Malta Citizenship by Investment: The Complete Guide

The Malta citizenship by investment program, also known as Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment, The program introduced stricter due diligence process as well as a collection of other requirements. The Citizenship for Exceptional Services By Direct Investment Program under the Maltese Citizenship Act. (formerly the Malta Individual Investor Program and now referred to as Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN)) was created to provide high-value foreign nationals investors with good moral character an opportunity to obtain Maltese citizenship by making a substantial investment in the country.

Today, the program allows investors who make a contribution to Malta's Government Fund, an investment in government-sanctioned bonds or stocks, and a real estate investment to qualify for the Maltese citizenship program, provided they meet other criteria set forth by the Maltese government.

What is Citizenship by Investment?

If you're just starting to learn about Work Remotely In Europe, let's level the playing field. We'll briefly introduce the concept here.

More and more (ultra) high-net-worth people are looking at citizenship insurance. What this means is that they want to have a "Plan B" for themselves, their families, and their businesses, giving them access to somewhere other than their original place of birth.

Some people are escaping political persecution while others are simply looking for balmy climates or ways to lower their tax burden.

Whatever the reason, a good handful of countries around the world offer citizenship by investment programs to attract these individuals and raise capital to build their local economies.

Usually, jurisdictions that offer citizenship by investment (CBI) are those that cannot easily diversify their income; for example, island-nations dependent on tourism.

Attracting foreign capital in exchange for residency and citizenship seems to be a win-win situation, but CBI programs regularly get criticized. There is an old sentiment where people think that CBI applicants are running away from criminal charges or that they want to launder money or engage in some other shady activity.

Meanwhile, the reality is much simpler: the vast majority of people who are looking to obtain a second passport are merely looking to go where they're treated best.

Benefits of Getting Malta Citizenship by Investment

The Malta citizenship by investment program provides applicants with all of the privileges of a European passport and more.

Unrestricted Access To European Union

Malta is a member of the European Union, making it an EU citizenship which means that investors who obtain Maltese citizenship may live and work anywhere in the EU.

Malta is also part of the Schengen Area, which means that there are no visas or passport checks for traveling throughout the European Schengen Zone.

Visa-free Travel

The Maltese passport is one of the strongest passports in the world. It allows visa-free travel to 183 countries across the world in addition to freedom of movement and visa-free travel inside Europe.

The Malta Citizenship By Investment Saves Time

Another notable benefit of the Malta citizenship by investment is how speedy the program's process is. You can obtain citizenship in 12 to 36 months. You must be a resident of Malta to gain Maltese nationality.

Family-Friendly Passport

Under the new Malta Citizenship By Investment ship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment program, you and your family will receive a European passport if you are granted Maltese citizenship. It's worth noting that there is an additional donation fee for every dependent receiving citizenship with the main applicant.

But the price is discounted for each dependent. So, if you're doing it for yourself you might as well do it for the rest of your family too.

Also, note that children born to Maltese citizens automatically receive citizenship. Therefore, your children and grandchildren will have Malta citizenship for the rest of their lives.

Maltese Is Tax-Friendly

Malta's tax system is based on residency rather than citizenship. Therefore, you may not have to pay tax in Malta even if you get citizenship. Malta has extremely advantageous tax exposure and also offers unique tax plans for new residents that might help them save money on taxes.