Permanent residency:

Anyone can apply for permanent residency in Malta regardless of their country of origin.

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals and their family members, as well as third-country nationals, are able to apply for permanent residency after the completion of five years of normal residency.

During the five years as a temporary resident, EU/EEA/Swiss nationals should have stayed in Malta for more than six months per year.

For non-EU nationals, the minimum requirement is not to be absent for more than six consecutive months in a year in the five years and should not be away from the country for more than ten months in the entirety of the said five-year period.

After obtaining permanent residence in Malta, it should be renewed every year.

Citizenship:

Citizenship through naturalization:

If you want to become a citizen of Malta through the process of naturalization, then the process is extremely complex.

First, a long-term visa, and after that, a residence permit. The next step is to apply for permanent residency and live in the country as a resident for at least five years.

After that, you will have to pass some exams related to language proficiency, Maltese history, and law.

Only after you complete all these steps, you shall be able to acquire citizenship in Malta through the process of naturalization. You should remember that citizenship is only necessary for the people who intend to stay in Malta for the entirety of their lives.

Citizenship through Marriage:

One of the least expensive and hassle-free ways to obtain Maltese citizenship is by marrying a Maltese citizen. After marrying a Maltese citizen, you can apply for citizenship after five years of marriage.

There are no mandatory requirements to stay in the country during this period.

However, marrying just for a Maltese passport is considered a criminal offense, and such people might have to face serious charges such as imprisonment up to two years.

As you may know, you should always marry for love instead of marrying for personal benefit.

Citizenship by descent or birth:

Children and descendants of Maltese citizens can obtain citizenship through this method.

There are no requirements such as minimum stay or residency in the country, yet one must prove his/her origin with appropriate documentation.

Citizenship through family reunification:

People who have close relatives such as parents, siblings, and grandparents living permanently in Malta can apply for citizenship.

Citizenship for distinguished service:

In case of special merit to Malta, citizenship is presented to an individual by the president of Malta.

In general, some renowned scientists, athletes, politicians, celebrities, or people involved with large businesses are provided with citizenship under this category.

However, there are no specific details regarding the criteria for obtaining citizenship through this method.

Citizenship for refugees and political asylum:

It has been estimated that 8,000 to 9,000 refugees arrive in Malta each year, mostly slaves from Africa and the Middle East. If such a person stays in Malta for six years, then he/she can obtain Maltese citizenship.

The only requirement for getting citizenship through this method is by proving that the individual has a life threat or is being discriminated against in the country of origin.

Investment programs:

These are the general ways of obtaining residency/citizenship in Malta, and we will now discuss the residency through investment and citizenship through investment in Malta.

First, let us start with the Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP), which is a residency through investment programme in Malta.

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP):

This permanent residence programme was launched in the year 2021, which offers permanent residence to non-EU nationals who make an investment in Malta.

Through this programme, people from third countries are able to get a second residency in Malta.

Mostly, people seek a second residency in safe and stable countries such as Malta so as to settle there in an event of an economic or political disturbance in their country of origin.

With the help of this programme, not only the main applicant, but the parents, children, parents, grandparents, and parents-in-law can also obtain residency and settle in Malta.

With the help of this residency permit, applicants can reside in Malta and travel within the 26 countries of the Schengen area without a necessity for a visa.

Only non-EU individuals who have financial stability and a significant amount of wealth are ideal for obtaining this type of residency permit.

Applicants will be required to submit documents such as a clean criminal record, source for their funds, etc., for becoming eligible to obtain this residency permit.

As a part of obtaining the residence permit, the applicant and their family members have to go through a four-tier due diligence test.

Along with these requirements, the individual should be able to prove that he/she has a wealth of at least €500,000, where €350,000 should be in the form of capital and €150,000 should be in financial assets.

There is a requirement for a minimum stay in Malta when a person obtains this residency permit.

While applying, the main applicant can include the following family members within the same application.

