Obtaining Malta citizenship: procedure explained in detail
Malta is a European country which gives an opportunity to obtain its citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment. The procedure was updated in 2020. An investor first gets a residence permit and after a year or three years applies for Malta citizenship.
Told how an investor can obtain Malta citizenship
The citizenship is obtained by naturalization but on the ground of a direct investment. The application time depends on the investment option. Learn how investors can become Maltese citizens and what opportunities it gives to the cosmopolitans.
Benefits of Malta citizenship
Moving to Malta. It is a small European country with a high living standard, proximity to the sea and a relatively moderate cost of living. Malta actively pursues an investment development policy. The Maltese economy benefits from a foreign capital inflow which ensures a sustainable future for the country.
Living in any of the EU or Schengen countries. Maltese citizens can move freely between the countries of the region and stay there for a longer time. They don’t need visas or special permissions to reside.
Travelling around the globe. The Maltese passport gives a free-visa entry to more than 180 countries. The list includes the USA, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Switzerland.
International business development. The citizenship helps to open an affiliate branch in Europe, register a new business and choose a beneficial tax strategy. There is no global income tax in Malta to top it off.
Working with European banks. The citizenship provides an opportunity to open accounts and deposits in banks in any of the EU countries, as well as to register securities on the citizen’s name.
European education for children. Children with the Maltese citizenship will be able to receive a sound academic background in the best universities in Europe. It will help to successfully start a career in any field the children choose.
How much should one invest to get the Malta citizenship
To become a resident and then a citizen of Malta, an investor needs to:
buy or rent a housing for 5 years;
make a contribution to the Maltese National Development and Social Fund (NDSF);
make a donation to a registered Maltese non-governmental organisation.
Investments in real estate are refundable. The investor can beneficially sell the housing after 5 years. The rest of expenses cannot be returned.
Real estate investments
€80,000 or more — housing rent in Malta for 5 years
€700,000 or more — purchase of property in Malta
Contribution to Maltese social and economic development
€750,000 — when obtaining a passport after a year of residency
€600,000 — when obtaining a passport after 3 years of residency
€50,000 — for each dependant
A donation to any non-profitable cultural, sport, scientific non-governmental organisation registered in Malta — €10,000.
These are the main expenses needed but there are other procedural expenses. An investor pays for execution and application of documents, Due Diligence, flights to Malta, issuance of a residence card.
Procedural expenses for obtaining Malta citizenship
Approximate costs
Citizenship revocation
The Malta citizenship might be revoked if the investment conditions are not met. For example, the passport will be revoked if an investor sells his Maltese home or stops renting housing before the expiration of the obligatory 5-year period.
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Who is eligible for the Malta citizenship
The investor must be over 18 years old. He can add his family members to the application:
a spouse or a civil union partner;
children under 18 years old, including children from previous marriages and spouse’s children;
children under 29 years old, if they are not married and are financially dependent from the investor;
both spouses’ parents and grandparents over 55 years old if they are financially dependent from the investor.
The indicated costs of participation are approximate. The expenses depend on the number of family members included and other particularities. We provide a detailed cost calculation at an individual consultation.
Individual cost calculation of the Maltese citizenship
How to get the Malta citizenship
The citizenship might be granted in a year or in 3 years after getting a residence permit. The time period depends on the investment option. If an investor applies for citizenship after a year of residency, the investment sum will be greater than if when he applies after 3 years of residency.
The procedure includes several steps. It starts with reaching out to a licensed agent and ends when an investor receives the passport. In the process the investor is to visit Malta to have his fingerprints taken and to receive a residence card.
Immigrant Invest has a licence No. AKM-IMIN‑23 and cooperates with the Community Malta Agency that curates the granting of citizenship. We arrange flights to Malta so that our clients could choose real estate and take part in all the necessary procedures.
Procedure of obtaining Malta citizenship
Preliminary Due Diligence
Due Diligence is an obligatory step of the process when obtaining the citizenship by naturalisation for direct investments. Immigrant Invest experts conduct a preliminary check to guard a client from possible problems, to seek out all the red flags beforehand and to take a correct view of the client’s chances to obtain citizenship.
If a client has a criminal record or is under the EU sanctions, he won’t be able to become a citizen of Malta. In this case Due Diligence helps to identify the problems and not to waste money.
Due Diligence — everything an investor needs to know about the check in Immigrant Invest
Due Diligence is an obligatory step of the process when obtaining the citizenship by naturalisation for direct investments. Immigrant Invest experts conduct a preliminary check to guard a client from possible problems, to seek out all the red flags beforehand and to take a correct view of the client’s chances to obtain citizenship.
If a client has a criminal record or is under the EU sanctions, he won’t be able to become a citizen of Malta. In this case Due Diligence helps to identify the problems and not to waste money.
Due Diligence — everything an investor needs to know about the check in Immigrant Invest
Police Clearance obtaining
Police Clearance is a document confirming an investor passed a check conducted by the Maltese police through Europol and Interpol. The certificate is needed to obtain a residence permit.
The check usually takes about 2 weeks.
Police Clearance is a document confirming an investor passed a check conducted by the Maltese police through Europol and Interpol. The certificate is needed to obtain a residence permit.
The check usually takes about 2 weeks.
