Maltese permanent residence
minimum
investment
registration
process
investment in real estate can be returned
More details
The Maltese permanent residence by investment program was launched in 2015. In 2021, the rules were updated and the changes were incorporated in the Malta Permanent Residence Program Regulations, LN 121 of 2021.
Only investors from countries outside the European Economic Community (EEC) can participate in the Malta Permanent Residence Program. The main applicant’s spouse, children, parents and grandparents can also be included in the same application.
The main applicant must fulfill the following investment conditions: buy or rent real estate, pay government fees and make a charitable contribution. They must also confirm that they have capital of €500,000.
Maltese permanent residence is granted for life. However, the permanent residence card needs to be renewed every five years (much less frequently than permanent residence cards issued by most other countries).
What does Maltese permanent residence offer?
to the Schengen countries
Permanent residence in Malta allows you to visit the Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Applicants are not required to live in Malta in order to obtain or maintain permanent residence by investment. They can treat it as a safe haven to escape to at short notice if needed by buying or renting real estate, opening a bank account and transferring money there. In the event of unforeseen problems in their original country of residence, Maltese permanent residents will be able to immediately leave their original country of residence for the safety of Malta.
Maltese permanent residence by investment is for life. It allows the holder to move to Malta, register a company there, find a job and become a tax resident of the country.
You can apply for Maltese citizenship five years after obtaining permanent residence. However, applicants for citizenship must live in the country for four out of the five years and cannot leave the country for the year immediately before submitting their citizenship application. At the same time, they do not need to renounce their original citizenship.
Maltese citizens can travel without a visa to 186 countries throughout the world, including the United States, Britain, Canada, Japan and Singapore. Malta passport holders can also live in any EU country.
Maltese permanent residents do not need a visa to be treated in medical clinics in Malta or to study in local schools or universities. They can also be treated in medical clinics and enroll in educational institutions in the Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days.
Get detailed information about the process
- Step-by-step procedure
- Requirements for applicants
- List of documents
- Answers to frequently asked questions
PDF, 36 pages, 12 MB
Who is eligible for Maltese permanent residence?
Investor’s costs
The main applicant must fulfill the following investment conditions: buy or rent property, pay administrative and state fees and make a charitable donation in Malta. All these conditions are mandatory, including buying or renting real estate.
Prerequisite for participation in the Maltese permanent residence program: capital of at least €500,000, including liquid financial assets (deposits, stocks, bonds) of €150,000. Ownership of this capital has to be confirmed annually for the first five years after getting permanent residence by investment.
investment
Rent real estate
€160,000
The main applicant pays government fees and contributions, makes a donation to a charitable organization and rents real estate in Malta for five years.
The minimum rental cost in the south of Malta and on the island of Gozo is €10,000 per annum, and in other regions, €12,000.
 Investor |  Family of two or more members | |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate rental for 5 years | €60,000 | €60,000 |
| Administrative fee | €40,000 | €40,000 |
| Contribution to state | €58,000 | €58,000 + €7,500 for each parent or grandparent |
| Charitable donation | €2,000 | €2,000 |
| Translation and apostille of documents, notary fees | €4,000 | at least €4,000 |
| Medical insurance | €400 | at least €800 |
investment
Buy real estate
€370,000
The main investor pays the government taxes and fees, makes a donation to charity and buys real estate. The minimum cost of property in the south of Malta and on the island of Gozo is €300,000, while in the north and in the center of Malta, it is €350,000.
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.
| Investor | A family of two or more | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase real estate | €300,000 | €300,000 |
| Administrative fee | €40,000 | €40,000 |
| Contribution to state | €28,000 | €28,000 + €7,500 for each parent or grandparent |
| Charitable donation | €2,000 | €2,000 |
| Translation and apostille of documents, notary services | €4,000 | at least €4,000 |
| Medical insurance | €400 | at least €800 |
Cost for a family of four
| Real estate rent for 5 years | Purchase real estate | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent real estate for 5 years | €50,000 | €300,000 |
| Administrative fee | €40,000 | €40,000 |
| Contribution to state | €65,500 | €35,500 |
| Charitable donation | €2,000 | €2,000 |
| Total | €157,500 | €377,500 |
Individual cost calculation for Malta
We will send you a quote by e-mail within 1 hour
Why you need a licensed agent
By law, applicants cannot directly submit their application for a Maltese permanent residence by investment program. A licensed agent accredited by the Government of Malta must guarantee the applicant’s compliance with all the conditions stipulated in the program. The agent helps the investor at each stage of the program: from preparing documents to obtaining the permanent residence card.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent of the Malta permanent residence program by investment. License no. AKM-IMIN-21.