• Spouse or Partner
• Unmarried & economically dependent children
• Economically dependent parents of the applicant and his/her spouse
• Economically dependent grandparents of the applicant and his/her spouse

Given below are the investment requirements for obtaining residency under this programme. All the conditions given below are to be fulfilled by an individual to acquire the residence permit.

Condition 1 – The applicant should purchase a property worth at least €350,000 or rent a property that is at least €12,000 annually if the property is located in the Central & Northern part of Malta.

The minimum property price requirement can be reduced to €300,000 and the rental price requirement to €10,000 annually if the property is located in the Southern part of Malta or Gozo.

Condition 2 – The applicant should pay a government application fee of €68,000 if they are purchasing a property. If they are renting a property, then the government application fee will be €98,000.

Condition 3 – A donation of at least €2,000 should be made to a philanthropic organization or a non-governmental organization.

Condition 4 – An administration fee of €30,000 (sometimes €40,000 including all the costs) is to be paid, which is non-refundable.

The application along with the supporting documentation is to be submitted to the Residency Malta Agency, which happens to be the government agency responsible for the processing of these applications.

After reviewing, successful applicants will be asked to make the above-mentioned investment, and following successful completion of making an investment, the Residency Malta Agency will issue a Maltese residence certificate (permit).

Having discussed the permanent residency programme, we will now discuss the process of citizenship through investment in Malta.

Citizenship by Investment:

This programme is known by the name “Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment” or “Malta ESDI

People who are wealthy and are ready to invest in Malta’s economy can apply for citizenship right after one year of residency ( or three years) in the country.

Not just the applicant, but the entire family of the individual can apply for citizenship.

• Spouse
• Children up to 29 years of age
• Parents of the applicant (over 55 years)
• Parents of the spouse of the applicant (over 55 years)

One important thing that should be taken into consideration is that the children aged more than 18 years and the parents should be financially dependent on the applicant.

Right after applying for citizenship, the applicant will be provided with a temporary residency permit, with which they can travel in Europe without a visa.

From 2014 to 2020, there was an investment programme called the Malta Individual Investor Programme, which is closed now.

This made things hard for individual investors but the citizenship through investment programme remained the same, through which citizenship can be obtained without having to live permanently in the country.

From this year (2021), investors can acquire Maltese citizenship for exceptional services provided through direct investment, as per one of the articles of the Maltese Citizenship Act.

The process of obtaining citizenship through investment in Malta is considered to be the fastest and easiest way if you are okay with spending a significant amount of money.

Requirements – The requirements for Malta ESDI are as follows, and individuals must meet all of these conditions.

Condition 1: The individual must contribute at least €600,000 after one year of residency in Malta. Otherwise, they must contribute €750,000 after three years of residency in Malta.

Condition 2: The individual must purchase a residential property that is worth at least €700,000, and this property should be held by the individual for at least five years.

The individual can rent out this property during these five years and can sell it after completion of the said five-year period (if they wish).

(Or)

Alternatively, the individual can acquire a residential property for lease, for which the value must be at least $16,000 per year and this process should be continued for 5 years.

Condition 3: The individual should make a donatdonate0,000 to any of the following organizations or societies, which has been approved by the Community Malta Agency:

Cultural organization

Scientific organization

Philanthropic organization

Animal welfare organization

Registered sport

Additionally, €50,000 should be paid as a contribution to the state fund for each additional family member applying for citizenship through this programme.

Eligibility Test – The family members of the individual should pass a background check, which is equivalent to Due Diligence.

The investor and the family members must provide the information related to the source of their funds along with all the supporting documentation necessary for the application process.

During this test, the applicant and his/her family must prove that all their income sources are genuine and legal, and they don’t have any sort of criminal background.

The main objective of this test is to ensure that the applicant and his family have no obstacles to acquiring citizenship in Malta, and the process is strict and thorough.

In most cases, 1 out of every 5 individuals who take this test fails to obtain citizenship.

After successfully passing the test, the individual becomes eligible for Maltese citizenship valid for a lifetime.

For taking the eligibility test, the main applicant must pay a fee of €15,000 and each additional family member must pay €10,000 whether it is the applicant’s spouse, child (12 to 29 years), or parents (over 55 years).

