Malta’s citizenship by investment program is one of the world’s most exclusive of its kind. As a result, the requirements are strict and include a rigorous due diligence procedure.

Applicants must have a clean criminal record. The Maltese Government conducts extensive criminal checks with INTERPOL, the International Criminal Court, and various other sources and authorities. As part of the due diligence process, applicants must also provide a police certificate in order to be granted for the EU citizenship.

To qualify for citizenship, the main applicant must be at least 18 years of age, provide proof of having been a resident of Malta for a period of 12 months preceding the issuing of a certificate of naturalisation and meet the following investment requirements:

Acquire real estate with a minimum value of €350,000 (property must be kept for a period of at least five years, within which it cannot be let)
OR
Lease a residential property in Malta for a period of five years, at an annual rent of at least €16,000 (property cannot be assigned or sublet)

AND

Make a contribution to the National Development and Social fund of at least €650,000 (of which a non‐refundable part payment of €10,000 shall be remitted as deposit prior to the submission of the application)
– additional charges between €25,000 and €50,000 are applicable for each dependent-

AND

Invest in stocks, bonds or special-purpose vehicles to be identified from time to time by Identity Malta, for a minimum value of €150,000 (to be held for at least five years)

AND

The applicant must have global health insurance cover (including the USA and Canada) of at least €50,000 for the main client and each of the dependants)

Application Fees and Costs

Below we outline the various fees and charges you will encounter along the path to gaining a Malta passport.

National Development and Social Fund contribution

  • Main applicant: €650,000
  • Spouse: €25,000
  • Each minor children aged up to 17: €25,000
  • Each adult children aged 18 – 26: €50,000
  • Each grandparent aged 55 and above: €50,000

Due diligence fees

  • Main applicant: €7,500
  • Spouse: €5,000
  • Each children aged 18 and above: €5,000
  • Each grandparent aged 55 and above: €5,000
  • Each children aged 13 and 17: €3,000
  • No fees for children younger than 13.

Residence Card Fees

  •  Main applicant: Free
  • Spouse and other dependants: €1,000/each

Passport fees

  • Main applicant and dependents = €500 each

Investment in stocks, bonds and special purpose vehicles

  • Main applicant and dependents = €150,000 – total for all applicants

Other fees

  • Bank Charge: €200 – total for all applicants
  • Health Insurance: approximately between €300 and €1,100 per applicant, depending on age.

Considering both your investments and applicable fees, you’ll need access to at least €1million overall to gain Maltese citizenship through the Individual Investor Program. If you have less than this, you might want to consider applying for the Portugal Golden Visa program instead.

Take an in-depth look at the requirements of Cyprus’ citizenship by investment programme