living in the European Union and travelling around the world
Download the guide Calculate the costInvestors may apply for Malta citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment. The minimum investment is €690,000. The conditions include the following:
Citizenship for exceptional services is acquired by naturalisation. First, investors get Malta residency and maintain the status for 1 or 3 years; only then may they apply for a passport. The Maltese Citizenship Act provides the path.
Foreigners can become Maltese citizens if they pass a strict Due Diligence check and fulfil the conditions stipulated by the law.
Maltese citizens can travel to 187 countries visa-free. The list includes the Schengen countries, the USA, the UK, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong
Maltese passport holders have the same rights and freedoms as any other EU citizens
Maltese medical insurance policies provide free examinations and treatment in high-quality clinics and hospitals. Free medications are provided as well
Maltese citizens can live in any Schengen country, including those not part of the European Union. There are no restrictions on entry or stay in the region’s countries
Schools and higher education are cheaper for Maltese citizens. In addition, Maltese citizens don’t need to get student residence permits studying in any EU country
Maltese citizens can open a company in any EU country. This opportunity helps to expand a business to the international market and operate more effectively
Malta allows dual citizenship, meaning investors don’t have to give up their first passport to become a Maltese citizen. The rule applies to cases where the investor’s origin country allows having multiple citizenships as well.
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with legal income and no criminal records, sanctions and visa denials in countries that have a visa-free regime with Malta
including a same-sex partner
including ones from previous marriages. Adult children must be unmarried and principally dependent on the investor, e.g., study at a university on a full-time basis
if fully or significantly financially dependent on the investor
Investors fulfil three investment conditions: contribute to the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), donate to a non-governmental organisation, and buy or rent a residential real estate. All three conditions are mandatory.
A contribution sum defines when the investor can apply for citizenship. If the contribution amounts to €600,000, the residence permit must be kept for 3 years. If an investor contributes €750,000, the residence period cuts to 1 year.
At first, the investor applies for a residence permit. To get it, the investor rents housing for at least €12,000. The rent should last for a year or three years.
The investor applies for citizenship in a year or three years. The investor concludes a new leasing agreement for at least €16,000 per year to qualify for citizenship. The requirement is to rent housing for at least 5 years.
Investor | Married couple | Family of 3 or more | |
---|---|---|---|
Renting of housing for 3 years for residency | €36,000 | €36,000 | €36,000 |
Renting of housing for 5 years for citizenship | €80,000 | €80,000 | €80,000 |
Contribution to the NDSF | €600,000 | €650,000 |
€700,000 + €50,000 for each family member starting with the 4th |
Donation | €10,000 | €10,000 | €10,000 |
Eligibility Test | €15,000 | €25,000 |
€15,000 for the main applicant + €10,000 for each family member over 12 |
State fee for residence cards | €5,000 | €6,000 |
€7,000 + €1,000 for each family member starting with the 4th |
Medical insurance | €500+ | €1,000+ | €1,500+ |
Administrative fees | €3,000 | €6,000 |
€9,000 + €3,000 for each family member starting with the 4th |
Investors buy real estate worth €700,000 or more. The ownership period is 5 years, starting with obtaining citizenship. After that, the property can be sold, and the money returned.
Investor | Married couple | Family of 3 or more | |
---|---|---|---|
Purchase of real estate | €700,000 | €700,000 | €700,000 |
Contribution to the NDSF | €600,000 | €650,000 |
€700,000 + €50,000 for each family member starting with the 4th |
Donation | €10,000 | €10,000 | €10,000 |
Eligibility Test | €15,000 | €25,000 |
€15,000 for the main applicant + €10,000 for each family member over 12 |
State fee for residence cards | €5,000 | €6,000 |
€7,000 + €1,000 for each family member starting with the 4th |
Medical insurance | €500+ | €1,000+ | €1,500+ |
Administrative fees | €3,000 | €6,000 |
€9,000 + €3,000 for each family member starting with the 4th |
Rent of housing, citizenship in 3 years | Rent of housing, citizenship in 1 year | Purchase of housing, citizenship in 3 years | Purchase of housing, citizenship in 1 year | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Renting or purchase of real estate | €116,000 | €92,000 | €700,000 | €700,000 |
Contribution to the NDSF | €750,000 | €900,000 | €750,000 | €900,000 |
Donation | €10,000 | €10,000 | €10,000 | €10,000 |
Eligibility Test | €35,000 | €35,000 | €35,000 | €35,000 |
State fee for residence cards | €8,000 | €8,000 | €8,000 | €8,000 |
Medical insurance | €2,000 | €2,000 | €2,000 | €2,000 |
Administrative fees | €12,000 | €12,000 | €12,000 | €12,000 |
Total | €933,000 | €1,059,000 | €1,517,000 | €1,667,000 |
Lawyers prepare three packages of documents for getting a residence permit, passing the Eligibility Test and citizenship application. All documents are translated into English and apostilled.
Get an individual calculation for your family with all associated costs and government fees
Get the cost calculationThe Maltese Citizenship Act does not allow foreigners to apply for citizenship for exceptional services directly. Only official representatives licensed by the Government of Malta can apply on behalf of their clients.
Any application submitted by an unlicensed agent is rejected, resulting in the applicant losing time and money.
Depending on the investment amount, citizenship can be obtained in 1 or 3 years. In both cases, the procedure is similar; only some documents are different if the investor chooses to apply after 3 years.
