Updated

MT-NAT

Programme suspendedNo new applications since 24 July 2025

Citizenship by investment

Malta citizenship by investment

Malta discontinued its citizenship-by-investment scheme on 24 July 2025. New applications are not accepted. This page covers only the final terms of the former scheme, family cost calculations and the treatment of applications submitted before repeal.

Discuss an alternative
  • Status checked against Act XXI of 2025
  • Terms checked against Community Malta Agency guidance
  • The calculation does not replace a public-authority decision
Passport of a citizen of the Republic of Malta
24.07.2025Scheme discontinued
€600,000Final contribution after 36 months
€750,000Final contribution after 12 months

01 / About the program

What happened to the investment scheme

Until July 2025, the scheme required due diligence, a residence period, a direct contribution, qualifying property and a donation. It is retained here only as a reference for transitional cases and for comparing current alternatives.

01

The CJEU ruled on 29 April 2025

In Case C-181/23, the Court held that granting nationality directly in exchange for predetermined payments and investments was contrary to EU law.

02

Malta terminated the scheme on 24 July 2025

Act XXI of 2025 removed the investor programme and its transactional requirements from Maltese legislation. A new application cannot be filed under this ground.

03

Earlier applications are treated separately

The transitional provision in article 27 of the Maltese Citizenship Act preserves the former rules for applications submitted before the amendments entered into force. Each case must be checked against its filing date and procedural status.

04

Citizenship by merit is not a replacement

The current merit route is not an investment scheme, a continuation of it or an alternative tariff. It is outside the scope of this page.

Passport benefitsRepublic of Malta

What the passport of Malta offered

European Union citizenship: living, working and studying in any EU country. The investment scheme ended on 24 July 2025; applications filed earlier are handled separately.

Valletta seen from the harbour

Travel

Visa-free or with a visa on arrival: 0 countries and territories

  • Living and working in the EU
  • United Kingdom with an ETA
  • USA with ESTA

Last contribution, 36 months

€0k

after 36 months of residence, or €750,000 after 12 months. No new applications since 24 July 2025.

Calculate for your family
Mellieħa in the north of Malta

Last conditions

Contribution, housing and donation

Under the rules before closure

Contribution after 12 months
€750,000
Contribution after 36 months
€600,000
Property purchase
€700,000
Property rent per year
€16,000

Per dependant€50,000

Sailing yachts in the Grand Harbour, Malta

Residence

Before citizenship 0 or 36 months

Now

The scheme ended on 24 July 2025

  • EU Court, case C-181/23
  • Act XXI of 2025
  • Earlier applications handled separately

Citizenship by merit does not replace the programme

03 / Why people apply

Who this page is for today

This is not an intake page for new applications. It is for families with a process already under way and for those comparing the former Malta scheme with currently available solutions.

A previously filed application

We check whether the transitional provision applies and which obligations under the former rules remain.

Verification of an old estimate

We recalculate public charges for the actual family and separate mandatory costs from professional and external expenses.

Property obligations

We review lease or purchase obligations and the five-year holding period for previously approved applicants.

Due-diligence updates

We prepare source-of-funds, business-history and family updates requested by the authority.

A current alternative

Where no protected application exists, we compare active citizenship and European residence programmes against the family objective.

A decision without false promises

We distinguish a valid current route from an offer to enter a scheme that no longer exists.

Historical calculation

Calculate the final former-scheme cost

Select the family composition. The page recalculates four scenarios under the discontinued scheme. New applications are not accepted.

Who was included in the application?

Show calculation

instant recalculationfour scenariosscheme discontinued

  • 12 and 36 months of residence
  • Lease and property purchase
  • Public charges by family member
Documents of the discontinued Malta citizenship-by-investment scheme

04 / Former scheme family rules

Who could be included

Family composition controls the historical calculation below. These were the final eligibility rules before the scheme was discontinued.

  • Over 18
  • Verified source of funds and source of wealth
  • Multi-tier due diligence
  • Maltese residence before applying for citizenship
  • Marriage or a relationship recognised by law
  • Included as a dependant
  • Subject to due diligence
  • Children of the applicant or spouse, including adopted children
  • Separate due diligence from age 12
  • Additional parental documents where required
  • Unmarried
  • Dependent on the main applicant
  • Age assessed at filing
  • Parents or grandparents of either spouse
  • Dependent on the main applicant
  • Relationship and dependency documented
  • Dependent on the main applicant
  • Disability documented
  • No age ceiling where the conditions were met

05 / Cost

What the scheme cost under its final terms

Select the family composition above. The calculator shows four historical scenarios: 12 or 36 months of residence, with a five-year lease or a property purchase. New applications are not accepted.

