Malta Mobility & Residency

Citizens of third countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland can apply for Malta Permanent Residency. However, citizens from sanctioned countries including Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Venezuela cannot apply.

Applications from the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus are currently not accepted. The list of ineligible countries may be updated by the Authority at its discretion.

Yes, parents or grandparents of the main applicant or spouse can be included as dependents if they are proven to be dependent on the main applicant at the time of application.

There is no specific age threshold for parents or grandparents applying as dependents in the Malta Permanent Residency Programme. The key requirement is proving financial dependency on the main applicant.

No, domestic workers cannot apply as dependents. The Malta Permanent Residency Programme is exclusively open to the main applicant and their dependent family members only.

The main applicant must provide a sworn declaration stating the dependency situation. This is the primary document required to prove financial responsibility.

The Main Applicant must prove to the Authority's satisfaction that the dependent adult cannot live independently without the Main Applicant's support at the time of application submission.

Even if the main applicant would contribute to a better lifestyle, the dependent cannot qualify under MPRP if they have independent financial means.

Yes, parents or grandparents receiving retirement pension can still apply as dependents, provided they can prove to the Authority that this pension income does not prevent the main applicant from being primarily responsible for their care.

The administrative fee for each application is €60,000, paid in two stages:

Applicants must make a €2,000 financial contribution to an approved organization.

Yes, Identity Malta charges processing fees for residence cards:

Yes, you can! But there's a catch - you'll need to wait until after your residence certificate is issued before adding them to your application.

There's no official guideline on agent fees. Each licensed agent sets their own pricing based on the services they provide.

No, you don't! You have flexibility here. You can apply first and sort out the property later.

Yes, you can switch properties! As long as you continuously maintain a qualifying property, you're free to upgrade or change your residence.

💡 Pro Tip: The Agency may conduct random property inspections. Make sure to declare the number of bedrooms and total square meters accurately!

Absolutely! This is a smart strategy many applicants use. Start with a rental to get your residency sorted, then take your time finding the perfect property to buy.

Yes, absolutely! Let's say you bought a property in South Malta for €220,000 and plan to spend at least €100,000 (from non-Maltese sources) on renovations. That totals over €300,000 - and this qualifies!

Yes, you still need it! Even if your qualifying property is located outside a Special Designated Area (SDA), you must obtain an Acquisition of Immovable Property (AIP) permit.

Good news! After 5 years, you're not required to maintain the specific qualifying property with minimum value thresholds.

Maybe! Whether you can take out a loan to purchase your qualifying property is entirely at the bank's discretion.

No contract needed yet! At the application stage, you don't need to submit a purchase promise or rental contract.

It's very common for property to be jointly owned by the main applicant, spouse, children, and sometimes even grandparents. But here's what counts for the €500,000 capital requirement:

The capital requirement applies only to the main applicant and varies based on property choice:

Your 500,000 capital (with €150,000 in financial assets) must be monitored annually for the first 5 years.

The Agency needs to verify where your money comes from. Here's what you need to provide:

Absolutely! The Agency understands that wealthy individuals don't keep all their money in cash. Your assets are likely in real estate, securities, or businesses.

Yes! If your wealth is primarily in real estate rather than cash or liquid assets, you can use property valuations toward the €500,000 capital requirement.

Yes, absolutely! The applicant's spouse is considered a dependent person, and there are no restrictions preventing the spouse from having their own assets and sources of income.

It depends on your ownership percentage:

💡 For more detailed information, please refer to Question S56 in the Agent Handbook.

Yes, donations are acceptable - but they must be properly documented and transferred to the main applicant.

Since agents are responsible for ensuring reputable individuals are admitted to the Programme, comprehensive KYC due diligence is critical.

KYC proof must be submitted after the application stage. It's not required at the initial application submission, but will be requested by the Authority during the processing phase.

No documents needed before booking! You don't need to submit anything before scheduling your appointment with the Client Relations and Compliance Unit.

