Malta investment immigration in 2025: updated guide

Investment migration is a legal way to obtain residency or citizenship in a foreign country by making a qualifying financial contribution.

Investors can usually gain a residence permit, permanent residency, or even a second passport by investing in real estate, government funds, or local businesses.

Vladlena Baranova,

Head of Legal & AML Compliance Department, CAMS, IMCM

In Malta, investors have all three main options: a temporary residence permit, permanent residency and citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services. Each route has specific investment thresholds and eligibility requirements. 

Malta’s offers are designed for wealthy individuals who can prove the legality of their income and pass strict Due Diligence checks.

Wealthy people choose Malta investment immigration to gain freedom of travel, develop international business and find a favourable tax regime.

1. Visa-free travel. Both Malta residence and citizenship offer visa-free travel across the Schengen Area. Citizenship provides even broader mobility, granting access to 160+ countries, including the USA and UK.

2. Relocation options. A residence permit allows living in Malta, while citizenship additionally grants the right to live and work in any EU country with no time limits.

Also, a Malta residence permit or citizenship allows you to enter the country even in conditions of closed borders.

3. Access to healthcare and education. Malta offers high-quality public healthcare and education. Residents can access affordable medical services through the national system, and private care is widely available.

Education is provided in English and Maltese, with strong public, private, and international schools. University tuition is low or free for residents and citizens.

4. Tax benefits. Malta has no wealth, inheritance, or property taxes. Foreign income is only taxed if brought into Malta, and double taxation treaties help reduce liability.

Participants of the Malta Global Residence Programme gain temporary permits and pay an income tax in Malta at 15%, or at least €15,000 per year, instead of using a progressive scale.

5. Investment return. If an investor buys a property in Malta, they may sell it and return the money after 5 years.

Property prices in Malta have shown consistent growth, with average annual appreciation around 10%. Occasional price drops have been short-lived, reflecting temporary market adjustments rather than long-term downturns.

An investor interested in Malta immigration must be a well-to-do person over 18 years old without convictions or visa refusals. They can confirm the legality of income and financial viability and are ready to fulfil the program’s conditions.

Investors can obtain a residence permit in Malta for an investment of around €30,000, including renting a home and paying taxes annually. Permanent residency can be obtained after an investment of €182,000 or more.

The Malta Global Residence Programme targets non-EU nationals seeking residency along with beneficial tax conditions. To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Rent real estate for €8,750+ per year if the property is located in the south of Malta or the island of Gozo or €9,600+ per year in other regions. Another option is to purchase real estate worth €220,000+ in the south of Malta or €275,000+ in other areas.

2. Pay a one-time administrative fee of €6,000 or €5,500 if the property is located in the south of Malta.

3. Pay an annual tax on foreign income at 15%; the minimum sum is €15,000 per year. The first payment is made upon status registration.

Immigrating to Malta is optional, but the investor must spend less than 183 days a year in any other country.

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme requires investors to fulfill several mandatory conditions, too:

1. Pay an administrative fee of €50,000.

2. Rent real estate for at least €14,000 per annum or buy a property for at least €375,000.

3. Contribute to the state fund; €30,000 or €60,000, depending on the rental or purchase of the real estate.

4. Donate €2,000+ to a non-governmental, non-profit organisation.

5. Confirm assets worth at least €500,000 with €150,000 in liquid financial assets or show a portfolio of €650,000 with at least €75,000 in financial assets.

Relocation to Malta is optional.

Malta citizenship is granted to investors who had a residence permit for three years and invested at least €690,000. If the investment amount is higher, citizenship may be granted after a year of residence.

To be eligible, foreign nationals must fulfil certain conditions, including making a significant financial contribution to the country’s economy:

1. Make a non-refundable contribution to the national fund: €600,000 if the investor plans to submit the citizenship application after 36 months or €750,000 to apply for citizenship after 12 months. Another €50,000 must be paid per family member.

2. Rent real estate worth €16,000 per year or purchase a property worth €700,000. After five years of being a citizen, you can rent or purchase housing without any restrictions on value.

3. Donate at least €10,000.

4. Pass the Eligibility Assessment with all family members over 18.

Immigrating to Malta after getting citizenship is optional.