Due Diligence is a crucial step in applying for Malta citizenship. It determines whether the Maltese authorities will approve the investor’s application.
Immigrant Invest’s certified Anti Money Laundering Officer examines the investor’s documents and identifies possible risks that could result in the application being rejected.
Immigrant Invest has its own Compliance Department. We check the applicant confidentially against international legal and business information databases.
If any issues may cause the rejection of the investor’s application, we offer other paths to a second citizenship.
Evaluate your chancesEvaluate your chances of passing Due Diligence
The Maltese police check the investor and their family members older than 12 years against the Interpol and Europol databases.
A Malta residence permit is issued to the investor and all family members over 18.
As a licensed agent, Immigrant Invest:
Immigrant Invest applies for the Eligibility Test on the investor’s behalf. It must be done within 12 months from the residence permit card receipt.
All applicants over 12 are subject to the Eligibility Test.
The Minister responsible for matters relating to Malta citizenship approves or rejects applications.
After passing the Eligibility Test, applicants qualify for citizenship one to three years after obtaining a residence permit.
If the investor applies in 1 year, they have to define any significant changes in their personal circumstances. For example, the MRQ-form has to be amended in case of a severe illness.
If the investor applies in 3 years, they confirm the permanent residence address and provide an updated police clearance certificate. If any other documents have been updated, they must also be resubmitted.
The decision is made in writing and gives the applicant the right to get citizenship.
The investor fulfils all conditions within 4 months of the Minister’s written approval. In addition, the main applicant proves their residence in Malta. The residing requirement is stipulated in the new law.
Applicants over the age of 6 must collect their passports in person at the Malta Passport Department.
The long-awaited moment has arrived: you are now a Maltese citizen. After receiving their second passport, most clients turn to us for additional services. See how we continue to help our clients.
In 1 working day, in Malta, in your presence
We prepare the application and accompany you to the passport office. The process takes 4 hours.
If you plan to live in Malta, we will get an ID card for you at your request.
We have the card renewed if you change address, and we arrange for a new card on expiry.
We prepare the required documents and fill out the forms.
For example, for parents who had not been included in the original application
We submit an electronic application to obtain a tax number for our clients.
If the investor spent the required number of days in Malta
We help our client choose an apartment or townhouse online first, and then we check the property and send the client a video of it. We also select properties for investment while they are still under construction.
We assist from purchase until registration under the Maltese flag
We also arrange insurance for vehicles
The applicant has to pass the written and driving exams, while we take care of the process administration
Schedule a meeting
Schedule a meeting at one of the offices or online. A lawyer will analyze the situation, calculate the cost and help you find a solution based on your goals.
Only investments related to buying real estate can be returned. Property purchased for €750,000 can be sold for a profit after 5 years, as real estate in Malta is constantly increasing in value.
All family members aged 12 years or older must pass the Eligibility Test. It is similar to Due Diligence used all over the world.
No one can guarantee that your application for Malta citizenship will be accepted. Moreover, if a company claims that the guarantee is 100%, you probably deal with scammers. Learn about how to avoid scammers when obtaining second citizenship.
The government authorities decide to issue Malta citizenship. The decision is preceded by an in-depth check of the applicants’ background and the legality of their income sources.
Immigrant Invest conducts an internal background check to determine the chances of obtaining citizenship. The check occurs at the first stage of our collaboration, even before signing a contract with a client. The lawyers also prepare a list of documents to minimise the probability of the application rejection.
It is impossible to apply for Malta citizenship without a licenced agent. Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent authorised to assist applicants in preparing and submitting documents.
The Maltese government licence is No. AKM-IMIN-22.
The minimum required investment is €690,000. The sum includes non-refundable contributions to the National Development Fund and a non-governmental organisation and the cost of renting real estate.
We discuss the costs in detail in our article “How to get Malta citizenship”.
Utility costs in Malta are among the lowest in the European Union. According to Eurostat, utility bills were half the size of the average prices in the EU in 2019.
An apartment’s electricity and water costs were €100–120 per month and at least €200 for a house or villa. We have collected all the relevant available information on property maintenance costs in Malta.
Yes, you can. There are six main paths to Malta citizenship:
Investors must take the following steps immediately after their citizenship application is approved:
Yes, newborn children of Maltese citizens are also entitled to this status.
To get a Malta passport for a child, parents must apply for registration in the Public Registry. You’ll need to submit the child’s original birth certificate with an apostille and the marriage certificate.
Then, you may apply for a passport for the child in a consulate or visit Malta and submit documents there. Both parents must be present. One of them may apply themselves if only they have been given a permit by another parent in the presence of the consul.
Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment requires residency for 1 or 3 years.
The procedure requires additional time to get a police clearance, a residence permit and final approval, to fulfil the investment conditions and to receive passports. Usually, these steps take several months.
Yes, an applicant must visit Malta to get the status.
Investors get Malta citizenship by naturalisation, which means they must live in the country for a decent time with a residence permit. Also, applicants must pass some procedures in person, such as applying for residency, submitting biometrics, taking the Oath of Allegiance and receiving passports.
Yes, Malta allows its citizens to have multiple citizenships. A person may be required to choose one citizenship only if it’s the rule in another country.
Schedule a meeting
Schedule a meeting at one of the offices or online. A lawyer will analyze the situation, calculate the cost and help you find a solution based on your goals.