Programme Overview
Malta Permanent Residence
From €99,000 plus property ($109K USD) — financed against your portfolio, not liquidated from it.
Or compare it against the other programmesMalta at a glance
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme grants permanent residence from the outset rather than a temporary permit that must be renewed, which is unusual among European programmes. It does not require relocation, and it is not a citizenship route: for that, see Malta citizenship by investment.
Investment from
€99,000 plus property
Processing
11-15 months
Stay required
None
Permanent Residence. Spouse and dependants included. Residency only — no citizenship pathway.
Malta Permanent Residence — investment routes
1. Government fees and contribution (required)
€60,000 administrative fee, €37,000 government contribution and a €2,000 donation to a registered NGO.
- ▪Investment of €99,000 ($109K USD)
2. Qualifying property (required)
Residential property only — a hotel unit does not qualify.
- ▪Investment of €375,000 purchase or €14,000 a year lease ($413K USD)
3. Capital test (required)
Or €650,000 in assets including €75,000 liquid.
- ▪Investment of €500,000 in assets, of which €150,000 liquid ($550K USD)
Malta Permanent Residence benefits
- Permanent residence from the outset, not a renewable temporary permit
- No relocation requirement and no minimum stay
- Schengen access for 90 days in any 180-day period
- The only EU member state with English as an official language
- Four generations may be included: spouse, children up to 29, parents and grandparents
- Status does not expire, subject to continued compliance
Eligibility requirements
- ▪Third-country national: not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
- ▪At least 18 years old and of good standing
- ▪Clean criminal record and not subject to sanctions
- ▪Stable and regular resources sufficient to support the family
- ▪Health insurance covering risks in Malta and across Europe
- ▪Application filed through an agent licensed by Residency Malta Agency
Who can be included
- Spouse
- Children up to 29
- Parents and grandparents of either spouse
- €7,500 for each adult dependant beyond the spouse
Taxation
Malta operates a remittance basis for non-domiciled residents: foreign income and gains not remitted to Malta are not taxed there. The MPRP itself confers no special tax status.
Residency requirements
None. The programme does not require relocation and carries no minimum stay.
Application process
Typical duration: 11-15 months- 01
Application and due diligence
3-7 monthsFiled through a licensed agent.
- 02
Letter of approval in principle
On completion of vettingRemaining administrative fee falls due within two months.
- 03
Property, contribution and donation
Within 8 months of approvalProperty secured, government contribution and NGO donation paid, then the residence certificate issues.
Costs and fees (Commission)
Every charge the programme makes, and the sales commission an intermediary adds on top of them.
Administrative fee
€60,000
€15,000 on submission and €45,000 on issue of the letter of approval in principle.
Government contribution
€37,000
Payable within eight months of approval in principle.
NGO donation
€2,000
To a registered philanthropic, cultural, sporting, scientific, animal welfare or artistic organisation.
Additional adult dependant
€7,500 each
Payable for each adult dependant other than the spouse.
Qualifying property
From €375,000 to buy, or €14,000 a year to lease
Held or leased for five years.
Residence cards
€500 per person
€100 per person per year, covering the five-year card.
Sales commission
€50,000–€100,000
The dearest programme on the list carries the largest commission.
Fee based model
The same programme, bought without an intermediary's commission.
You save
€50,000–€100,000
The sales commission on the left, which you do not pay. The $2,500 fee replaces it.
Total estimated cost
Roughly €169,000 all in over five years on the rental route, or about €474,000 on the purchase route, before legal fees and dependant costs. The €99,000 is only the government element.
The sales commission above is on top of this figure.
What the advice costs
The programme costs the same. The advice does not.
Through a commission
€50,000–€100,000
Sales commission on Malta. The dearest programme on the list carries the largest commission. Quoted separately from the licensed agent Malta requires, which is payable either way.
Through a fee
$2,500
Six months as a private client — route selection, the financing, the portfolio, and me on the end of a phone. Twelve months is $5,000. Paid by you, so the answer can be no.
Total saving
€50,000–€100,000
The whole commission, before the $2,500 fee, which is charged in dollars. The programme costs what it costs either way.
This is the commission only. The licensed agent, the legal work and the government fees in the list above are payable whoever advises you, and nothing here removes them — a saving that quietly included a statutory fee would be the same trick in the other direction.
Commission ranges are typical rather than universal, and no firm is named. They are not published anywhere, which is the point of them.
Fund Your Malta Investment with a Lombard Loan
Instead of liquidating your portfolio to fund the From €99,000 plus property Malta investment, use your existing assets as collateral and keep your money working for you.
Traditional: Liquidate Assets
- ✗Sell From €99,000 plus property from your portfolio
- ✗Trigger capital gains tax (up to 20%)
- ✗Lose years of compound growth
- ✗After 10 years: €213,734
Lombard Loan: Keep Your Portfolio
- Borrow From €99,000 plus property against €198,000 collateral
- No capital gains event triggered
- Portfolio continues growing at 8%
- After 10 years: €397,767
10-Year Wealth Projection
Is Malta right for you?
Ideal for
- People who want a permanent EU status without moving country
- Families spanning several generations, including parents and grandparents
- Those who value an English-speaking EU jurisdiction
- Nationals without visa-free Schengen access who travel to Europe often
- Anyone who wants certainty of status rather than a permit to renew
Consider alternatives if
- ▪Anyone whose objective is an EU passport — see Malta citizenship by investment
- ▪Those unwilling to hold a qualifying property for five years
- ▪Applicants who cannot evidence source of funds and wealth to a four-tier standard
- ▪Anyone wanting the investment itself to generate a return; the €99,000 is a cost, not an investment
Alternative programmes to consider
Malta Citizenship
If the objective is an EU passport rather than residence. Separate programme, separate cost.
ExplorePortugal
If you want a route that leads to EU citizenship over time, at roughly seven days a year of presence.
ExploreGreece
If you want direct property ownership as the qualifying investment, from €400,000.
ExploreCyprus
If you want a comparable EU residence at €300,000 with an annual income test instead of fees.
ExploreRelated Resources
Elsewhere
If this one is not the fit, these might be
FAQs
Half an hour, $100, no commission.
Whether Malta is right for you, what it will actually cost, and whether a visa with no capital contribution gets you the same place for nothing.