Malta
Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (MEIN) — repealed; replaced by Citizenship by Merit framework
Established 2014. Regulated by Community Malta Agency (formerly Identity Malta / MIIPA).
- Min investment
- —
- Processing time
- 12-36 months
- Physical presence
- Yes
- Interview
- Yes
- Language test
- No
- Dual citizenship
- Yes
- Visa-free destinations
- ~183
- Henley rank (2025)
- #6
Investment options
Donation
—PROGRAM CLOSED. Historical MEIN (2020-2025) required EUR 600,000 government contribution after 36 months of residency, or EUR 750,000 after 12 months; plus EUR 700,000 real estate purchase (5-year hold) or EUR 16,000/year rental; plus EUR 10,000 philanthropic donation. Replaced in 2025 by a discretionary Citizenship by Merit framework with no fixed financial threshold.
Additional fees
Historical fees: EUR 15,000 non-refundable deposit on application; EUR 7,500 due diligence per adult applicant; EUR 5,000 per child 13-17; EUR 3,000 per child under 13. No longer applicable — program closed.
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Adult children up to age: 29
- Parents (min age): 55+
- Siblings: No
Under historical MEIN: spouse/de-facto partner, dependent children up to 29, parents and grandparents aged 55+ if financially dependent. Under new Citizenship by Merit: spouse/partner and dependent children up to 29 only.
Tax implications
- Worldwide income taxed: No
- Tax residency required: No
Malta operates remittance-based taxation for non-domiciled residents. Citizenship alone does not create tax residency. EU citizenship grants right to live/work/study in any EU/EEA state.
Eligibility requirements
- Historical: 12 or 36 months legal residence in Malta prior to naturalisation
- Clean criminal record (independent tier-4 due diligence)
- Documented legal source of funds
- Proof of accommodation (owned or rented)
- New merit-based framework: demonstrate 'exceptional service to Malta or humanity' (philanthropy, innovation, science, sport, cultural advancement, or strategic skills aligned with national priorities)
- Adequate knowledge of Maltese or English
Disqualifiers
- Nationals of Russia and Belarus (suspended since March 2022)
- Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Yemen, DPRK, Venezuela (historical restrictions)
- Any person on EU/UN/US/UK sanctions list
- Criminal record or pending criminal proceedings
- Adverse media or reputational risk findings
Recent changes
- 2025-04-29
CJEU ruled in Case C-181/23 (Commission v. Malta) that the MEIN scheme infringes EU law by 'commercialising' the grant of Union citizenship in breach of Article 4(3) TEU. Investor citizenship program effectively prohibited.
- 2025-07
Maltese Parliament repealed the MEIN legal framework. New applications no longer accepted.
- 2025
Government introduced Citizenship by Merit framework — a discretionary, non-transactional naturalisation route for individuals making exceptional contributions to Malta. No fixed contribution; case-by-case assessment by Community Malta. Not a true CBI.
- 2022-03
Suspended applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals following Ukraine invasion.
Notes
STATUS: Malta no longer offers citizenship by investment. The CJEU ruling of April 29, 2025 ended the only EU-member CBI program. The replacement 'Citizenship by Merit' is not a transactional pathway and should not be marketed as a CBI alternative. Most pre-existing applications submitted before the ruling are being processed under transitional provisions. Listed here as 'closed' for historical/contextual reference. For EU citizenship via investment, only RESIDENCY routes remain (Malta Permanent Residence Programme, Portugal D7/D8, Greek/Spanish/Italian golden visas — none directly grant citizenship).
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