€750,000 contribution after 12 months of residence

Property lease · last terms of the discontinued scheme

from€750,000

Contribution · 1 person in the application

All-in with fees from €861,527.5

Each dependant added a €50,000 contribution. A €10,000 due-diligence fee applied to each dependant aged 12 or over. New applications are not accepted. This is a historical minimum-cost calculation, not an offer to obtain citizenship.

Non-refundable direct contribution
€750,000
Due diligence
€15,000
Eligibility-stage administration
€1,000
Citizenship-stage administration
€500
Residence permits and cards
€5,027.5
Philanthropic donation
€10,000
Lease from €16,000 a year for 5 years
€80,000
Total all-in
from €861,527.5
Send me this quote WhatsApp Telegram PDF

Property purchase · last terms of the discontinued scheme

from€750,000

Contribution · 1 person in the application

All-in with fees from €1,481,527.5

Each dependant added a €50,000 contribution. A €10,000 due-diligence fee applied to each dependant aged 12 or over. New applications are not accepted. This is a historical minimum-cost calculation, not an offer to obtain citizenship.

Non-refundable direct contribution
€750,000
Due diligence
€15,000
Eligibility-stage administration
€1,000
Citizenship-stage administration
€500
Residence permits and cards
€5,027.5
Philanthropic donation
€10,000
Property purchase from €700,000
€700,000
Total all-in
from €1,481,527.5
Send me this quote WhatsApp Telegram PDF

€600,000 contribution after 36 months of residence

Property lease · last terms of the discontinued scheme

from€600,000

Contribution · 1 person in the application

All-in with fees from €711,527.5

Each dependant added a €50,000 contribution. A €10,000 due-diligence fee applied to each dependant aged 12 or over. New applications are not accepted. This is a historical minimum-cost calculation, not an offer to obtain citizenship.

Non-refundable direct contribution
€600,000
Due diligence
€15,000
Eligibility-stage administration
€1,000
Citizenship-stage administration
€500
Residence permits and cards
€5,027.5
Philanthropic donation
€10,000
Lease from €16,000 a year for 5 years
€80,000
Total all-in
from €711,527.5
Send me this quote WhatsApp Telegram PDF

Property purchase · last terms of the discontinued scheme

from€600,000

Contribution · 1 person in the application

All-in with fees from €1,331,527.5

Each dependant added a €50,000 contribution. A €10,000 due-diligence fee applied to each dependant aged 12 or over. New applications are not accepted. This is a historical minimum-cost calculation, not an offer to obtain citizenship.

Non-refundable direct contribution
€600,000
Due diligence
€15,000
Eligibility-stage administration
€1,000
Citizenship-stage administration
€500
Residence permits and cards
€5,027.5
Philanthropic donation
€10,000
Property purchase from €700,000
€700,000
Total all-in
from €1,331,527.5
Send me this quote WhatsApp Telegram PDF

Family members

Main applicantContribution €600,000 or €750,000; due diligence €15,000
1
Spouse or partner+€50,000 to the contribution; due diligence €10,000
0
Children under 18+€50,000 to the contribution; due diligence from age 12
0
Children aged 18 to 28Unmarried and dependent; +€50,000 to the contribution
0
Parents and grandparents aged 55+Aged 55+ and dependent; +€50,000 to the contribution
0
Adult children with disabilitiesDependent; +€50,000 to the contribution
0

What BRIDGES support includes

  • Status check of an earlier application
  • Recalculating obligations under the last rules
  • Continuation plan or a current alternative
  • Coordinating documents and checks
24.07.2025
the investment scheme ended
€50,000
per dependant under the last rules
12 years
the age from which dependants undergo due diligence

The calculation shows the last conditions of the closed scheme and is not an offer: no new applications are accepted.

Based on the final Community Malta Agency handbook: a €750,000 contribution after 12 months or €600,000 after 36 months, €50,000 per dependant, property from €700,000 or rent from €16,000 a year for at least five years, a €10,000 donation, due diligence and public charges. Add €10,000 for each child aged 12-17, which the simplified family selector does not identify separately. BRIDGES fees, translations, notarisation, apostilles, insurance, banking and third-party costs are excluded.