Obtaining Malta citizenship is the most expensive and time-consuming of all the options. It also requires investors to have a residence permit in Malta for one or three years beforehand. Still, it is quite a benefit: with a residence permit, you may live in Malta and travel visa-free to the Schengen Area.

To apply for a residence permit, permanent residency, or citizenship, an investor needs the help of a licensed agent experienced in Malta investment immigration.

The spouse, children, parents, and grandparents are allowed under both residency programs. The Global Residence Programme also permits the inclusion of unmarried siblings.

All family members, except the spouse, must be financially dependent on the main applicant. Children can be included up to age 25 under the Global Residence Programme and up to age 29 under the Permanent Residence Programme.

The spouse, children, parents, and grandparents can be included in the citizenship application. However, specific age limits apply to relatives.

Spouses can be of the same or opposite sex if the marriage is legally recognised. Registered partnerships and long-term relationships supported by documentation may also qualify.

Each investor interested in immigration and living in Malta must undergo Due Diligence. Maltese checks are one of the most strict and meticulous in the world. They consist of four steps.

1. Preliminary Due Diligence by the licensed agent. The agent checks all the documents provided by the applicant and tries to foresee the questions that can arise during the primary Due Diligence. Lawyers attach required documents to answer them. Then all the documents are sent to the department responsible for granting residence or citizenship.

2. The main Due Diligence by the Community Malta Agency. The Agency starts a deep examination of all the submitted documents and the applicant’s personality.

It checks the reputation of the investor and their family members and looks for any instances of visa, residence permit, or citizenship rejections. It also examines the sources of wealth belonging to the applicant.

The Agency submits a request to the licensed agent if it needs additional documents. It retards the process. Therefore, it is essential to submit all the necessary documents at once.

To make a decision, the Agency must receive conclusions from international organisations and independent companies.

3. Due Diligence checks by Interpol and Europol. Interpol and Europol confirm that the applicant has no criminal records and is not prosecuted in any country. They submit their conclusions to the department responsible for citizenship.

4. Due Diligence checks by international compliance specialists. International compliance specialists from independent companies look through the applicant’s biography and check their documents one more time. Then they send their conclusion to the department responsible for citizenship.

Several factors can put an application at the risk of not being accepted. They include:

1. Country of citizenship. Some states of origin may put an applicant at the risk of denial, for example, China, Kazakhstan or Arab states. The examiners also check in which countries the applicant resided before.

2. Business and corporate affiliations. The examiners consider the type of business and industry it is working in. Some of them are examined more strictly than others: for example, those producing gas and oil or making cryptocurrency investments.

3. Political exposure. The applicant is at the risk of denial if they were a politician or civil servant or were under sanctions.

4. Legal and regulatory matters. The examiners check whether the applicant has a criminal record or has participated in trials.

5. Reputation. This category requires checking whether any negative information about the applicant is circulating on the Internet or in the media.

Some risks may be neutralised if the submitted documents provide complete and transparent information on the applicant and their income.

Latest data on issued residence permits. In 2024, a total of 4,073 residence permits were issued, with significant numbers granted through the Malta Permanent Residence Programme and the Nomad Residence scheme.

The MPRP received over 1,500 applications, generating €46 million for the Consolidated Fund, €50 million in five-year lease contracts, and €36 million in property purchases.

The Nomad Residence Program received 1,031 applications, with digital nomads spending an estimated €5 million in Malta.

Malta permanent residence statistics. This investment program generated €31 million in 2023, with projections for another €30 million in 2024. Popular areas for visa buyers include Żebbuġ and Munxar in Gozo, where they constitute 17% and 14% of the populations, respectively.

Roughly one in six residents in Gozo are investors who often pay the minimum required rent for properties. Out of more than 2,500 golden visa applications, only 67 applicants purchased properties, while the majority rented at rates of €12,000 a year in Malta or €10,000 in Gozo.

The key statistics include:

• 88% of golden visa applicants are Chinese;

• 5,200 Chinese nationals obtained golden visas from 2016—2021, while the 2021 census recorded only 2,700 Chinese residents in Malta;

• most applicants, including those with up to five dependents, rented apartments in Gozo for €850 per month;

• only 2.7% of applicants bought properties; the rest rented.

