Malta Golden Visa & Passport – Malta Citizenship by Investment / Permanent Residency Programme

The Malta Golden Visa (Malta Residence and Visa Program) route allows high-income individuals to receive a Maltese passport within one to three years, by making a substantial investment in Malta.

To get a Maltese passport in one year, you have to make an investment of at least €750,000 to the national development fund. An investment of €600,000 will get you a Malta passport after three years.

Under the new Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment program, you and your family have to live in Malta until you become eligible for citizenship. This means that you also have to invest in residential real estate.

Who Can Apply for a Malta Golden Visa?

To be granted a Golden Visa for Malta, you must fulfil the following eligibility requirements:

• You must be an adult (over 18).
• You must have the necessary funds to make your investment.
• You must have the necessary funds to maintain yourself and your family without relying on social assistance.
• You cannot have any criminal charges, be involved in an interrogation, or be a suspect in a criminal investigation.
• You cannot have a criminal conviction that led to imprisonment of more than one year.

Investment Options for a Malta Golden Visa

There are two Malta Golden Visa investment options available:

• Malta Citizenship by Investment. The investment route which leads to Maltese citizenship is known as the ‘Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment’ program. This program grants investors a Maltese passport after three years of residency. There is also an expedited scheme which leads to citizenship after only one year but requires a higher investment.
• Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP). For this program, the investment threshold is lower, and investors receive a Maltese permanent residence permit. After five years of residence, MPRP holders also become eligible for naturalization as Maltese citizens.

Citizenship by Investment in Malta Program

The citizenship by investment program in Malta – officially called the “Maltese Citizenship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment” – provides two pathways to citizenship:

• Invest at least €750,000 in the national development fund – obtain Malta citizenship in one year.
• Invest at least €600,000 in the national development fund – obtain Malta citizenship in three years.

However, because you have to live in Malta during those one-three years, you also have to invest in real estate.

Documents Required for a Malta Golden Visa Application

The documents needed when you apply for a Malta Golden Visa are:

• Passports of each family member.
• Biometric information. You and all family members over the age of 12 have to provide pictures and fingerprints.
• A cover letter, signed by you.
• Document of having complied with the process of due diligence.
• Proof of funds, along with documents proving the source of your funds.
• Bank statements from the bank in your home country.
• Marriage or civil partnership certificate (for spouses/partners).
• Birth certificate (for children, parents, grandparents).
• Divorce certificate (if applicable).
• Custody or court documents (if applicable).
• Documents that prove dependency. This is required for adult children or parents/grandparents who are applying alongside you.
• Documents proving you do not have a criminal background.
• Medical reports. Medical reports are necessary to prove no one in your family has a contagious disease that may endanger public health in Malta. Everyone in your application must submit a medical report.
• Valid medical insurance.
• Any other supporting documents, as applicable.

Remember that the exact documents can vary greatly depending on your nationality, investment type, and family structure.

Malta Golden Visa Application Steps

The process of obtaining a Golden Visa for Malta is divided into the following steps:

1. Investment. You have to work with a team of financial and immigration professionals to choose a government-approved fund to invest in.
2. Visa application at the Residency Malta Agency. Once you have completed your primary investment, you have to apply for a Golden Visa at the Residency Malta Agency. You and your family will initially receive Malta residence permits. With a residence permit, you can settle in Malta and finalize the rest of your investment, like finding a place to live.
3. Obtaining an Eligibility Letter of Approval (for citizenship). After you settle in Malta, you have 12 months to check your eligibility for Malta citizenship at the Department for Citizenship and Expatriates Affairs. If you are eligible, you will receive an Eligibility Letter of Approval.
4. Submitting your Malta citizenship application. After one to three years of living in Malta (depending on your investment), you can finally apply for citizenship and get your Malta passport. The authority responsible for citizenship applications is the Department for Citizenship and Expatriates Affairs in Valletta.

What Are the Benefits of the Malta Golden Visa?

A Malta Golden Visa allows you and any of your family members to obtain EU citizenship quickly. As a Malta citizen, you enjoy the following benefits:

• You get access to the EU open market. You and your family members can live, study, work and invest anywhere in the European Union.
• You get a Malta passport and can travel visa-free to more than 185 countries worldwide.
• You can register a business in Malta at favorable tax rates (15%).
• Malta has a Mediterranean climate, so you can expect plenty of sunshine year-round and mild winters.
• You qualify for Malta’s healthcare system, known as one of the best in the world.

Can I Bring Family Members With Me?

Yes, you can include up to four generations of your family in your Malta Golden Visa application: your partner, children, parents, and grandparents.

Specifically, you can include the following family members as your dependents:

• Your spouse or long-term partner. You must be in a monogamous relationship.
• Your or your spouse’s minor children.
• Your or your spouse’s adult children who are still financially dependent on you. Financially dependent children (such as students) must be up to 29 years of age and unmarried.
• Adult children dependent on you or your spouse due to special needs (physical or mental).
• The dependent parents or grandparents of either you or your spouse.

In addition, all children born after you or your family obtain Malta citizenship will automatically be considered Maltese citizens by descent.

Can I Travel/Work in Europe With a Malta Golden Visa?

After you obtain your Malta Golden Visa, you are free to travel anywhere in the EU without a visa. Once you get the Malta passport, you will be able to visit over 140 countries worldwide, visa-free.

In addition to that, Maltese citizens can easily move to and work in any country in the EU.

Does Malta Allow Dual Citizenship?

Yes, Malta allows dual citizenship, so you get to keep your birth nationality as well. However, your current country of nationality must also allow double citizenship for you to keep both.

For example, Japan, Montenegro, the UAE, Indonesia, China, Thailand, etc., do not allow dual citizenship. So, if you are from one of these countries and try and obtain a Malta passport, you’d have to give up your current citizenship.

Could I Lose My Malta Golden Visa?

You could lose your Malta Golden Visa if:

• You obtained it illegally in the first place.
• You provided fraudulent information during your application.
• You withdraw your investment.
• You no longer meet the requirements of the initial investment.

Naturally, once you have a Malta passport, you are not at risk of losing it for minor transgressions, such as being out of the country for longer than six months. Your Malta citizenship (obtained by naturalization) may be revoked if you obtained it illegally or if you become involved in terrorist organizations.