Malta permanent residence by investment
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme governs the issuance of permanent residency to investors.
Any citizen of a country that is not a member of the European Union can join the programme. Along with the investor, their close family members can get residency under the same application.
Investors are not required to take exams on the Maltese language and history. Residing in Malta before or after obtaining the permanent residence permit for a specified time is also not required.
Only investors over 18 years old, with valid passports and health insurance, can join the programme. Aside from that, the applicant has to confirm that they have funds of no less than €500,000 in their possession, at least €150,000 of which are liquid financial assets.
Сosts for obtaining Malta PR by investment
| Type of expense | Amount |
| Administrative fee | €40,000 |
| Real estate investment | €300,000+ if purchasing a property in the south of Malta or on Gozo €350,000+ if purchasing a property in the north or centre of Malta €10,000+ if renting a property in the south of Malta or on Gozo €12,000+ if renting a property in the south of Malta or on Gozo |
| Non-refundable contribution fee | €28,000 if purchasing real estate or €58,000 if renting + €7,500 per parent or grandparent |
| Donation to an NGO | €2,000 |
The applicant needs to provide the state programme regulator Identity Malta with the following documents:
- a criminal record certificate confirming the absence of convictions and criminal prosecutions;
- a Due Diligence certificate;
- a rental agreement or a property ownership certificate;
- confirmation of fulfilment of the investment conditions;
- medical record confirming that the main applicant and their family members do not carry contagious diseases.
The application processing generally takes 3 to 6 months.
There is no upper limit for the applicant’s age. For instance, at Immigrant Invest, we worked on a case for a couple of 70 and 76 years old.
There are no limits for the investor’s relatives as well, but they must be principally dependent on the main applicant to get permanent residence under the investment programme.
Malta permanent residence by naturalisation
Malta residents can apply for permanent residence if they have lived there for 5 years or more.
Malta permanent residence requirements include proof of yearly income of €20,000. If family members are included in the application, then the income has to be increased by 20% for each person.
Applicants confirm that they have been residing in Malta for at least 5 years and indicate the places of accommodation during that period. Aside from that, they are required to:
- pass an exam on the country’s history and culture;
- get medical insurance;
- compose an explanation letter describing why they moved to Malta and stayed there.
It takes around a year to process an application for permanent residence by naturalisation.
Benefits of Malta permanent residence
Status for life. Permanent residence is granted for life. The only condition for its holder is to renew it every five years.
Opportunity to move to Malta. The status allows its holder to enter Malta anytime and stay there as long as desired. On the other hand, permanent residents are not obliged to reside in the country.
Visa-free travel to Europe. Malta is a Schengen Area country. It means that its residents can freely travel to other states of the Area for short visits up to 90 days every 6 months.
An opportunity to add family members to the application. When obtaining permanent residence by investment, the applicant can provide permits to their family members:
- a spouse or a registered partner;
- children up to 18;
- children over 18 if they are principally dependent on the investor;
- parents and grandparents of the investor and their spouse if they are principally dependent on the main applicant.
Return of the money for part of the investment. If the investor chooses to purchase accommodation, they will be able to resell it after five years of owning it.
Fast and simple obtainment. Usually, it takes around 3—6 months to obtain permanent residence by investment in Malta.
Frequently asked questions
Malta permanent residence is provided to foreign nationals legally residing in the state for at least 5 years or by investment.
Learn more about obtaining permanent residency in Malta by investment.
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme does not require investors to live permanently in the country. Part of the investment is returnable in five years if the applicant chooses to purchase real estate.
The permanent residence status allows its holder to travel to any state of the Schengen Area visa-free, obtain tax-residence status, be employed by a Maltese company, including top management positions, and do business.
Learn more about the pros and cons of permanent residence in Malta in our blog post: Benefits and drawbacks of Malta permanent residence.
There are two ways for foreign nationals to obtain Malta permanent residence.
The first implies residing in Malta for five years and passing exams on the country’s culture and history.
The second way to become a permanent resident in Malta is by investment. In this case, the applicant will obtain the status in 3 to 6 months and will not be required to take any exams.
Aside from the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, there is another way to move to Malta for investors — the Malta Global Residence Programme. It implies obtaining a residence permit after renting or purchasing an apartment.
The rent should cost at least €8,750, and the minimum price for a real estate purchase is €220,000. Aside from that, applicants pay an administrative fee of €5,500 or €6,000 depending on the region of the country they chose accommodation in.
The processing of the applications takes around 3—4 months.
To rent or purchase accommodation, the investor can take advantage of the services of a real estate agent in Malta or conduct the whole process by themselves.
Immigrant Invest does not search for housing options, but our agents help investors find reliable realtors and accompany the deal.
Malta permanent residence by investment can be obtained in 3 to 6 months. In other cases, getting PR status takes at least five years of living in Malta.
The decisive factor is the price of the real estate mentioned in the sale and purchase agreement. This means that the described option is not eligible for the programme.
For some family members, it is required to provide a notarised certificate of financial dependency. This is the case with the investor’s children over 18 years old, as well as the parents and grandparents of the applicant and their spouse.
Zlata Erlach