There is no direct investment path to Malta citizenship. From November 20th, 2020, investors can become Maltese citizens only after retaining residency status for 1 or 3 years.
One can become a citizen of Malta on the following grounds:
Let’s go through all the paths to Malta citizenship step-by-step.
There is no direct investment path to Malta citizenship. From November 20th, 2020, investors can become Maltese citizens only after retaining residency status for 1 or 3 years.
Who can get Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services? Close family members of the main applicant may also apply for citizenship. This applies to:
Expenses for obtaining citizenship as an investor. To obtain citizenship, an investor needs to rent or buy property in Malta, make a non-refundable contribution to the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), and donate to a non-governmental organisation in Malta.
Here are the minimum costs for each point:
This option of obtaining Malta citizenship has been ratified by the Maltese government and is described on the official website.
The package of documents needed to apply for Malta citizenship consists of a multitude of forms and records confirming the information stated in those forms. Licensed agents fill in all the forms on behalf of applicants. Immigrant Invest assists investors in acquiring Malta citizenship under the licence numbered ESP-IMIN.
The necessary documents are the following:
There are 3 main steps to obtaining Malta citizenship for investors.
An investor needs to purchase or rent accommodation in the country. Then, they can choose to apply for citizenship in 12 or 36 months after getting the residence permit. Investor’s close family members are also eligible for residency in Malta.
The Eligibility Test is a strict background checkup of the applicant.
Among other requirements, an investor must provide proof of their income’s legality. Aside from that, applicants also demonstrate the absence of a criminal record and provide a medical record.
Due Diligence is regulated by the government and includes at least four steps. The checkup is paid — €15,000 for the main applicant and an additional €10,000 for each family member.
If the investor passes the Eligibility Test, they receive official approval to become a citizen. The investor must then take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Malta within six months.
A resident of Malta can be naturalised if they meet several requirements:
Naturalisation is also available to former citizens of Malta, foreign nationals with parents of Maltese citizenship, foreign nationals born in Malta from a parent of Maltese citizenship, and children of Maltese nationals who obtained citizenship on any ground.
There are two main categories of applicants qualifying for citizenship by birth or descent:
Maltese citizenship by descent can be obtained remotely. Descendants of Maltese nationals can submit their documents to any of the Maltese Representations Overseas.
| Date of birth | Place of birth | Requirements |
| Before 21.09.1964 | Malta | At least one of the parents was born in Malta |
| Outside Malta | The father and at least one of their parents were born in Malta | |
| 20.09.1964 | Not relevant | Was a subject of Great Britain or one of its overseas territories |
| From 21.09.1964 to 31.07.1989 | Malta | The mother is a citizen of Malta and was such at the time of birth of the applicant |
| Outside Malta | The father is a citizen of Malta by birth, naturalisation, or registration | |
| 1.08.1989 or later | Not relevant | At least one of the parents is a citizen of Malta by birth, naturalisation, or registration |
The case of obtaining Maltese citizenship by marriage falls under the category of acquisition of citizenship by registration. This path to a Malta passport applies to the following:
In all cases, the marriage must have lasted at least five years and be still in force at the time of application.
If the applicant is a widower or widow of a Maltese citizen, they will be granted citizenship only if the marriage lasted for at least five years or would have lasted for this period by the time of the application if their Maltese national spouse had not died.
Only close relatives of Maltese citizens qualify for a family reunification path. To become a citizen, a foreigner should have Maltese parents, siblings, or grandparents permanently living in the country. Foreign children adopted by Maltese nationals and foreign guardians of minor Maltese citizens are also entitled to Malta citizenship by family reunification.
To get a Malta passport, one does not have to live in Malta permanently. They also do not have to travel to the country to apply: the Maltese passport application can be submitted abroad via an embassy or consulate.
The President of Malta can personally grant citizenship to a foreigner who made a special contribution to the development of the country. Most often, candidates include outstanding scientists, cultural figures, athletes, politicians, and entrepreneurs.
One cannot plan to obtain citizenship this way as there are no special Maltese passport eligibility criteria. The decision is made by the President in each case individually.
Foreigners can request political asylum and refugee status in Malta. To get the status, they need to prove that their life is threatened or they are discriminated against in their own country.
If a refugee stays in the country for six years, they become entitled to get a passport. Refugees do not take language or public integration exams and do not pay a state fee.
1. An option to live in Malta and other EU states. Citizens of Malta can enter the country at any desired time and stay there for as long as they wish. Moreover, they can reside, work, and do business in any other country in the European Union.
2. Visa-free travel to 169 countries. Maltese nationals can travel visa-free to 169 countries, as per the Immigrant Invest Passport Index. The list includes all of the Schengen states, the USA, the UK, Australia, and Canada.
