Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services

• Capital City: Valletta
• Currency: Euro (€)
• Languages: Maltese and English
• Nearest Country: Italy
• Visa Free Countries: 190 inc, EU, UK, USA, Canada, Hong Kong
• Time Zone: Central European Time Zone

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• Maltese citizens benefit from good quality healthcare and education which is free of charge.
• Maltese citizenship under these regulations are granted after 3 years or with an exception after 1 year.
• Maltese citizens benefit from visa free travel to over 190 countries including USA, UK & EU.
• Maltese citizens have the right to reside, study and work in all the 27 European Union countries.
• In the same application, the principal applicant may include a spouse, children up to the age of 28, parents& grandparents over the age of 55.
• Citizenship is passed down to future generations.

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Maltese Citizenship through Exceptional Services became possible following an amendment to the Maltese Citizenship Act in 2020.Through Legal Notice 437 of 2020, known as the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations, affluent individuals of outstanding integrity and reputation are eligible to apply for Maltese citizenship after making an investment in Malta in the form of an exceptional contribution, a donation to charity and investment in real estate.  

Applications submitted under this programme are to be filed through a licensed agent to the Agenzija Komunita Malta.

An individual may apply for a certificate of Maltese citizenship under these regulations if that person undertakes to satisfy the financial requirements and take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Malta.

The number of certificates issued under the Malta Citizenship by Investment regulations shall not exceed 400 annually, and in any case the total amount of successful applicants shall not excel a total o f1,500.

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‍The eligibility requirements to apply under this programme are laid down in the citizenship by direct investment regulations:

• The Main Applicant must provide evidence of 12 months or 36 months of residence in Malta. Applicants are required to visit Malta and apply for a Maltese residence card.
• Once an application has been approved, the Main Applicant must make a non-refundable contribution of €600,000 when the application is submitted after 36 months of residence or €750,000 when the application is submitted after 12 months of residence.
• The Main Applicant must make a €10,000 donation to a registered philanthropic NGO or society.
• The Main applicant must also rent or purchase a residential property in Malta. Should the applicant opt for the purchase option, he needs to buy a residential property worth at least €700,000 or else rent a property fora minimum annual rent of €16,000, which shall be kept for a minimum of five (5) years from the issuance of the certificate of naturalization
• The Main Applicant must also establish a number of genuine connections with Malta. Applicants are required to submit a residence proposal letters outlining their plans to create connecting factors as part of their citizenship eligibility application.

When submitting an application for citizenship under the Malta citizenship by investment regulations,  the following due diligence fees are to be paid:

1. €15,000 - Main Applicant
2. €10,000 - Each Dependant
3. €15,000 –Benefactor (if applicable)

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Chetcuti Cauchi's citizenship practice dates back to the inception of the firm, with the firm's co-founder and warranted advocate Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti assisting individuals and families seeking citizenship by descent or citizenship by naturalisation, or seeking Maltese Permanent Residence. In 2011, a regulatory framework for immigration agents was introduced to ensure high quality practices by qualified and competent immigration agents. This came with Act XVI of 2011 which introduced the High Net Worth Individuals - EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals Rules, 2011. This new legislation amended the Income Tax Act and replaced the old Permanent Residence Scheme. The firm's immigration subsidiary obtained immigration agent licence no. ARM00103.

The first Maltese citizenship by investment programme, the Malta Individual Investor Programme or MIIP Regulations, was introduced in Malta in 2014. Chetcuti Cauchi's immigration firm represented by Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti was granted the first licence as a Maltese Citizenship Accredited Person, licence IIP001, and represented the programmes first applications (and approvals) that year.

Under the 2020 Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment, our Senior Partner Dr Priscilla Mifsud Parker is duly authorised to act as a licenced citizenship agent in terms of the Agents (Licences) Regulations, 2020 (L.N. 435 of 2020) and bound by the “Licence Agreement and Code of Conduct and Ethics for Agents” entered into with Community Malta Agency. Citizenship Agent Licence AKM-ACCA.