Citizens of Malta have to renew their passports in case of loss, theft, to update passport information, or when the date expires.
Normally, the renewal process takes up to 4 working days and costs €70 in the winter season and €80 in the summer season. Citizens apply for a new passport at the Passport Office personally.
There is no investment-based path to Malta citizenship. Maltese nationality legislation provides for the possibility of naturalisation in cases of exceptional merit.
The statutory framework recognises exceptional contributions across various areas, such as entrepreneurship, job creation, innovation, science, education, culture, or philanthropy.
For example, a child of 7 years old of Maltese nationality will have to change their passport at 9, then at 11, 16, and 26, and every 10 years after that.
To receive a new passport, an applicant should fill out Form A, collect personal documents, and submit them to the Passport Office of Malta. It is possible to apply 3 months prior to the expiration date or after the passport has expired. The process takes 4 working days in Malta and 3—4 months at a local embassy or consulate if abroad.
2. Renewal after loss or theft. If a Malta passport is stolen, lost, or destroyed, then a citizen will also need to renew it. The rule applies both to a valid and an expired document.
To get a new passport, a citizen needs to file a claim with the police first. The police then issue a report, and a citizen submits the report together with Form A and personal documents to the Passport Office of Malta. In the case of the loss, theft, or destruction of a passport, an applicant will need to take an oath, which costs €11.
If a citizen is abroad, then they need to report to the local Maltese embassy or consulate. An applicant can arrange an appointment online. Within 2—3 months, the embassy will issue either a new passport or a travel document, so the citizen can come back to Malta to apply for a new passport there.
3. Changing passport details. If a Malta citizen changes their name, for example, after marriage, or updates other information in the passport, then document renewal is necessary. To issue a new passport, an applicant has to follow the same steps as for a regular Malta citizenship renewal.
A new passport is ready within 4 working days and costs €70 in the winter season and €80 in the summer season for adults. An adult should submit an application and collect a new passport in person at the Passport Office.
An applicant needs to prepare an e-ID card and its photocopy. If an applicant acquires Maltese nationality by registration, naturalisation, or has dual nationality, then the relevant certificates must be presented on the application.
It is necessary to submit Form A with specific sections filled in:
For the minor’s application, both parents have to provide their ID cards with photocopies and give their consent for passport renewal in Section 6 of Form A, with one of the parents signing Section 7, Declaration of Recommender.
All applicants over 18 must personally visit the Passport Office to apply for a new passport. They should provide biometric data: a facial image and fingerprints.
An applicant should pay the fee for passport renewal:
If an application is not full, the Passport Office will request that the applicant provide the necessary documents.
All applicants over 12 years old should call in person at the Passport Office to collect the passport. Minors have to be accompanied by a parent.
Normally, a passport is issued within 4 working days if the application is filled out correctly. However, it is possible to apply for an urgent passport; the document will be ready in just 4 hours. An applicant will need to pay a higher fee to get an urgent passport:
As the passport of Malta is biometrical, it is necessary to protect it from damage; otherwise, it will become invalid. The passport holder should store it in a clean and dry place and protect it from UV, visible light, mechanical stress, scratching, or rubbing. It is not allowed to modify the document in any way.
Citizens over 16 renew their passports every 10 years; minors under 15 change them every 5 years; and minors under 10 change them every 2 years.
By naturalisation for exceptional services. This way is available for non-EU investors. To qualify, an investor should have legal income, no criminal records, and visa denials in the countries with visa-free regimes with Malta; there are 169 of them. Also, an investor cannot be subjected to international sanctions.
To become a citizen of Malta, an investor makes a non-refundable contribution of €600,000 and lives in the country for three years, or increases the sum to €750,000 and gets a passport after only a year of living in Malta. There is also a requirement to make a charitable donation of €10,000 and rent or own a property for five years.
An investor that applies for Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services is allowed to include family members in the application. This includes:
By regular naturalisation. A foreigner may naturalise in Malta after four years of living there in the last six years. At least one year before the application, a person should live in the country permanently.
A foreigner seeking Malta citizenship by naturalisation should have a residence certificate, speak English or Maltese, and get two non-related sponsors vouching for them. A foreigner pays an application fee of €450 and an additional €50 in case of approval.
By registration. This way of getting Malta nationality refers to spouses, widows, widowers, and children of Maltese citizens. Also, former Malta nationals can obtain citizenship by registration.
Spouses of Maltese citizens can register in Malta if their marriage lasts at least five years. Widows or widowers are allowed to apply when a would-be marriage passes its fifth anniversary.
