2025

Reading Time: 4 min

From legal shadows to lasting residency: a path to Malta for the Algerian family

We always knew we wanted more for our children, not more things, but more chances. The kind of freedom that lets them choose their path without borders or limitations.

But we didn’t know how to begin. Immigrant Invest didn’t just give us a plan, they gave us clarity, confidence, and the calm we needed to take the first step.

They helped us build a future.

Yacin,

Entrepreneur from Algeria

Clients’ names and photos have been changed

This case was provided by our expert

Julia Loko

Investment programs expert

From legal shadows to lasting residency: a path to Malta for the Algerian family

The early morning sun filtered through the kitchen window in Algiers as Yacine stirred his coffee. His wife, Malika, sat across from him.

Silence stretched between them, not of tension, but of thought. Their daughter Lina had just returned home from another frustrating university application. Their son Karim’s eyes were fixed on a glossy magazine filled with photos of European campuses and tree-lined boulevards.

“We want more for them, ” Malika finally said, not looking up. “Not just dreams. Choices.”

Yacine nodded. He had built something solid over the years, a successful business, a comfortable life, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his children’s futures were tethered to limits they hadn’t chosen.

“We didn’t want to wait until it was too late, ” Yacine said. “We wanted to give them the world while we still could.”

Crossroads of ambition and uncertainty

At 47, Yacine had spent two decades carving out a space for himself in Algeria’s competitive business world. But for all his professional accomplishments, a part of him longed for more than just stability. He wanted freedom, security, and above all, opportunity for his children.

Lina, 20, was adrift. Bright and thoughtful, she dreamed of studying fashion in Europe, but visa restrictions and the uncertainty of long-term residence limited her options. 16-year-old Karim still had time, but Yacine and Malika knew how quickly those years would pass.

Yacin,

Investor

We weren’t running away from anything, our life was stable, even comfortable. But with our children grown up, we saw an opportunity to create something new for them.

We wanted to open the doors wider — to give them access to international opportunities, the freedom to live and work where they choose, and a future that isn’t limited by borders.

But there was a dilemma. Yacine couldn’t relocate immediately. He runs a mid-sized logistics company with operations across North Africa, and his presence in Algiers remained crucial for contract negotiations and partner management.

Any solution had to allow flexibility for the family and stability for the business. That’s when the couple began to explore investment-based residency options.

Why Malta made sense

Of all the options across Europe, Malta and its Permanent Residence Programme stood out, not just for its Mediterranean charm but especially for its low investment threshold of €169,000. It proved to be one the most affordable routes in Europe through real estate.

In comparison, countries like Greece and Latvia require a minimum property investment of €250,000, while Cyprus sets the bar even higher at €300,000 — amounts that were beyond Yacin’s budget.

Yacin briefly considered Malta’s Global Residence Programme, which required just €30,000 in investment. But there was a catch: he’d have to become a Maltese tax resident and spend fewer than 183 days in any other country. Since he planned to live mostly in Algeria, this ruled it out.

That’s why the Malta Permanent Residency Programme became the ideal solution.

There were other benefits of the Malta Permanent Residence Programme:

lifetime status — investors don’t need to renew or resubmit applications, residency is permanent;
family-friendly — a single application covers spouses, dependent children, and offers access to world-class education;
safety and lifestyle — Malta is a peaceful and expat-friendly island with excellent healthcare and schooling.

In the end, the Malta Permanent Residence Programme offered not just a residence permit but a new chapter, one Yacin and his family could start on their terms. But as with many real journeys, the path was not without obstacles.

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Ghosts from the past

Yacine was a man of careful planning. But the past, even long-forgotten parts, has a way of resurfacing.

“It was nothing. A mistake from my youth, a fine for public disturbance, ” he said quietly. “But when you’re applying for residency, nothing is nothing.”

That minor offence from over 20 years ago would need to be disclosed and explained. Worse, one of his old companies had gone bankrupt back in 2010. Though it was long resolved, any unresolved liabilities would pose a risk to the application.

And then there was Lina. As a young adult not currently in education or work, her financial dependency on her parents needed to be fully documented, something most governments scrutinise closely.

Malika,

Yacin’s wife

I started to feel like maybe we were in over our heads. There were just too many details, too many things that could go wrong, and the stakes were too high to risk a mistake.

That’s why we decided to reach out to Immigrant Invest. Because we needed someone who could guide us through every step and make sure nothing was overlooked.

Calm in the storm: Immigrant Invest steps in

From the first meeting, Yacine was genuinely impressed.