Application for a residence permit
To become a Maltese citizen, an investor is to be its resident for a year or for 3 years. The time period depends on the investment option. The residency confirms the applicant’s immigration status in the country and guarantees that an investor genuinely intends to obtain citizenship.
The investor needs to get documents according to the list received from a manager and to send us scanned copies. We translate and apostille them. In the meantime we get medical insurance certificates for the investor and his family and find housing. The investor can get a residence permit only if he has a residential address in Malta.
Documents needed for a residence permit in Malta
international passports of all family members;
a medical insurance certificate for all family members;
a bank statement;
a lease agreement made in the investor’s name;
children’s birth certificates;
a marriage certificate;
an investor or his spouse’s birth certificate if their parents included in the application for residency.
To become a Maltese citizen, an investor is to be its resident for a year or for 3 years. The time period depends on the investment option. The residency confirms the applicant’s immigration status in the country and guarantees that an investor genuinely intends to obtain citizenship.
The investor needs to get documents according to the list received from a manager and to send us scanned copies. We translate and apostille them. In the meantime we get medical insurance certificates for the investor and his family and find housing. The investor can get a residence permit only if he has a residential address in Malta.
Documents needed for a residence permit in Malta
international passports of all family members;
a medical insurance certificate for all family members;
a bank statement;
a lease agreement made in the investor’s name;
children’s birth certificates;
a marriage certificate;
an investor or his spouse’s birth certificate if their parents included in the application for residency.
Obtaining a residence permit
The applicant and his family should visit Malta to have their fingerprints taken.
There is no need to stay in Malta and wait for a residency permit card. To become a Maltese resident, an investor is just to have an address in the country. If the investor wants to get residency and citizenship to move to Malta, we will help to find a comfortable, well-sited and affordable housing. Our clients can visit the sites to choose a house or an apartment. An alternative is that an Immigrant Invest manager will go and see the house and film the tour for a client.
If an investor wants to choose housing by himself, it is better to plan a visit for a couple of days. But if he decides to execute a lease agreement remotely, he will need to come to Malta just for a day to obtain residency.
An application process takes about 30 minutes. Residence cards are usually issued within 2 weeks after the biometrics appointment. We receive the cards and forward them to clients by mail.
The applicant and his family should visit Malta to have their fingerprints taken.
There is no need to stay in Malta and wait for a residency permit card. To become a Maltese resident, an investor is just to have an address in the country. If the investor wants to get residency and citizenship to move to Malta, we will help to find a comfortable, well-sited and affordable housing. Our clients can visit the sites to choose a house or an apartment. An alternative is that an Immigrant Invest manager will go and see the house and film the tour for a client.
If an investor wants to choose housing by himself, it is better to plan a visit for a couple of days. But if he decides to execute a lease agreement remotely, he will need to come to Malta just for a day to obtain residency.
An application process takes about 30 minutes. Residence cards are usually issued within 2 weeks after the biometrics appointment. We receive the cards and forward them to clients by mail.
Due Diligence
Due Diligence is one of the most complex steps. It is conducted after an investor and his family received their residence cards. To pass Due Diligence, the investor should collect necessary documents for each applicant. Every detail is taken into consideration so the checking procedure can take a long time. It usually takes from 120 to 150 days.
Due Diligence is one of the most complex steps. It is conducted after an investor and his family received their residence cards. To pass Due Diligence, the investor should collect necessary documents for each applicant. Every detail is taken into consideration so the checking procedure can take a long time. It usually takes from 120 to 150 days.
Application for conferment of citizenship
If the investor passes Due Diligence, he can apply for citizenship. The application is to be submitted not earlier than after a full year or 3 years of residency. The difference between the application time periods is in the chosen contribution amount to NDSF. To become a citizen after a year of residency, the applicant is to invest € 150,000 more.
The application is usually ready to be submitted within 3 to 6 weeks of elaboration.
If the investor passes Due Diligence, he can apply for citizenship. The application is to be submitted not earlier than after a full year or 3 years of residency. The difference between the application time periods is in the chosen contribution amount to NDSF. To become a citizen after a year of residency, the applicant is to invest € 150,000 more.
The application is usually ready to be submitted within 3 to 6 weeks of elaboration.
Investing procedure
Within 4 months after application approval the applicant is to confirm that he made:
a contribution of €600,000 or €750,000 to the Malta social and economic development
a donation of €10,000
an investment in real estate: €700,000 if buying, €16,000 per annum if renting
Within 4 months after application approval the applicant is to confirm that he made:
a contribution of €600,000 or €750,000 to the Malta social and economic development
a donation of €10,000
an investment in real estate: €700,000 if buying, €16,000 per annum if renting
Receiving passports
Future Maltese citizens are to visit the country to have their fingerprints taken once more and to take the oath of allegiance. Children under 6 years old can pass the procedures and not come to Malta.
The investor and his family get naturalization certificates and passports after the oath. Children over 12 years old and adult family members are to receive the passports in person.
The passports will be ready in 2 months.
Future Maltese citizens are to visit the country to have their fingerprints taken once more and to take the oath of allegiance. Children under 6 years old can pass the procedures and not come to Malta.
The investor and his family get naturalization certificates and passports after the oath. Children over 12 years old and adult family members are to receive the passports in person.
The passports will be ready in 2 months.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for citizenship and residence by investment programs in the EU, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East. Take advantage of our global 15-year expertise — schedule a meeting with our investment programs experts.
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