How to check
the validity
of the license
AKM-IMIN-21
letter identifier
of the agency
encrypted
company name
year license was issued
Step-by-step procedure for getting Maltese permanent residence by investment
1 day
Mandatory stage of the Maltese permanent residence by investment program: verification check or Due Diligence. The successful completion of the application depends on the result of the Due Diligence.
In order to avoid rejection or problems during the application process, our certified Anti Money Laundering Officer conducts a preliminary check. They look for information about the investor in the same databases that are used by the Residency Malta Agency (Malta’s agency for the permanent residence program).
The check is confidential and is completed in one working day.
Immigrant Invest has its own compliance department and our verification reduces the risk of an application for Maltese permanent residence by investment being rejected to 1%.
4-5 weeks
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare a list of documents that are required and help the applicant fill them out. They compile a history of the applicant’s assets, translate documents into English, certify copies through a notary and correctly fill out application forms.
When the package of documents is ready, our lawyers submit the application to the Residency Malta Agency. The main applicant pays an administrative fee of €10,000.
4 months or longer
The Residency Malta Agency conducts the Due Diligence on the applicant. Sometimes, the agency asks for additional information, for example, about the investor’s business and finances, during the process. In such cases, Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare the documents and answer any questions together with the applicant and submit them to the agency.
The Due Diligence process lasts four months or longer. In our experience, it takes six to eight months on average.
Up to 8 months
The Residency Malta Agency sends a notice of approval of the application to Immigrant Invest’s lawyers. As soon as the approval is received, the applicant must fulfill the stipulated investment conditions within the stated time period.
The remaining €30,000 of the administration fee is payable within two months from the date of approval. Payments related to the state contribution, charitable donation, and renting or purchasing property can take up to eight months.
At the same time, the applicant needs to take out medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000 per person.
When all the conditions are met, Immigrant Invest’s lawyers submit the supporting documents to the Residency Malta Agency.
1 day or longer
The main applicant and all family members included in the application must travel to Malta and give their biometric data at the Residency Malta Agency. This takes place after the application has been approved. However, it can be done before all the investment conditions are fulfilled.
1 month
The Residency Malta Agency reviews the additional documents that our lawyers submit after the investor has fulfilled all the conditions of the program. Then Immigrant Invest receives final approval of the application, which means that permanent residence cards will be issued to the applicant and their family members.
2 weeks
The Residency Malta Agency issues a Certificate of Residence and permanent residence cards and sends them to Immigrant Invest’s lawyers in Malta. These documents are then sent to the main applicant and the applicant is not required to visit Malta to collect them.
The permanent residence card for adult applicants is valid for five years. For younger family members, a new permanent residence card is issued a month after they turn 14 or 18 years old.
Every year for the first 5 years after getting permanent residence
In the first five years after getting permanent residence, the Residency Malta Agency annually checks that the permanent residence holder by investment is complying with the terms of the program: continues to rent or own real estate and continues to own assets of €500,000.
Preliminary Due Diligence
Mandatory stage of the Maltese permanent residence by investment program: verification check or Due Diligence. The successful completion of the application depends on the result of the Due Diligence.
In order to avoid rejection or problems during the application process, our certified Anti Money Laundering Officer conducts a preliminary check. They look for information about the investor in the same databases that are used by the Residency Malta Agency (Malta’s agency for the permanent residence program).
The check is confidential and is completed in one working day.
Immigrant Invest has its own compliance department and our verification reduces the risk of an application for Maltese permanent residence by investment being rejected to 1%.
Collecting documents and submitting an application on behalf of our client
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare a list of documents that are required and help the applicant fill them out. They compile a history of the applicant’s assets, translate documents into English, certify copies through a notary and correctly fill out application forms.
When the package of documents is ready, our lawyers submit the application to the Residency Malta Agency. The main applicant pays an administrative fee of €10,000.
Due Diligence
The Residency Malta Agency conducts the Due Diligence on the applicant. Sometimes, the agency asks for additional information, for example, about the investor's business and finances, during the process. In such cases, Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepare the documents and answer any questions together with the applicant and submit them to the agency.
The Due Diligence process lasts four months or longer. In our experience, it takes six to eight months on average.
Fulfillment of investment conditions
The Residency Malta Agency sends a notice of approval of the application to Immigrant Invest’s lawyers. As soon as the approval is received, the applicant must fulfill the stipulated investment conditions within the stated time period.
The remaining €30,000 of the administration fee is payable within two months from the date of approval. Payments related to the state contribution, charitable donation, and renting or purchasing property can take up to eight months.
At the same time, the applicant needs to take out medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000 per person.
When all the conditions are met, Immigrant Invest’s lawyers submit the supporting documents to the Residency Malta Agency.
Travel to Malta for giving biometrics
The main applicant and all family members included in the application must travel to Malta and give their biometric data at the Residency Malta Agency. This takes place after the application has been approved. However, it can be done before all the investment conditions are fulfilled.
