses, children, parents and grandparents in the applications.

3. The investment amount depends on the chosen real estate option and family composition. The sum for a single investor who chooses to rent real estate in the south of Malta is €150,000+.

4. Malta PR is a life-long status. The residence cards are valid for five years.

5. PR holders may live in Malta, visit other Schengen countries visa-free for 90 days in 180, access quality healthcare and education and run an international business.