There is also an administrative fee applicable for each applicant, which is €1,000.

Process of applying – The process of applying for citizenship with the help of the Malta ESDI program is as follows.

Step 1: First, you must select a property, whether it can be for purchase or leasing.

Step 2: Next, you must submit your residency permit along with all the documentation necessary for the citizenship application.

Make sure that you are residing in Malta for at least three before you submit these documents.

Step 3:  Once you are approved, you can apply for the process of naturalization. This process usually takes around four to five months from the date you submit the necessary documents.

Only after you receive this approval, you will be required to provide proof of residence, make the necessary investments, and take an oath of allegiance.

Step 4: After this application gets approved, you can apply for a Maltese passport according to your citizenship certificate.

In simple words, a family of two people would need around €766,000 to €1,500,000 for obtaining citizenship in Malta, without including the property purchase.

One thing you must remember is that Malta would only accept 1,500 people for the next four years, while only accepting less than 400 people per year.

After these four years, the rules and conditions of this law are likely to be changed or revised again.

Malta is considered a safe and stable economy in Europe and there are no restrictions on dual citizenship.

With this country’s citizenship, you can obtain the right of establishment in 27 EU countries along with Switzerland. You can also travel to 184 countries with the necessity of a visa.

Bottom Line:

You should remember that obtaining citizenship or residency in Malta can be quite expensive, and you must only apply for it if you can deal with the expenses.

The process of applying to residency/citizenship through investment is straightforward, yet it takes a lot of time and effort from the individual.

Some individuals might not find enough time to go through the process, and in such a situation, we will be glad to assist you in the process of obtaining residency/citizenship in Malta.

That being said, if you need a professional financial planner or investment manager to take care of your crucial financial needs, you can avail yourself of the top-notch financial services offered by us here.

You can also avail of these services through our mobile app by clicking here.

If you want to learn everything about investments and become familiar with the process of investing, then you can join Adam Fayed Academy and become an efficient investor.

Finally, we hope that you were able to find this article useful in accessing the information for which you have been searching.

Before introducing this article, if you are interested in our core services which are expat financial, insurance and mortgages, you can contact me here. 

The best time to consider your financial situation is when you are moving to a new country.

Introduction

Malta is famous for its exquisite view of seas, awesome climate, social life, high-quality living standards, and low crime rate.

In today’s article, we will discuss the details of different types of visas, residency programs, citizenship programs, and all the other details related to becoming a citizen of Malta.

Information about Visas:

Concerning your visit to Malta, there is an availability of different types of visas depending on the purpose of the visit of an individual.

Whether it is for pursuing education or employment, or if you going to Malta for residing there permanently, you will be required to apply for a Malta Schengen Visa depending on the type of visit.

The Malta Schengen Visa came into existence in 2007 when Malta became a Member State of the European Union along with becoming a member of the state of the Schengen Area.

However, there are some restrictions set up by the country because of the Coronavirus outbreak. These restrictions included a ban on third-country nationals from entering the country.

In mid-March 2020, all the member countries of the European Union and Schengen Area also imposed an EU-wide ban.

As time passed, the entry was made available for the residents of Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, France, Ireland, Iceland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Greece, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Spain, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

Recently, Malta lifted the ban for the people belonging to Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Rwanda, and UAE.

Nonetheless, people from other countries are also allowed into the country on humanitarian grounds, or if the individual’s entry is deemed to be crucial.

If the entry of the individual is deemed important, then there would be a specific authorization issued by the Superintendent of Public Health.

General documentation required:

While applying for a Visa to enter Malta, you will be required to submit the following documentation, which is the same for all individuals regardless of their purpose of visit.

• First, you will have to download and fill out a Malta Visa application form, which can also be done electronically, and print a hard copy of the completed application form.

You can get access to the Malta Visa application by clicking this link.

•  Two passport size photos should be attached along with the application.

You can get the details regarding the photo requirements and specifications for a Maltese Visa application by clicking here.

