Programme Overview
Malta Citizenship by Investment
From €600,000 ($660K USD) — financed against your portfolio, not liquidated from it.
Or compare it against the other programmesMalta at a glance
Malta offers citizenship by exceptional contribution for exceptional direct investment. As an EU member state, Maltese citizenship provides full European Union rights and one of the world's most powerful passports.
Investment from
€600,000
Processing
14-16 months
Stay required
Flexible
Citizenship by Investment. Spouse and dependants included. There is a pathway to citizenship.
Malta Citizenship by Investment — investment routes
1. Government Contribution (Required)
Non-refundable government contribution based on residency period: €600,000 for 36-month track or €750,000 for accelerated 12-month track
- ▪Investment of €600,000 (36 months) or €750,000 (12 months) ($660K USD)
2. Real Estate Component (Required)
PLUS property purchase (minimum €700,000) or 5-year lease (minimum €16,000/year) - must be maintained for 5 years
- ▪Investment of €700,000+ purchase or €16,000/year rental ($770K USD)
3. Philanthropic Donation (Required)
PLUS charitable donation to approved Maltese philanthropic, cultural, sport, scientific, animal welfare, or artistic NGO
- ▪Investment of €10,000 ($11K USD)
Indicative all-in cost
On the accelerated 12-month route with the property leased, taking the contribution, property, donation, dependant fees, due diligence, government fees and professional costs together.
- ▪Investment of €1.07m-€1.12m for a family of four ($1 USD)
Malta Citizenship by Investment benefits
- Full EU citizenship and a Maltese passport, held for life and passed to your children
- About 14 to 16 months from filing to passport on the accelerated route
- The right to live, work, study and retire in any EU member state
- Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 180+ countries, including the USA, UK and Canada
- Four generations in one application: spouse, children, parents and grandparents
- Dual citizenship permitted, so no existing nationality need be given up
- English is an official language, so no language examination
- Remittance-based taxation for non-domiciled residents
Eligibility requirements
- ▪Non-EU national, at least 18 years old
- ▪Residence in Malta for 12 months on the accelerated route, or 36 months on the standard route, before the grant
- ▪A genuine link to Malta, evidenced rather than asserted
- ▪Four-tier due diligence on the applicant and every dependant
- ▪Clean criminal record, no sanctions and no pending investigation
- ▪Documented, legitimate source of both funds and wealth
- ▪Private health insurance covering all applicants in Malta
- ▪Application filed through an agent licensed by the Community Malta Agency
Who can be included
- Spouse
- Children under 29 (including adopted children)
- Parents and grandparents over 55
- Dependent unmarried children with disabilities
- Additional fees apply for dependents
Taxation
Malta operates a remittance-based tax system for non-domiciled residents. Foreign income and gains not remitted to Malta are not taxed.
Residency requirements
Genuine residence in Malta for 12 months on the accelerated track or 36 months on the standard track before the grant. The accelerated route runs about 14 to 16 months from filing to passport.
Path to citizenship
Direct citizenship grant upon successful application approval and completion of all investment requirements.
Application process
Typical duration: 14-16 months- 01
Application and due diligence
4-6 monthsFiled through a licensed agent.
- 02
Qualifying residence and grant
10 monthsAccelerated track.
Costs and fees (Commission)
Every charge the programme makes, and the sales commission an intermediary adds on top of them.
Government contribution
€900,000
€750,000 for the main applicant on the 12-month track plus €50,000 for each of three dependants; €750,000 in total on the slower 36-month track.
Qualifying property
€80,000 leased, or €700,000 to buy
Lease at €16,000 a year for five years, or buy from €700,000 and hold it five years — the purchase is an asset you keep, the lease is not.
Philanthropic donation
€10,000
To an approved Maltese NGO.
Due diligence
€45,000
€15,000 for the main applicant and €10,000 for each dependant aged 13 or over.
Government and administrative fees
€8,000
The €5,000 investor fee, plus residence cards for the family.
Health insurance
€2,000
Around €500 a person, held for the qualifying period.
Licensed agent (mandatory)
€15,000-€40,000
Malta will not accept an application except through a licensed agent.
Legal & advisory
€10,000-€30,000
Source-of-wealth file, conveyancing, tax planning and application support.
Sales commission
€50,000–€100,000
The largest commission on the list, on the dearest programme.
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
€1,120,000–€1,215,000
family of four, 12-month track, leased property, plus the sales commission above.
Total estimated cost
€1,070,000–€1,115,000
The programme's own charges, plus the $2,500 fee. No commission.
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 largest commission on the list, on the dearest programme. Separate from the licensed agent Malta requires by law, 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 €1,000,000 Malta investment, use your existing assets as collateral and keep your money working for you.
Traditional: Liquidate Assets
- ✗Sell €1,000,000 from your portfolio
- ✗Trigger capital gains tax (up to 20%)
- ✗Lose years of compound growth
- ✗After 10 years: €2.16M
Lombard Loan: Keep Your Portfolio
- Borrow €1,000,000 against €2.00M collateral
- No capital gains event triggered
- Portfolio continues growing at 8%
- After 10 years: €4.02M
10-Year Wealth Projection
Where the passport gets you
180+ countries visa-free or visa on arrival
Americas
- United StatesVisa-free (ESTA)
- CanadaVisa-free (eTA)
- BrazilVisa-free
- ArgentinaVisa-free
- MexicoVisa-free
Europe and the UK
- United KingdomVisa-free, 6 months
- All 27 EU statesFreedom of movement
- SwitzerlandVisa-free
- Norway and IcelandVisa-free
Asia-Pacific
- JapanVisa-free
- South KoreaVisa-free
- SingaporeVisa-free
- AustraliaeTA
- New ZealandVisa-free
Middle East and Africa
- United Arab EmiratesVisa-free
- IsraelVisa-free
- South AfricaVisa-free
- QatarVisa-free
Visa-free access is set by each destination and changes without notice. Only the EU rights — living, working and studying in any member state — come from the citizenship itself rather than from another country's discretion, and those are the ones worth planning around.
Is Malta right for you?
Ideal for
- Ultra-high-net-worth individuals seeking permanent EU citizenship, not just residency
- Families wanting generational citizenship that passes to all descendants
- International business owners needing full EU operating rights
- Those seeking maximum global mobility (190+ countries visa-free)
- Investors who value certainty and irrevocable status
- English-speaking professionals and entrepreneurs
Consider alternatives if
- ▪Those with budgets under €1.4 million (consider Greece or Portugal residency)
- ▪Applicants who cannot pass rigorous due diligence
- ▪Those seeking quick processing under 12 months (consider Caribbean programmes)
- ▪Investors wanting direct real estate as primary investment (consider Greece)
Alternative programmes to consider
Portugal
If you want EU residency at lower cost (€250,000+). Portugal offers citizenship after 10 years of residency, or 7 for EU and CPLP nationals.
ExploreGreece
If you prefer direct real estate investment (€400,000+, or €800,000 in prime areas). Greece offers permanent residency with zero presence requirements.
ExploreSt Kitts & Nevis
If you want faster, lower-cost citizenship (€150,000+). Caribbean CBI offers citizenship in 3-6 months.
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.