Malta residency-by-investment

The Maltese government first launched their residency programme in 2015. It has been revised, refined and enhanced over the years with the latest changes announced in July 2025.

Under the new regulations, the programme has instant investor appeal. Applicants can now secure residency and Schengen access in a matter of weeks. For those investing into Maltese property, immediate leasing rights ensure rental returns can be enjoyed from the offset.

malta-residency

Benefits of the Malta Permanent Residence Programme

  • Expedited route to residency of an EU member country: Applicants can apply for a one-year temporary residency card at the start of the application process which means that residency rights are secured within four weeks from the submission of biometrics.
  • Leads to indefinite permanent residency: All family members retain residency rights for life.
  • Family benefits: Investors can include a spouse, partner, minor children, financially dependant children and dependant parents. Adult children never fall off the programme.
  • Flexible property options: Investors can choose to lease property (minimum annual rental €14,000) or to invest into property (minimum €375,000). With the flexibility to “switch” property categories, applicants can start the process with a property rental and change to a property investment once they find a property that fits their needs.
  • Robust property market: Investors can expect consistent price growth as the market continues on an upwards trajectory.
  • Immediate leasing rights: Investors are now permitted to lease their property to third parties for temporary periods during which they are not present in Malta.
  • No annual minimum stay: Retain Maltese residency rights with the freedom to visit for as little or as long as you like each year. No forced requirement to travel to Malta.
  • No language test: English and Maltese are both official languages.
  • Visa-free travel: With Maltese residency, you can travel visa-free across the 29 Schengen countries for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, no additional visa required.
  • Relocation benefits: Offers access to high quality medical facilities and schooling establishments for those looking to settle in Malta. Repeatedly voted as one of the safest countries in Europe.

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): Qualifying criteria

  1. Physical address in Malta

    Upon permanent residency approval, the investor must commit to one of the following property requirements for a minimum of five years:

    • €375,000 minimum investment into a property
    • €14,000 minimum annual property rental

    It is possible to “switch” property categories but one of the above must be maintained for at least the first five years of residency

  2. Government contribution

    • €97,000 once-off, non-refundable government contribution: which covers the main applicant, spouse and minor children
    • €7,500 is levied on each additional adult dependent

  3. Charitable donation

    • €2,000 once-off charitable donation to an approved organisation

  4. Net wealth requirement

    • €500,000 (of which €150,000 should be held in financial assets)
    • or €650,000 (of which €75,000 should be held in financial assets)

We're here to help. Let our expert advisers answer all of your questions.

Does this programme lead to Maltese citizenship?

This programme does not automatically lead to Maltese citizenship.

Qualifying applicants may eventually be able to apply for Maltese citizenship via the country’s Citizenship for Naturalisation on the Basis of Merit legislation, but strict criteria apply, and citizenship approvals are at the discretion of the Maltese Government. 

Citizenship by Merit is reserved for individuals making exceptional contributions to Malta’s national interests and/or to humanity.

Do I need Maltese citizenship?

Not necessarily. Permanent residency can often offer you everything you need.

Benefits of permanent residency in Malta:

  • Secures long-term residency rights for you to live, work, study or retire in Malta
  • Reduces your reliance on your country of citizenship and on one-sole State
  • Effectively offers you an immediate Plan B in an English-speaking country should you ever need to relocate from your home country
  • If you do choose to live in Malta:
    • Access an advanced, high-income economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe
    • Favourable tax regime: no income tax on foreign sourced income (unless remitted to Malta), no capital gains tax on assets held outside of Malta, no inheritance taxes
    • Offers access to high-quality healthcare services 
    • Offers access to excellent educational institutions, with the public education system modelled on the British curriculum
    • Enjoy a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, with an annual average of more than 300 days of sunshine
    • Excellent airlift with daily flights to London, all European hot spots and the Middle East

After five years of living full-time in Malta, applicants could opt to apply for EU Long-Term Residence (LTR) status. This permit offers greater intra-EU mobility rights than most national permanent residence permits and provides third-country nationals the same working rights as EU citizens. As the holder of a LTR permit, applicants can work in most other EU member states.

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Disclaimer: Please do not act in reliance on information published or advised without consulting a suitably qualified independent legal or other professional advisor of your own choosing. Sable International will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of their use or reliance on any of the advice provided by any one or all of the professional advisors identified by Sable International; loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of changing government legislation; and/or changing rules around immigration and nationality. Obtaining residency and citizenship is at the sole discretion of the government in question and cannot be guaranteed by Sable International.