How Malta Spends Money Received From Applicants For Citizenship For Exceptional Services
The Maltese government will send one million euros to three charities: Malta Community Chest Fund, Dar tal-Providenza and Caritas. The money will be provided by the Malta National Development Fund, or NDSF. We tell you why the fund was set up and what else the government is spending the investors' money on.
Author •Julia Loko
Investment programs expert
How Malta Spends Money Received From Applicants For Citizenship For Exceptional Services
The NDSF is Malta’s sovereign wealth fund. It receives money from investors who are granted citizenship for exceptional services.
Exceptional services are investments of €690,000 or more into the country’s economy. Each investor undergoes a rigorous due diligence process. The citizenship application process is accompanied by an official representative of the applicant — an agent with a government license. We told you why the agent’s license is important for obtaining Maltese citizenship in 2021.
Malta is the only EU country whose legislation allows citizenship for exceptional services. Investments help the state to support the economy in the crisis. For example, the rating agency DBRS has affirmed Malta’s credit rating at A (high), stable.
The rating is an indication of the state’s strong financial strength and creditworthiness. In the long term, the Maltese economy will grow steadily.
Why some money from the NDSF will go to non-governmental charities
In the summer of 2021, the Maltese government decided to send one million euros to the charities Malta Community Chest Fund, Dar tal-Providenza and Caritas. They were short of funding because of a mistake by the telecommunications company GO.
From October 2020 to January 2021 there was a telecast with information about the charities. Anyone who wanted to donate could do so. The money was deducted correctly, and the payment was reported twice to those using the GO service. In the end, the collections closed before the required amount was received.
Around €948,000
Donated by Maltese residents to various charities in the country
Charities have been hit hard by GO’s technical error, so the Maltese government decided to support them. All this was made possible thanks to investors who were granted Maltese citizenship for exceptional services.
What other projects the NDSF funds
Malta uses the fund to build social housing, improve the health care system, support the development of sports and the country’s artistic heritage.
Health care. In 2019, the Maltese government allocated €10 million to modernise primary health care. The plan is to have one health center for every 5,000 inhabitants by 2022.
Social projects. Malta supports low-income families and families in difficulty. For example, the government pays for the accommodation of Maltese children in the UK who are undergoing treatment for cancer.
Social housing in the country is also being built using money from the fund. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many Maltese are unable to pay their rent, so the waiting list for social housing is growing.
View of the new housing units in Sliema, Malta
Fighting the coronavirus. In 2020, most of the fund was dedicated to fighting the coronavirus pandemic, with around 400 public housing complexes being sterilised and cleaned every month. These homes are inhabited by elderly people for whom the virus is particularly dangerous.
The clean-up programme will continue until the end of the pandemic. The government will then decide whether to extend it.
How to become a resident or citizen of Malta
Investors can obtain a residence permit by taking part in the government’s investor programmes: the Malta Global Residence Programme, and the Malta Permanent Residence Programme.
Residence permit by investment is granted to the investor when the four conditions of the programme are met:
Buys or rents a property in Malta — from €220,000 or €8,750.
Pays a one-off administrative fee of €5,500 or more.
Purchases a health insurance policy with coverage for all EU countries.
Pays an annual income tax of 15% on income earned outside of Malta. The minimum amount of tax is €15,000.
Permanent residence by investment Malta grants to an investor who:
Buys or rents housing — from €300,000 or €10,000.
Pays the administrative fee — €40,000.
Pays a government fee of €28,000 or €58,000 and a contribution to a Maltese non-governmental organisation — €2,000.
Confirms that he has assets with a value of €500,000 or more.
Maltese citizenship. It is only possible to become a Maltese citizen by naturalisation. One option is for exceptional services by direct investment. The investor first receives a residence permit and after a year or three years can apply for citizenship.
Investors undergo stringent due diligence and comply with the mandatory conditions of the Maltese citizenship law:
Make a contribution to the economy of the country — from €600,000.
Rent or buy real estate — from €16,000 or €700,000.
Make a charitable donation to any non-governmental organisation in Malta — from €10,000.
Maltese citizens may live, work and do business in the European Union, as well as travel visa-free to Schengen, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Australia is a visa-free destination available to Maltese. The Maltese passport allows you to freely visit 186 countries, by comparison, the Russian passport allows you to enter only 118 countries without a visa
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent who helps you obtain citizenship and residence in Malta. If you wish to become a resident or citizen of Malta, seek advice from our investment programme experts.
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