• Your current passport along with the copies of previous visas. You must make sure that the passport is valid for at least 3 months beyond the return date and should also contain a minimum of two blank pages.

• A copy of the return ticket booking. There is no necessity for booking a ticket before getting a visa unless it is necessary.

• A valid Travel Medical Insurance, which has a coverage of at least €30,000 in Malta as well as the entire Schengen area.

• A visa cover letter, which describes the purpose of your visit to Malta and itinerary.

• Flight ticket reservation (if it is applicable)

• Civil Status proof such as Marriage Certificate, Children’s Birth Certificate, Death Certificate of a Spouse, etc., if any of these are applicable.

• Proof of Accommodation for the entirety of your stay in Malta.

• Means of Subsistence. Proof ensuring that the person is financially stable to get through his/her entire stay in Malta.

According to the information provided by the European Commission, any foreign individual who wishes to enter Malta is required to own an amount equivalent to €48/day for the duration of their stay.

This attestation should be submitted to the Malta Embassy or Consulate.

Additional documentation for Employees:

• Employment contract

• Recent Bank Statement (for the past 6 months)

• No Objection Certificate, which has been obtained from the employer.

• Income Tax Return form or a Certificate of Income Tax deducted at source (from the salary).

Additional documentation for Self-employed individuals:

• A copy of the business license

• Company’s bank statement (last 6 months).

• Income Tax Return

Additional documentation for students:

• Proof of enrollment into a college/school/university

• Leave approval letter obtained from the school/college/university

Additional documentation for retired individuals:

• Pension payment statement for the past 6 months.

Important Notes – Apart from these documents, you might also be required to submit proof related to the regular income generated from a property for the past 6 months (if deemed necessary).

The application form must be duly signed and added with all the documents necessary and submitted to the relevant embassy/consulate or its representative in your country of residence.

Additional documentation for most frequent visit purposes:

Additional requirements for Malta Tourist Schengen Visa:

• Invitation letter obtained from a family member or sponsor living in Malta, along with their address and phone number.

• Bank statement (last 6 months).

• Copies of passport.

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Business Purposes:

• Invitation letter obtained from a Maltese company that you will visit, along with the company’s detailed address and dates of your visit.

• Proof of certificate obtained from your employer, which states that you will be allowed to travel for business purposes.

• In case there were any previous trade relations between the two companies (the company for which work and the company you are going to visit), then proof of those events should also be submitted.

• Corporate/Business bank statement for the past 6 months.

• Memo and Article of Association related to registration with joint stock companies (original certified copy).

• Trade License (One that has been issued first as well as the current renewal).

• Proprietorship/Partnership documents.

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Medical Purposes:

• A local medical report

• A medical attestation obtained from a doctor or a hospital in Malta, which should confirm the details regarding the date of your appointment and your current medical condition.

• Payment receipt related to your medical fees.

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Cultural, Sports, Film Crew, or Religious Purposes:

• An invitation letter obtained from the respective authorities along with details regarding the nature of events or activities such as the reason for visit, expense coverage, and so on.

• Names of all the applicants

• Duration of stay

• Travel Itinerary

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Members of Official Delegations:

• A copy of the official invitation

• ID proof of the applicant

• Reason for visit such as negotiations, meetings, international organization meetings, etc.

• Duration of stay

• Details regarding the place of accommodation.

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Research, Study, Training, or Internship Purposes:

• An enrollment certificate, which allows the individual to attend the course.

• Certificate of completion or certificate of courses attended.

• Financial Sustenance

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Spouse of a Maltese Citizen:

• Proof of Maltese Citizenship, which can be an ID Card or Consular Card or Certification of Maltese Nationality, or Naturalization Order.

• Maltese Marriage Certificate

• Maltese Family Record Book

Additional requirements for Malta Airport Transit Visa:

• Visa or any other entry permit in the transit country.

• A copy of a valid visa for the intended destination.

Additional requirements for Malta Visa for Underage Children:

• Proof of parents’ regular income, which can be a bank statement or business license, or a work contract with specified monthly income.