Obtaining final approval
The Residency Malta Agency reviews the additional documents that our lawyers submit after the investor has fulfilled all the conditions of the program. Then Immigrant Invest receives final approval of the application, which means that permanent residence cards will be issued to the applicant and their family members.
Obtaining permanent residence cards
The Residency Malta Agency issues a Certificate of Residence and permanent residence cards and sends them to Immigrant Invest’s lawyers in Malta. These documents are then sent to the main applicant and the applicant is not required to visit Malta to collect them.
The permanent residence card for adult applicants is valid for five years. For younger family members, a new permanent residence card is issued a month after they turn 14 or 18 years old.
Annual review of compliance with the terms of the program
In the first five years after getting permanent residence, the Residency Malta Agency annually checks that the permanent residence holder by investment is complying with the terms of the program: continues to rent or own real estate and continues to own assets of €500,000.
Additional services after obtaining permanent residence
The Maltese permanent residence card must be renewed every five years. Over time, the permanent residence holder may also need to have other services performed, such as becoming a tax resident or registering a car. We have listed some of these services here.
We help renew our clients’ permanent residence cards every five years.
We help obtain permanent residence by adding the investor’s spouse, parents, children and grandchildren to the original application after the investor has become a permanent resident.
Provided that the investor spends at least 183 days a year in Malta.
We follow the transaction from the moment of purchase to registration under the Maltese flag.
We prepare the documents and take all the steps required for applying for a new permanent residence card in the event that the original card is lost.
We prepare the necessary documents and fill out the forms.
We submit an electronic application for a TIN on behalf of our client.
We help you choose an apartment online, we visit the property and send you a video of it. We closely study and check the purchase and sale of a property on behalf of our client and also help them conclude rental agreements.
We help our client apply for and obtain a driver's license. The applicant has to prepare for and pass the exam.
Additionally, we take out insurance on them.
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Answers to frequently asked questions
Maltese permanent residence can be obtained by an applicant over 18 years of age with proven legal income, who has no criminal record and who has not been refused a visa by a country that has a visa-free agreement with Malta. The applicant also needs to own assets of €500,000, including liquid financial assets of €150,000.
Eligible family members of the main applicant can also receive permanent residence: a spouse or partner, children, parents and grandparents can participate in the program. There are no age restrictions.
However, a number of requirements are imposed on adult family members. Children over 18 years of age must not be married, and adult children, parents and grandparents should be financially dependent on the main applicant.
The main applicant must fulfill the following investment conditions:
- €40,000: administrative fee;
- €10,000 per annum rental payments for 5 years or purchase property for €300,000;
- €58,000 or €28,000: contribution to the state for renting or buying real estate, respectively;
- €2,000: donation to a charitable organization.
If the investor rents a property for five years, it costs at least €150,000. If they buy a property, it costs at least €370,000.
The investor must also make a contribution to the state of €7,500 for each parent or grandparent added to the program.
If an investor buys real estate to participate in the program, they can sell it after five years and get the money back. In addition, they can rent out the property during the period it is owned by them.
However, rental payments (for those choosing to rent property rather than buy it), administration fees, government fees, and charitable donations cannot be refunded.
Yes, they can be added to the program.
The investor’s spouse, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law can be added to the original program at a later date. In this case, the investor needs to pay additional fees:
- €7,500 for a spouse, parent, grandparent, daughter-in-law or son-in-law;
- €5,000 for a child over 18 years of age or grandchild of the investor or their spouse.
Minor children of the investor or their spouse and children with disabilities are added free of charge.
No one can guarantee the approval of an application for Maltese permanent residence. If you are given such a guarantee, you should take a closer look at the offer, as it is almost certainly fraudulent.
We carry out a preliminary check for our clients in order to improve the chances of their application being approved. Our certified Anti Money Laundering Officer studies the investor’s documents and searches for information about them in international databases. This helps us find information about the investor that could otherwise have resulted in their application being rejected.
If we find a problem or information that could raise doubts about the success of their application, we offer an alternative solution: for example, we sometimes add a package of additional documents for greater clarity or recommend a different program to our client. In our experience, a preliminary check reduces the risk of an application being rejected to 1%.
In the first five years after being granted permanent residence, the Residency Malta Agency checks whether the investor is continuing to fulfill the terms stipulated in the program every year. During this period, the investor must continue to own assets of €500,000, including liquid financial assets of €150,000. During this period, they must also continue to own the property initially purchased or continue to rent a property for €10,000 or €12,000 per annum, depending on the region.
Five years after receiving permanent residence, the investor can sell the property and dispose of their assets. However, they will continue to need a registered address in Malta in order to maintain permanent residence. At the same time, they can buy or rent a property that is cheaper than the initial property they were required to buy or rent in order to participate in the permanent residence program in Malta.
Articles about Maltese permanent residence
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