Malta citizenship statistics. Since 2013, 28,045 people have acquired Maltese citizenship.

In 2024, 2,795 individuals were granted citizenship, an increase from 2,652 in 2023. The highest number of new citizens occurred in 2018 with 3,610 people, followed by 3,186 in 2017. Significant spikes occurred between 2014—2015, with 902 and 949 people respectively, and another increase in 2016, reaching 2,125 individuals.

The figures include those acquiring citizenship through descent, naturalisation, or the closed Malta Individual Investor Programme.

You can get a residence permit without investment, but only a residence permit by investment would not oblige you to move to Malta.

At the same time, renting or purchasing housing must indicate the registration address for any residence permit.

Non-investment ways to obtain a residence permit in Malta:

1. Employment. Malta immigration for skilled employees requires a contract or a job offer from a Maltese company.

2. Education at a university. A student residence permit is issued based on a study agreement concluded with the university.

3. Family reunification. This type of residence permit can be obtained if the applicant’s spouse or other close relatives are citizens of Malta.

4. Marriage. A spouse of a Maltese citizen can obtain a residence permit.

5. Birth and descent. An individual can obtain a residence permit by birth or descent if they were born in Malta or their mother or father was a citizen of Malta at the time of the individual’s birth.

6. Business. To profit from a Malta business immigration, an applicant must register a company with the required share capital.

7. Refugees and political asylum. Those seeking asylum must prove that it is dangerous for them to stay in the country of their former residence.

8. Retirement. The Malta Retirement Programme allows foreigners who are not employed and get most of their income as pension payments to get residence permits.

9. Remote work. Employees of foreign companies, freelancers, and self-employed persons who earn at least €3,500 per month can qualify for the Malta Nomad Residence Permit.

From the moment of obtaining a residence permit, it is usually necessary to comply with the Malta immigration requirements of living in the country for more than 183 days a year. As a result, the applicant becomes a tax resident of Malta.

Malta taxes based on residence, not citizenship. Individuals who are tax residents in Malta are taxed on income earned in Malta and on foreign income remitted to the country. Foreign income not brought into Malta and all foreign capital gains are not subject to Maltese tax.

Dual citizens who are not tax residents in Malta do not pay tax on foreign income. Malta has no inheritance tax, wealth tax, or municipal tax.

Malta residents pay taxes on:

• wage, salary and other income received from labour activity;

• profit from business activities;

• dividends, interest, royalties and other investment income, including rental income;

• pensions and regular receipts.

There are no taxes on property, but if you decide to sell it, you would need to pay a 5 to 8% tax.

The income tax rate depends on the individual’s total income and marital status. It may vary from 0 to 35%. ​In Malta, individual income tax rates are progressive and vary based on the taxpayer’s status: single, married, or parent. For the 2025 tax year, the rates are as follows.

Malta has double tax avoidance agreements with 81 countries; Egypt, India, Morocco, and many others are among them. These agreements help individuals with dual citizenship avoid double taxation on their income.

1. Investors can obtain temporary permits, permanent residency or citizenship by special naturalisation in Malta.

2. Real estate in Malta is in high demand, especially in central and coastal areas like St Julian’s and Sliema. Property investments hold long-term value and allow the investor to return the money after 5 years by selling the property at a profit.

3. Spouses, children, parents, and grandparents can be included in residency or citizenship applications, provided the relatives are financially dependent.

4. To obtain residency or citizenship, investors must pass detailed background checks covering finances, business activity, and reputation.

5. Malta’s investment migration paths do not require relocation. Many investors keep their main residence elsewhere and stay in Malta only when needed.

6. Malta is part of the European Union and the Schengen Area. Therefore, residents and citizens enjoy visa-free travel within 29 European countries.

7. Other benefits of Malta residency and citizenship include an opportunity to live in a sunny Mediterranean climate, English as an official language, quality healthcare, and international schools. Residents enjoy tax advantages through double taxation agreements and a relaxed lifestyle, though space is limited and housing demand is high in popular areas.