• Travel permission from parent/legal guardian (parent travel consent), which should be notarized.

• If either one of the parents lives in another country, then notarized parental travel consent is required from them as well.

• During the process of applying for a Visa at a Maltese embassy or consulate in the individual’s home country, the parent or the legal guardian of the underage children must accompany them.

These documents must be submitted at Malta’s diplomatic missions or its representations when you intend to go to Malta or if Malta happens to be the entry point for entering the Schengen area.

Airport Transit Visa:

With the help of this vias, you can cross the international transit zone of Malta’s International Airport. Only the people from the list of countries with an obligation for an Airport Transit Visa need this type of visa.

Short Stay “C” Visa (Schengen):

With this visa, an individual will be allowed to transit through Malta or remain in the country for 90 days. With this visa, people can also stay in the member states of the Schengen area.

Upon entering the country, an individual will be allowed to stay for 90 days, and this 90-day period should be within six months of entering the Schengen area.

The validity period of the Schengen short-term visa is determined according to the duration of the travel, which is usually for a maximum period of five years.

Based on an individual’s estimated number of stays, the Schengen visa can be issued as:

• Single Entry Visa:

With this visa, an individual will be allowed to stay for a continuous period, which must not exceed 3 months.

• Double Entry Visa:

This visa allows two stays during the set period, and the maximum length of stays (combined) should not exceed 3 months.

• Multiple Entry Visa:

This visa allows two stays during the set period, and the maximum length of stays (combined) should not exceed 3 months within a timeframe of 6 months.

National Long-Stay “D” Visa:

With the help of this visa, individuals are allowed to stay in Malta for a period longer than 90 days.

The applications for long-stay visas are not following the representation arrangements, and people who wish to have this visa must get in contact with the Central Visa Unit regarding additional information.

Residency in Malta:

Before we talk about the residence by investment program of Malta, let us take a look at the normal residence program in Malta.

Malta Ordinary Residence Programme:

In order to become eligible for this type of residency permit, an individual has to physically stay in Malta for at least six months or 183 days in a given calendar year.

This type of residence permit is available for EU/EEA individuals as well as non-EU/EEA individuals, for which, an individual would have to stay in Malta for three months.

In the case of non-EU/EEA nationals, there might be some restrictions and conditions depending on the employment and self-employment rights. Similar to the entry, the eligibility for this programme is also dependent on the nationality of an individual.

The qualifying criteria for EU/EEA individuals are as follows:

• Financial sustenance.

• Employment status in Malta or information related to studies in Malta.

• Details regarding family members living in Malta.

• Address proof in Malta, which can be obtained by buying or renting a property.

• Staying in Malta for at least three months.

The qualifying criteria for non- EU/EEA individuals are as follows:

• Address proof in Malta, which can be obtained by buying or renting a property.

• Employment status, whether it is normal employment, self-employment, or holding a company/business in Malta.

To work in Malta, an employment license is necessary. Self-employed individuals need to make an investment of at least €500,000 within six months after they acquire a license from Jobsplus.

If the individual owns a business, then he/she must recruit at least three EEA/Maltese/Swiss nationals within 18 months after establishing a company.

The company must involve in a project approved by Malta Enterprise and systematically informed to Jobsplus.

• People who are shareholders of a Maltese company also come under the category of self-employment, when they hold shares having a value of at least €500,000.

The share capital cannot be redeemed, reduced, or transferred by the individual for at least two years. This share capital should either be of cash or stock transfers.

People who obtain this type of residence permit are able to renew it every five years.

Additionally, the Single Permit allows people belonging to third countries to stay in Malta for more than six months. All such applications should be endorsed by a local employer.

Such applications can be made even when the individual resides abroad, and after successfully acquiring the permit, individuals can renew their permit.

Third-country nationals are able to apply for this permit under the category of employment except for international or humanitarian protection in Malta or other EU member states.

For people who are citizens of EU/EEA/Swiss and their family members or third-country nationals, the residence permit will not apply for their right to work.