Citizenship by Investment
in Malta
Important Update:
This programme was closed on the 29th of April, 2025. However, we offer alternative residency and citizenship options that may suit your needs.The Maltese Citizenship by Investment Programme has ended
The Maltese government has officially closed its Citizenship by Investment programme, following an April 2025 ruling by the EU’s top court.
While Malta no longer offers a direct route to citizenship through investment, there are still attractive alternatives across Europe. Countries like Portugal, and Greece continue to offer residency-by-investment programmes, providing Schengen access, residency rights, and long-term pathways to citizenship.
Explore Alternative Residency and Citizenship Programmes
Portugal
|Visa Free Travel
Minimum Investment:
€500,000
Flexible investment options and access to the Schengen Zone.
Greece
|Route to Greek citizenship
Minimum Investment:
€250,000
One of Europe’s most affordable residency-by-investment programmes.
Malta
|European residence permit
Minimum Investment:
€170,000
A stable EU member with a high standard of living and English-speaking environment.
Why is Malta a popular investment location?
Located in the central Mediterranean Sea, Malta is the smallest EU state. The two main languages are Maltese and English. However, Italian is also widely spoken.
Whether visiting or relocating, the island country is a popular choice thanks to its rich history, natural beauty and Mediterranean lifestyle. It is also a hub for various thriving industries such as financial services, gaming and film production.
The island is also known for its amazing food, captivating dive sites, buzzing nightlife and year-round events.
About the Malta Citizenship by Investment programme
Malta's Citizenship through Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (CES) programme was launched in 2020 and was aimed at non-EU nationals.
The government introduced the programme to attract foreign investment and business expertise into the country. It allowed applicants and their families to become Maltese citizens by contributing to the country's economic development.
Maltese citizenship opened up many opportunities to its holders, such as the ability to live, work or study in any EU country. The programme also granted a Maltese passport, allowing visa-free travel to over 180 countries.
The Malta Citizenship by Investment Programme was highly regarded as one of the fastest routes to obtain European citizenship.
What were the Benefits of Citizenship by Investment in Malta?
No minimum stay requirements
Live, work or study in any EU country
Visa-free travel to over 180 countries
Malta allows for dual nationality
A favourable tax system
Citizenship was indefinite and passed down to future generations
No minimum stay requirements
Live, work or study in any EU country
Visa-free travel to over 180 countries
Malta allows for dual nationality
A favourable tax system
Citizenship was indefinite and passed down to future generations
How to obtain Citizenship by Investment in Malta
Renting or purchasing a residential property
To obtain Malta citizenship, you could purchase real estate for a minimum value of €700,000 or lease a residential property with a rental value of at least €16,000 per year.
In both cases, these had to be held for at least five years. Rentals/purchases only needed to be made after the initial approval of the application.
Making a charitable donation
Applicants could make a donation to charity of at least €10,000.
Specific donation requirements applied. The donation had to be made to a non-government organisation (NGO) approved by the Residency Malta Agency (RMA). NGOs included areas such as science, animal welfare, culture, sport, the arts and more.
Investing
To be eligible, you could also make a non-refundable investment to the Malta National Development and Social Fund. The amount varied depending on whether the applicant opted for the 12-month route (1 year) or the 36-month route (3 years).
To apply after 1 year of residence, the minimum investment was €750,000 plus €50,000 per dependent. The minimum amount required to apply after 3 years of residency was €600,000 plus €50,000 per dependent.
In both cases, this amount was paid in two stages. The first was €10,000 on submission of the application, which was non-refundable. The remainder of the contribution had to be paid on approval of the application.
Track your application from start to finish in our App
Key Benefit of Citizenship by Investment in Malta
The Malta Citizenship by Investment Programme offered one of the fastest routes to obtaining European citizenship. Once approved, applicants received their Maltese passport, which provided numerous benefits, including greater global mobility.
Malta is part of the European Union (EU), joining the Schengen Area in 2007. This allows Maltese citizens to travel to all 26 countries in the Schengen Area without border checks and the freedom to work in any of the EU member states.
Passport holders also benefit from visa-free travel to over 180 countries. This includes the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, China and the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which programme is right for you?
| Citizenship or Residency Programme? | - | - | - |
| Minimum Investment Amount | - | - | - |
| Minimum Stay Requirement | - | - | - |
| Initial Permit Duration | - | - | - |
| Time to Residence | - | - | - |
| Time to Citizenship | - | - | - |
| Family Inclusion? | - | - | - |
| Right to Work? | - | - | - |
| Type of Document Received | - | - | - |
| No. of Visa-Free Countries with Passport? | - | - | - |