Support » Maltese citizenship: a passport to Europe

Malta's Citizenship by Investment Programme is an ideal option for families wishing to relocate their business and/or personal affairs to the European Union. Maltese citizenship granted through this programme is valid for life and can even be passed on to your children and their descendents.

During the last year, more than 1000 applicants took part in this programme, contributing an additional one billion euros in direct investment to the Maltese economy. Malta has a stable political climate and, importantly, a growing economy, even in times of financial crisis.

Maltese citizenship offers a couple of benefits for investors. Firstly, it allows you to travel to 166 countries, including Canada, the United States of America and the EU, without a visa. Secondly, it gives you the right to live, study and work in 28 European Union countries, plus Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

Malta is a stable, safe (it has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe) and neutral country with an extremely friendly population and high standards of living (its education and healthcare systems have been among the most highly ranked in Europe for a long time). Malta's fusion of European lifestyle, Mediterranean quality of life, enjoyable climate (with about 300 sunny days per year), delicious food and absolute safety would be great for you and your family. Family eligibility includes the main applicant's spouse and parents, children under the age of 18 and unmarried dependent adult children under the age of 27.

As mentioned previously, once you are a Maltese citizen, your children are then automatically entitled to citizenship as well. Obtaining Maltese citizenship is a very efficient process, and you will be notified of the outcome of your application within just four months. Note that the 12-month processing time for passport applications includes these four months. In addition to all these benefits, you will enjoy tax planning advantages, with no inheritance tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance tax. Malta has double taxation treaties with 60 countries. Furthermore, under Maltese law you are not required to renounce your existing citizenship, as there are no restrictions on holding dual citizenship.

To apply for dual citizenship through the Citizenship for Investment Programme, the applicant is obliged to contribute at least 650,000 EUR to Malta, whereas spouses are required to contribute 25,000 EUR (as are unmarried children under 18). Unmarried children under 25, but older than 18, must contribute 50,000 EUR each (as must dependent parents aged 55+).

Applicants for Malta's Citizenship for Investment Programme are obliged to make an investment of at least 150,000 EUR in government bonds. In addition to these requirements, the applicant must choose one of the following options: to buy a property for at least 350,000 EUR, retaining ownership for at least five years, or to rent a property for 160,000 EUR for a minimum period of five years. After purchasing real estate or entering into a real estate lease contract in Malta, applicants are issued with a Maltese identity card (eResidence card).

As part of the programme, a four-tier process is carried out by the Maltese government in order to thoroughly evaluate all candidates. All applicants must have a clean reputation with no criminal record, and the government of Malta makes comprehensive criminal checks with the International Criminal Court, INTERPOL and other authorities and sources. Also, candidates are required to provide a police certificate before being approved for a European passport.

To participate in the Maltese Citizenship by Investment Programme, applicants must provide documents relating to their health conditions. Candidates should provide evidence to show that they do not suffer from infectious diseases, and must be covered by an international health insurance policy. If all these requirements are met, applicants will face no further barriers to becoming Maltese citizens.