You can access the detailed list from the Agent Handbook available on the Authority's official website.

No, originals are not mandatory. At the initial application stage, these documents can be submitted as either:

The required documents depend on your specific custody situation:

💡 Note: If the non-applying parent has no passport, they must provide a sworn declaration instead.

The required form is the Declaration for Dependent Minor Child - Form MPRP4a.

The regulations require a police certificate from competent authorities (federal or national) in:

• Country of citizenship
• Any country where applicant resided for more than 6 months in the last 10 years

The applicant must submit a commitment to purchase or rent a qualifying property and remit the non-refundable administrative fee. But do you need a separate declaration?

We've learned that notaries in mainland China don't issue notarized documents and don't confirm with apostille. What's the acceptable procedure?

What if the main applicant is both self-employed AND employed by someone else?

For all businesses where you have partial or full ownership, the following documents must be submitted:

Forms MPRP1 and MPRP7 require certification through one of two methods:

Section D of Form MPRP3 must be completed by the practitioner who conducted the examination. But there's flexibility:

If there's no Malta embassy or consulate in a specific country, or if the main applicant wishes, can local professionals witness sworn declarations?

It depends on the type of declaration:

Here's the complete step-by-step process after your application is submitted:

Yes, if the main applicant is the company owner or has authority to use the company bank account as a manager/shareholder, they can use it for fee and contribution payments.

Yes, the health insurance policy must be submitted after application approval along with other required documents.

Yes, beneficiaries can apply for Malta citizenship through naturalization after meeting residence requirements.

Originally introduced in 2017 and recently amended in July 2025, Citizenship by Merit is a formal ground for acquiring Maltese nationality for individuals who demonstrate extraordinary value to Malta or humanity through achievements, innovation, service, or philanthropy of exceptional national interest.

Citizenship by Merit does not follow a checklist but is guided by key principles:

An exceptional contribution means a clear and measurable benefit to Malta's public interest as per Malta's Vision 2050, such as:

There is no standard application or automatic pathway as citizenship is granted by exception. However, individuals may seek legal advice to assess eligibility and prepare a structured legal representation to enable the processing of an application for citizenship. The process is split into multiple stages:

Maltese citizenship offers exceptional advantages for individuals and families:

Malta's citizenship by merit is enshrined in Article 10(9) of the Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188), which allows the Minister to grant citizenship to individuals who meet specific exceptional criteria.

The application begins with an eligibility form, submitted alongside comprehensive supporting documentation:

Endorsements must come from recognised Maltese bodies appropriate to your field of expertise:

Maltese citizenship offers exceptional advantages for individuals and families seeking a stable EU base:

The Malta Citizenship by Merit application is processed by Community Malta Agency, with the Minister making the ultimate decision. The process typically takes around 15 months from initial submission to final approval:

This progressive approach recognizes individuals who have rendered exceptional service to Malta or humanity, shifting focus away from financial investment toward meaningful contribution aligned with Malta Vision 2050:

The Malta Retirement Programme (MRP) is a special tax residency scheme designed for retirees (EU/EEA/Swiss and non-EU nationals) who wish to settle in Malta. It allows qualifying pensioners to receive a favorable 15% tax rate on foreign income remitted to Malta.

Applicants must own or rent a property in Malta or Gozo that serves as their principal residence:

The Official Compliance Form (MPRP5) is a formal document that programme beneficiaries must complete:

Let's clarify this scenario: An EU citizen has a partner from a third country. The EU citizen wants their partner to benefit from MPRP. Since the EU citizen themselves cannot apply (EU citizens are prohibited), can their non-EU partner apply instead?

Applicants must have no communicable diseases to qualify for the programme.

The following documents are required to prove an unmarried partnership:

Examples of situations that demonstrate a genuine bond between step-parent and applicant/step-parent:

The following documents may be submitted as evidence of a genuine bond: