Malta citizenship by registration

Who can apply for obtaining citizenship by registration in Malta

Registration is a path to citizenship for Maltese nationals’ family members: spouses or descendants. Also, former citizens of the country may apply. This route usually doesn’t include an obligation to live in Malta continuously before submitting documents.

Julia Loko

Investment programs expert

The complete list of categories of people who can apply for Malta citizenship by registration includes the following:

1. A spouse of a Maltese citizen who has been married for five years and is married and living with the spouse at the time of applying.
2. A widow or widower of a person who was a citizen of Malta at the time of the death, provided that the spouses have been married for at least five years.
3. A widow or a widower of a Maltese citizen who would have been married to them for five years if not the death of the person.
4. A widow or widower of a person who died before 21.09.1964, and if not for this death, the person would automatically become a Maltese citizen. In this case, the spouses are also required to live together for at least five years.
5. A person born before 21.09.1964 to a female native of Malta who became or would have become, but for her death, a citizen of Malta on a specific date.
6. A person born abroad between 21.09.1964 and 31.07.1989 to a Maltese mother.
7. A former Maltese citizen who is unable to acquire dual citizenship due to not having lived abroad for six years or who was a Maltese citizen by registration or by naturalisation;
8. A Maltese descendant who was born abroad if either parent is a citizen of Malta. The legal guardian files the application on their behalf if the descendant is a minor.

How to apply for registration as a Malta citizen

To apply for registration, you need to go through several stages. Generally speaking, application processing takes 4—6 months. However, in complicated cases, the procedure can take up to 2 years — the law establishes this period.

All ways to obtain Malta citizenship

The stages of getting Malta citizenship by registration:

1. Provide the required documents and forms to the Community Malta Agency.
2. If the applicant is a foreign spouse of a Maltese citizen, they need to make a joint statement (an affidavit) to prove they’ve been living together for five years since the day of their marriage.
3. The applicant also needs to take an oath of allegiance to Malta. If the applicant applies through one of the representations of Malta abroad, only an authorised official can take their oath.
4. After the application is completed, the candidate is registered as a citizen and receives a certificate proving their status.

If the applicant was born abroad, the Community Malta Agency writes a letter to the head of the public registry requesting them to register the candidate’s birth certificate. The applicant sends it to the state registry along with the original birth certificate and the translation into English or Maltese or a notarised photocopy of the certificate.

Required documents and terms

An applicant must submit some documents alongside their citizenship application. The list depends on the applicant’s category.

When applying for citizenship by registration, an applicant must pay several fees. The fee of €150 is paid for applying. However, it is not charged if the application is submitted by an adult but not a fully capable person. In addition, another €50 is paid upon obtaining a certificate of citizenship.

Peculiarities of obtaining Malta citizenship by registration

The Malta Government Gazette annually publishes a list of all people registered or naturalised as Maltese citizens during the previous year.

The Maltese legislation allows dual or multiple citizenships. However, applicants must check whether their country of origin allows it as well. If not, they will lose their first citizenship upon receiving a second one.

Frequently Asked Questions