2022
Reading Time: 5 min

Malta permanent residence permit for business, work and study in Europe

Together with my husband, we are the owners of an IT software development company in Islamabad. When he passed away, the business was taken over by my control. So, I often need to travel to Europe on company business.

My business trips alternate with personal visits to Paris, where my daughter is studying.

Sometimes my travel plans were ruined because of Schengen visa denials or flight cancellations. Therefore, following the example of my friends, I thought about obtaining a second citizenship or residency in Europe by investment.

Nargiz

Nargiz, 44 years old

A businesswoman from Pakistan

Clients’ names and photos have been changed

Malta permanent residence permit

Malta permanent residence permit for business, work and study in Europe

Nargiz contacted Immigrant Invest — a licensed agent of the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, licence № AKM‑IMIN‑23.

Immigrant Invest lawyers studied Nargiz’s story carefully and realised that much in Nargiz’s life is inextricably connected with Europe. There is a part of her business there — Nargiz IT company’s branches in France and Germany. Her daughter Alisa is 12 years old and is studying in France. So, Nargiz has to travel often for business and personal matters, and it is not always easy for Pakistani citizens to get Schengen visas whenever they need them.

Pakistani citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival or e-visa access to 31 countries and territories. These states are not included the Schengen Area, China, UK, USA and other attractive destinations.

Citizenship and residence permit options for the Nargiz family

Nargiz thought the ideal option for her and her daughter would be to apply for EU citizenship. We talked about Malta citizenship by naturalisation.

But for our client, it was too expensive. 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.

Total Maltese citizenship by naturalisation would have cost Nargiz about €1 million, and she could not withdraw such funds from the business.

Moreover, Pakistani citizens who get a second passport must renounce citizenship by origin. But it was completely unacceptable for Nargiz due to personal and business issues.

The Pakistan government has dual nationality arrangements with 21 countries. Citizens of these countries are not required to renounce their nationality while acquiring Pakistani citizenship. But the countries from the list have no suitable citizenship by investment program.

As a credible alternative to citizenship, we offered Nargiz to consider a European residency.

Residency by investment program in Europe

The country

Costs

Application processing time

Investment options

€150,000+

4—6 months

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.

€250,000+

2—6 months


Buying a property

Purchase of units of investment funds

Support for culture and art

Investments in scientific projects

Capital transfer

Business investment

Opening a company in Portugal
Support for programs improving the environment

€500,000+

2—3 months


Charity contribution

Investment fund contribution

Buying a property

Bank deposit
Buying government bonds

€250,000+

6 months


Buying a property

Hotel rental

Buying securities or opening a bank deposit

Purchase of land for construction or agriculture

Timeshare for 10 years
Receipt of real estate by inheritance or under a donation agreement

Nargiz was interested in Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP). Compared to Portugal, Spain and Greece, residence permit MPRP offers status for life. Investors can move to Malta, register a company, find a job and become tax residents of the country.

Malta permanent residence permit

Under MPRP conditions, children can get the status with the investor. In this case, Nargiz’s daughter Alisa will get the right to work in Malta, making it easier for her to look for viable options and have interviews with employers almost everywhere.

Permanent residency can get citizens of any country except for Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Venezuela, as well as citizens of the EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland.

MPRP benefits:

  1. Visa-free travel to Schengen states for up to 90 days in six months.

  2. Residency in a well-respected, economically, and politically stable European country.

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

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

  5. 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.

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

  7. No requirements to live in Malta.

The Malta Permanent Residence Program is not subject to a quota, and there is no validity period for Malta Permanent Residence Permit. Investors do not need to know the language or history of the country.

Malta’s permanent residence card must be renewed every five years, much less frequently than the temporary residence one.

MPRP — Sliema

Sliema is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. Find out how to rent or buy property on Malta

MPRP obtaining process

1. Preliminary Due Diligence Check. Nargiz passed an initial check against International legal and business information databases. She was also checked for harmful or compromising information materials on the Internet. One day later, an expert concluded that Nargiz could participate in the Malta Permanent Residence Programme with minimal denial risk.

2. Collection and execution of documents. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers made a list of needed documents for the application. Nargiz provided originals. Lawyers submitted documents for translation and certification and filled out forms on behalf of the applicant. After that, the lawyers applied to the Residency Malta Agency.

To include Alisa in the forms, Nargiz brought the documents confirming that she is a principally dependent applicant. It was a bank statement with money received by Alisa, payment for her study in Paris and other costs for her living.

3. Fulfilment of the investment condition. The Residency Malta Agency sent a notice of approval to Immigrant Invest. Nargiz paid €40,000 of the administration fee within two weeks from the approval date.

Igor Buglo

Igor Buglo,

Head of the Maltese office, MBA

Investors fulfil several investment conditions. They buy or rent a residential property, pay administrative and state fees, and donate to a Maltese organisation. All the requirements are mandatory. The only choice is renting or purchasing real estate.

Nargiz decided to acquire a Malta residence permit by renting real estate in Malta. Immigrant Invest lawyers helped to select the appropriate apartment.

At the same time, the Nargiz got medical insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 per person. Paying the contribution fee, donating, and renting or purchasing property Nargiz completed within two months.

Immigrant Invest lawyers submitted the supporting documents to the Residency Malta Agency when all the conditions were met.

4. Fingerprinting in Malta. Nargiz and Alisa travelled to Malta and provided their fingerprints at the Residency Malta Agency.

5. Final approval. The Residency Malta Agency reviewed the additional documents provided by the lawyers after Nargiz had fulfilled all the programme conditions. After that, Immigrant Invest received the final approval.

6. Getting permanent residence cards. The Residency Malta Agency issued a Certificate of Residence and permanent residence cards and sent them to Immigrant Invest lawyers in Malta. Nargiz got the documents by courier and didn’t have to visit Malta to collect them.

$174,800 — paid Nargiz to participate in Malta Permanent Residence Programme

To participate in Nargiz paid an apartment rental cost of $70,000, and other fees.

  • €70,000 — cost of renting property for 5 years

  • $40,000 — administrative fee

  • €2,000 — donation

  • $58,000 — contribution fee

  • $800 — medical insurance

  • $4,000 — translation and apostille of documents, notary fee

Nargiz and Alisa life after obtaining Malta permanent residency

Nargiz opened one more company branch in Malta. Alisa continues her education in Paris but plans to find a job in Valletta.

The results of the cooperation fully satisfied our clients and solved their problems. Now they have opportunities to settle a new life in Europe, in a country with a high standard of living.

Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for government programs in the European Union and the Caribbean.

This case was provided by our expert

Julia Loko

Investment programs expert

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