“They didn’t just say, ‘Yes, we’ll take care of it, ’” he said. “They showed us exactly how they would do it. Every step had a purpose.”

Lawyers took a surgical approach to the application:

The offence was clearly detailed in the official documentation and classified as minor and non-repetitive, making it irrelevant to the application.
Business bankruptcy was handled with legal precision. Immigrant Invest sourced and translated financial closure records to confirm there were no remaining debts.
Lina’s status was proven through notarised dependency declarations and a comprehensive family dossier, which met Malta’s rigorous requirements.

The Immigrant Invest team coordinated every document, liaised with Maltese authorities, and prepared a flawless application package. All while Yacine remained fully engaged with his business in Algeria.

“I don’t know how we would have done it without them, ” Malika said. “It felt like we were crossing a tightrope, but they built the safety net beneath us.”

Look at the process

Seven months after addressing Immigrant Invest, the Saadi family received their Maltese permanent residency cards.

“I think the moment it felt real,” Yacine said, “was when Karim asked me, ‘Can I go to university in Paris now?’ And I could say, ‘Yes. You can.’”

See how Yacin and his family’s journey unfolded.

November 18th, 2024

Preliminary Due Diligence

Immigrant Invest’s in-house Compliance Department checked Yacin’s background against international databases to identify rejection risks in advance. Then, the service agreement was signed.

+ 6 weeks, €7,000

Preparing documents

Immigrant Invest lawyers provided Yacin with a list of required documents. Then they helped to notarise and apostille them and arranged translations.

Yacin paid €5,000 for preparation of documents and €2,000 for health insurance for all his family.

Immigrant Invest lawyers provided Yacin with a list of required documents. Then they helped to notarise and apostille them and arranged translations.

Yacin paid €5,000 for preparation of documents and €2,000 for health insurance for all his family.

+ 1 week, €15,000

Applying for permanent residency

Once all the documents were gathered, Immigrant Invest submitted them to the Residency Malta Agency.

The Agency issued an invoice for the first part of the administrative fee of €15,000 within 4 business days. Yacin paid it immediately.

Once all the documents were gathered, Immigrant Invest submitted them to the Residency Malta Agency.

The Agency issued an invoice for the first part of the administrative fee of €15,000 within 4 business days. Yacin paid it immediately.

+ 4 months

Due Diligence

The Residency Malta Agency processed Yacin’s application for around 4 months. Even though Yacin’s background was not impeccable, the Agency did not request any additional documents or information.

+ 2 weeks, €15,000

Choosing and renting real estate

Yacin received the Letter of Approval in Principle, which allowed him to move to making investments.

With the help of Immigrant Invest’s local property partner, Yacin and Malika explored different options. In the end, they chose an apartment in Mosta and signed the 5-year lease for €15,000 a year.

Yacin received the Letter of Approval in Principle, which allowed him to move to making investments.

+ 1 week, €91,500

Fulfilling remaining investment conditions

Yacin paid a remaining €45,000 of the administrative fee and a contribution fee of €37,000, and donated €2,000 to a Maltese NGO. He transferred an additional administrative fee of €7,500 for his daughter.

The Residency Malta Agency issued a Letter of Final Approval to Yacin, inviting him and his family to travel to Malta to submit biometrics.

+ 1 week

Submitting biometrics

Yacin, his wife, and their children travelled to Malta. They visited the Residency Malta Agency’s office to submit biometrics data.

June 16th, 2025

Receiving residence cards

The application for residence cards was sent to the residence department for printing. When they were ready, Immigrant Invest lawyers collected them on behalf of Yacin and his family.

The outcome: new roots, new horizons

Today, with their Malta permanent residency, the family splits their time between Algiers and Malta.

Lina has enrolled in a preparatory course in Europe. Karim is thriving in an international school, already dreaming about a future in architecture. Malika, once so anxious about the process, now looks forward to lazy weekends in Valletta’s sun-drenched cafés. Most importantly, they feel free.

“Now we can also travel like Europeans, ” Malika said softly. “No paperwork. No delays. Just freedom.”

Visa-free countries for Maltese residents

With visa-free access to 29 European countries, the family can travel across the Schengen Area whenever they wish. Lina can attend university interviews and open days in different cities, Yacine can explore new business opportunities, and the whole family can enjoy spontaneous getaways together.

“We didn’t just gain a residency, ” Yacine said. “We gained peace of mind.” And behind that peace stood a team of experts who navigated the bureaucracy, the legal knots, and the emotional weight, so that a family could turn a dream into a living, breathing reality.

You too can take the first step towards your own new beginning in Malta or beyond, with guidance and support every step of the way.

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