Malta citizenship still gives what it always has: an EU passport and the right to live, work, and study anywhere in the European Union. What has changed is how you get there. Malta no longer grants citizenship in exchange for an investment or a government contribution, and any offer of a paid route to a Maltese passport today should be treated with caution. The route that remains open to most foreign nationals is naturalisation after a period of genuine residence in Malta.

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What Happened to the Investment Route

Malta ran two investment-linked citizenship schemes. The Individual Investor Programme closed to new applications in 2020. Its successor, citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment, was challenged by the European Commission. On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in Case C-181/23 (Commission v Malta) that granting citizenship in return for predetermined payments or investments is incompatible with EU law. Malta repealed the scheme through the Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Act XXI of 2025, in July 2025.

Articles and adverts that still quote a government contribution, a bond investment, and a twelve-month timeline describe a programme that no longer exists. If you read figures like these elsewhere, check the date and the source before relying on them.

How Malta Citizenship by Naturalisation Works

Ordinary naturalisation is set out in Article 10 of the Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188). The residence test has two parts:

  • The last twelve months: you must have lived in Malta throughout the twelve months immediately before you apply.
  • The years before that: during the six years preceding those twelve months, you must have lived in Malta for periods adding up to at least four years.

In practice that means roughly five years of residence within the last seven. Applicants must also show an adequate knowledge of Maltese or English, good character, and that they would be a suitable citizen. The decision rests with the Minister, is discretionary, and is not open to appeal, so a complete and well-documented file matters as much as meeting the minimum period.

Spouses of Maltese citizens follow a separate route under the same Act, based on the length of the marriage and of living together. Malta also provides a separate, discretionary framework for citizenship on the basis of exceptional merit, explained on our Malta citizenship by merit page.

Building the Residence Record

Because the test counts actual residence, the years before you apply do most of the work. The permit you hold during that time should match how you really intend to live. For non-EU families who want a permanent base, the Malta Permanent Residence Programme grants an indefinite right to reside, although holding the card alone does not satisfy the residence test: time physically spent living in Malta does. Others build their record through an appropriate employment, self-employment or other qualifying residence permission. Owning a Malta company does not, by itself, grant residence or employment rights.

The most common problem we see is not eligibility but evidence. Applicants who kept no clear record of where they lived, how long they were abroad, and what tied them to Malta each year struggle to prove a period they did in fact complete. Keeping lease agreements, tax returns, utility bills, and travel records year by year avoids that.

What to Prepare for a Malta Citizenship Application

When you approach the minimum period, the file usually includes:

  • Valid passports and residence cards for the applicant, together with any family documents required for the particular application.
  • Evidence of residence for each year counted: leases or property deeds, tax returns, and records of time spent outside Malta.
  • Police conduct certificates from Malta and from the countries you have lived in.
  • Evidence of Maltese or English language ability.
  • Birth and, where relevant, marriage certificates, apostilled and translated where needed.

For the full legal text, see the Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188). If you want to know how your current permit and travel pattern count towards the residence test, book a consultation and we will review it with you.

Last reviewed: 31 October 2026