Children of Maltese citizens obtain citizenship by registration in two cases:
Former citizens obtain Maltese nationality again if they were used to being citizens by registration or naturalisation. Direct descendants, or second or subsequent generations born abroad to parents born in Malta, can also obtain Malta’s nationality. The application fee is €150, and an extra €50 is paid if the application is approved.
By birth. Conditions for obtaining Malta citizenship by birth depend on the date of birth. There are three periods:
Becoming a Maltese citizen by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment is the quickest and most hassle-free path to the country’s passport. It takes at least 1 or 3 years, depending on the investment amount.
1. Preliminary Due Diligence. This is a provisional check run by Immigrant Invest. Our certified Anti Money Laundering Officer examines the investor’s documents and identifies possible risks. This check reduces the risk of the application being rejected to 1% and takes just a day.
2. Police Clearance Certificate. The document confirms that the applicant passed a check by the Maltese police through Europol and Interpol. They verify the information about all applicants over 12 years of age. This step may take up to two weeks.
3. Malta residence permit. To apply for citizenship, an investor has to have the status of a temporary resident in Malta for one or three years. Immigrant Invest lawyers prepare a Level 1 Due Diligence report and help the investor collect, translate, and apostille the documents. They can also find housing since a residential address in Malta is an obligatory requirement for a residence permit.
The process of obtaining a permit is normally around 3 weeks long. Residency cards are usually issued two weeks after the investor and their family members visit Malta to submit an application and have their fingerprints taken.
There is a state fee for a residence card of €5,000 for an investor, with an additional €1,000 for each family member;
4. Eligibility Test. The procedure is run by Maltese authorities and typically takes 4 to 5 months. The investor should submit the required documents and pay €15,000 for the Eligibility Test. The cost increases by €10,000 per family member over 12.
5. Application for Malta citizenship. Investors contributing at least €750,000 to the Malta National Development and Social Fund can apply for a Maltese passport after 12 months of residence. Those who make the minimum contribution of €600,000 apply for citizenship after three years of residency. The cost increases by €50,000 per family member.
Before getting to the next stage, the investor should receive a letter of approval from the Minister. It gives the applicant the right to get citizenship, usually within 2—4 weeks.
6. Fulfilling the investment conditions. The investor has four months to invest €600,000 or €750,000 in the fund. Besides that, there are other expenses:
7. Receiving passports. Applicants travel to Malta to do the biometrics again and take the Oath of Allegiance. The passports are issued in 2 months. New citizens collect their passports in person at the Malta Passport Department.
| 1-year residence | 3-year residence | |
| Sole investor | €783,500 | €633,500 |
| Married couple | €848,00 | €698,000 |
| Family of four | €967,000 | €817,000 |
Additionally, an investor and their family should spend at least €700,000 on purchasing a property in Malta or €16,000 annually on renting it. The required amount does not depend on family composition.
The quickest way to obtain Malta citizenship is by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment. To get a Maltese passport, an investor has to collect documents, pass several checks, become a temporary resident of Malta, and then fulfil investment conditions.
If an investor wants to obtain citizenship after one year of residence, the minimum investment is €750,000. The investment for a three-year residency is €600,000.
Yes, a passport of Malta expires. The frequency of passport changes and the fee for them depend on the age of a citizen:
A new passport is usually ready within 4 working days. There is an option to renew one’s passport in just 4 hours for a higher fee.
To renew a passport of Malta, a citizen should bring their e-ID of Malta, its photocopy, and a Form A with sections 1, 2, 5, and 9 filled out to the Passport Office. There, they submit documents and biometric data and pay a fee. They collect a passport in person 4 working days later.
To renew a Maltese passport, a citizen needs:
No, it is not possible to renew a passport of Malta online. To apply for a new passport and collect it, a citizen should visit the Passport Office in Malta of the local consulate or embassy of Malta in person. It is possible to make an appointment at the consulate online.
It takes up to 4 working days to get a new passport of Malta in the case of regular renewal. It is possible to receive it in 4 hours for a higher fee.
In cases of loss or theft, a passport renewal may take several weeks, as it is necessary to receive a report from the police first. If a person applies from abroad, a consulate or embassy issues it within 3—4 months.
Yes, you can renew your passport before it expires, namely three months prior to its expiration date. This early renewal ensures that you avoid any disruptions in travel plans, as many countries require travellers to have passports that are valid for at least several months beyond the date of entry.
Yes, when you renew your passport, you will receive a new passport with a new number. This is a standard practice worldwide as each new passport issued is considered a new secure document, complete with updated security features and a new unique identifier, which is the passport number.