3. Access to high-quality healthcare. Maltese citizens get free medical care in the country's hospitals and clinics. The healthcare system of Malta ranks among the best in the world, according to the Lancet’s Healthcare Access and Quality Index.
4. Education opportunities. Maltese citizens can study at local universities and educational institutions all over the European Union. They have the freedom to choose their place to study — and their tuition fees will be significantly lower than those for non-EU citizens.
5. Mild climate. Malta has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers, snowless winters, and rainy springs. June and August are the warmest months with the air temperature hitting +30ºC. In January and February, it drops to +10ºC.
The rules for dual or multiple citizenships in Malta changed in 2000 when it became legal for any Maltese citizen also to hold a passport from another country. Before that, this option was only available to nationals who obtained their citizenship by birth.
As for now, any Maltese citizen, including those who obtained their status by naturalisation or registration, can have dual or multiple citizenships.
Investors who become citizens by naturalisation for exceptional services can keep passports of their country of origin.
Once obtained, the Maltese citizenship is valid for life. However, Malta passport holders need to renew their documents in the cases stated below.
1. Regular renewal. A passport validity period depends on the age of a citizen:
A passport renewal application is submitted at the Passport Office of Malta and processed within 4 days. If an individual is abroad, they can apply at the closest embassy of Malta. In this case, the processing time is 3—4 months.
2. Loss or theft of a passport. To get a new passport replacing the one lost, stolen, or destroyed, a Maltese citizen needs to file a claim with the police to obtain a police report. The police report is submitted together with an application to the Passport Office of Malta.
If an individual is abroad, they report to the local Maltese embassy or consulate. The embassy issues a new passport or a travel document so that a citizen can go to Malta to apply for a new Maltese passport.
In case of loss, theft, or destruction of a passport, a citizen must take an oath when a new document is issued.
3. Change of personal details. After changing a name, surname, or other information, a Maltese citizen needs to renew their passport as well. In this case, the procedure is the same as for regular passport renewal.
The Maltese law defines seven ways of obtaining citizenship of the country:
There are multiple ways to obtain Malta citizenship. The least time and money-consuming among them is acquiring citizenship by descent. This option is available only to direct descendants of Maltese nationals. For others, the acquisition process can take from 1 to 3 years.
Citizenship by marriage can be granted to people married to nationals of Malta. In this case, getting a Malta passport will take at least five years.
Citizenship by family reunification is available to foreigners who have Maltese parents, siblings, or grandparents who are permanently living in the country. Foreign children adopted by Maltese nationals and foreign guardians of minor Maltese citizens can also obtain Malta citizenship under this path.
The naturalisation path is available to third-country nationals who have already been residing in Malta. This way, the applicant will have to live in Malta for over 7 years to be eligible for citizenship.
In exceptional cases, Maltese citizenship is granted for distinguished service to the country on the personal decree of the President, as well as to refugees.
Finally, foreign nationals can obtain Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment. This path implies renting or purchasing real estate in Malta, residing in the country for 1 or 3 years, making a non-refundable contribution to the government fund, and donating to an NGO.
To obtain citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment, the applicant has to be over 18 years old and be able to provide proof of legality of their income and a medical record.
Other naturalisation cases require foreign nationals to be residents of Malta for at least 7 years before application.
When obtaining citizenship by marriage, the applicant must be married to a Maltese national for at least 5 years before applying.
In 2022, Malta’s GDP increased by 6.1%, with an inflation of 5.6%. This allows for the classification of Malta as one of the European Union’s strong and stable economies. The following facts also demonstrate this:
A Maltese passport provides such benefits as:
Foreign investors can obtain residence permits or permanent residency by investment. Both options will take up to six months. Find the conditions of the programs below:
To obtain permanent residence by investment, the applicant need to fulfil the following conditions:
Real estate investment implies renting or purchasing accommodation in Malta at these minimal prices:
The contribution fee for applicants who rent a property is €58,000. For those who purchase real estate, the fee is €28,000.
The charitable donation has to be no less than €2,000.
Aside from that, applicants have to pay €40,000 in administrative fees and to prove having at least €500,000 in available assets, including at least €150,000 of liquid financial assets.
Malta passport is one of the strongest in the world. Malta citizens can travel visa-free to 169 countries with all the Schengen states, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia among them.
Malta’s tax residents benefit from the following tax breaks:
The advantages do not stop there. More information can be found in the blog post with a thorough breakdown of Malta’s tax system.
Yes, a foreigner can obtain citizenship in Malta through various means, including descent, marriage, ordinary naturalisation and naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment.
Yes, Maltese legislation allows people to have two passports. Thus, any Maltese citizen, including those who obtained their status by naturalisation or registration, can have dual or multiple citizenships.
