Malta is a country on a few rocky islands in the Mediterranean Sea that attracts crowds of tourists every year. Some of them fall in love with the country and want to spend the rest of their lives there. These people are lucky, as a matter of fact, because Malta does have a citizenship-by-investment program. That means that any non-EU citizen can become an EU citizen by ‘purchasing’ a Maltese passport. The two most important qualities that a foreign investor has to have are as follows: enough money and a clean police record.
Advantages of Maltese citizenship
As Malta is an EU member state, you become a European citizen when you obtain a passport of Malta. In other words, you can live and work on this document in any of the EU member states. This is exactly what they don’t like in Brussels: the EU authorities are pushing Malta to dismantle its citizenship-by-investment program. They claim that untrustworthy individuals can penetrate the European Union through Malta if they acquire passports of the country. The case is currently in court but Malta refuses to surrender.
And this is good news for foreign investors because a Maltese passport can bring a great number of advantages to its holder. First of all, the natural wonders of Malta are breathtaking. There you will find beautiful oleanders, cedars, cacti, mimosas, and many other plants. The Mediterranean climate is very comfortable and living in Malta is simply superb.
Freedom of travel
With an EU passport, you can travel all around Europe and to 61 more countries and territories in other parts of the world. There are also visa-waiver programs with the USA and several other countries that allow Europeans to stay there for 90 days without visas.
Employment opportunities
With a Maltese passport, you are free to work in Malta or elsewhere in the EU. No additional documents (such as a work permit, for example) are going to be required as long as you stay within the Union.
Comparatively low prices in Malta
Goods and services cost less in Malta than they do in most other Western European countries. Salaries are also lower in Malta compared to other EU states but the low cost of living compensates for this circumstance.
Education
Acquiring residency in Europe via the Maltese citizenship program will give your children access to high-quality education services. You can send them to any university in the EU, Switzerland, or Great Britain. Getting a student visa to the USA is also extremely easy for a European citizen. No tuition will be charged if your children attend a Maltese university. Moreover, Maltese university students receive scholarships.
Medicine
High-quality medical services are available in Malta. A medical insurance policy issued in the country is valid in the entire EU.
Residential accommodations
A few years ago, Malta had the third fastest growing real estate market in the world. Attractive conditions for foreign investors as well as tax incentives should be held accountable for this fact. Still the property prices are lower in Malta in comparison to many EU countries. On the other hand, they are growing by approximately 10% per year. If the growth dynamics remains the same, the property that you buy in Malta to qualify for citizenship of the country is going to cost twice as much in a few years.
Ways to acquire citizenship of Malta
To qualify for Maltese citizenship, you have to buy or rent residential accommodations in the country, apart from other things. If you choose to buy a house or an apartment, you can sell it back after five years without losing Maltese citizenship. In all likelihood, it is going to cost at least 50% more after five years. You are free to sell your property before the five-year period expires but only if you buy another piece of property whose value is within the set limits.
Requirements for candidate for Maltese citizenship
The main applicant for Maltese citizenship by investment has to be above 18 years of age. Main applicant’s spouse and underage children can be added to a family application for citizenship. Besides, dependent parents above the age of 55 can also be added to a family application.
Candidates for Maltese citizenship have to meet the following requirements:
- All adult applicants go through due diligence checks. Foreign nationals with a criminal past cannot obtain Malta citizenship by investment.
- Applicants have to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the English or the Maltese language. This can be done during an interview.
- Applicants for citizenship have to be in good health.
- Applicants have to buy or rent residential property in Malta.
- Applicants have to make a non-returnable donation to the state fund in addition to investing into property. Extra fees are due if a family is applying for citizenship of Malta.
- Applicants for citizenship have to cover the costs of the due diligence procedures.
Please note that the amounts of fees and duties are subject to change. Besides, the overall investment amount depends on the number of family members. For this reason, the ‘price’ of Malta citizenship is going to be a bit different in each particular case.
Stages in the process of acquiring citizenship of Malta by investment
To start with, you have to apply for a residence permit in Malta. To qualify for a permit, you have to invest 270,000 euros in real property or in Government bonds. Alternatively, you can rent residential accommodations paying at least 10,000 euros per year. The rent agreement has to be made for 5 years.
Then the following two options are available to you. First, you can purchase property in Malta for at least 700,000 euros and make a donation of 750,000 euros after living in Malta on a residence permit for 1 year. The investment and the donation will make you eligible to apply for citizenship of Malta. The immigration authorities of the country will take up to 6 months to process your application but this is the fastest way of obtaining Maltese citizenship.
This is also the most expensive way, which seems natural. You can save some money if you live in Malta on a residence permit for 3 years. In this case, the required donation amount is going to be 600,000 euros. The required investment amount, however, remains the same: 700,000 euros.
Instead of buying property, you can rent it and still qualify for citizenship of Malta. To be able to do that, you have to sign a 5-year rent agreement with a contract price of at least 18,000 per year. Multiply 18,000 by 5 and you will get 90,000.
The sum is notably lower than 700,000 but you will be giving 90,000 away while you can actually gain a hefty profit if you sell your 700,000-worth property after 5 years. What is a better deal? It’s up to you to decide.