06 / Comparison

Scheme status and available alternatives

Status comes first: the Malta investor scheme is closed and cannot be compared with active programmes as though it remained an available offer.

Malta - former schemeActive citizenship programmeEuropean residence
New applicationsNot acceptedDepends on the countryAccepted under current national rules
OutcomeEU citizenship for protected earlier casesSecond citizenshipResidence rights, not citizenship
CostHistorical calculation onlyCalculated under the active programmeCalculated under the residence programme
First checkTransitional protection and case statusEligibility and source of fundsResidence purpose and financial criteria

The alternative is selected after checking nationality, source of funds, family composition and the intended outcome.

Process4 stages

How we handle the application

From checking the case status to an action plan. At every stage you can see what we do and what you do.

4stages from status check to solution are handled by us
2simple steps on your side: hand over the file documents and choose a solution
We doYou doThe state is involved
  1. Check the status

    Confirm whether the application was filed before 24 July 2025 and document its procedural stage.

    We do
    • Checking the filing date
    • Documents of the process stage
    You do

    Hand over the file documents

  2. Recalculate obligations

    Review family composition, public payments, property, donation and additional requests.

    We do
    • Family composition
    • Payments and property
    • Additional requests
    You do

    Nothing: we handle this stage entirely

  3. Prepare the solution

    Create a continuation plan for a protected case or compare active alternatives for a new enquiry.

    We do
    • Continuation plan for a transitional case
    • Choosing current alternatives
    You do

    Choose a solution

  4. Coordinate implementation

    Manage documents, checks and communication with specialist partners under the applicable procedure.

    We do
    • Coordinating documents and checks
    • Liaison with specialist partners
    You do

    Nothing: we handle this stage entirely

An action plan for your case

Status, remaining steps, family composition and available solutions. A manager will send the plan.

10 / Travel

What an EU passport gives - and where it is no substitute for a visa

For a Maltese national the travel position is different in kind from a Caribbean passport: within the Union this is not visa-free entry but freedom of movement. We do not publish a headline number of visa-free countries: the lists change, and a figure without a check date misleads.

All countries and territories

173 of 223

countries and territories are open visa-free or with a visa on arrival

  • Visa-free160
  • Electronic authorisation41
  • Visa on arrival13
  • Visa in advance9
United KingdomElectronic authorisationETA
GermanyVisa-free
FranceVisa-free
ItalyVisa-free
SwitzerlandVisa-free
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
SingaporeVisa-free
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free

All countries by entry regime

  • Austria
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Anguilla
  • Angola
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • The Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Belgium
  • Bermuda
  • Bulgaria
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Brunei
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City
  • Hungary
  • Venezuela
  • Timor-Leste
  • Haiti
  • The Gambia
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Germany
  • Gibraltar
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Grenada
  • Greenland
  • Greece
  • Georgia
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Iceland
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Cape Verde
  • Kazakhstan
  • Cayman Islands
  • Caribbean Netherlands
  • Qatar
  • Cyprus
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Kiribati
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Kosovo
  • Costa Rica
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Curaçao
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lesotho
  • Lithuania
  • Liechtenstein
  • Luxembourg
  • Mauritius
  • Madagascar
  • Mayotte
  • Macao
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Morocco
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Mozambique
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montserrat
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • Nicaragua
  • Niue
  • New Caledonia
  • Norway
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Oman
  • Cook Islands
  • Palau
  • Palestine
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Réunion
  • Rwanda
  • Romania
  • El Salvador
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • North Macedonia
  • Northern Cyprus
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Senegal
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Saint Lucia
  • Serbia
  • Singapore
  • Sint Maarten
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Suriname
  • Tajikistan
  • Thailand
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Uganda
  • Uzbekistan
  • Ukraine
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Uruguay
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Philippines
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • French Antilles
  • Croatia
  • Montenegro
  • Czechia
  • Chile
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Ecuador
  • Eswatini
  • Estonia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Afghanistan
  • Bahrain
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Bhutan
  • United Kingdom
  • Vietnam
  • Gabon
  • Guyana
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Israel
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Iran
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Kenya
  • Cuba
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Mauritania
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • New Zealand
  • Pakistan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Russia
  • United States
  • Seychelles
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Somalia
  • Togo
  • Chad
  • Sri Lanka
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • South Sudan
  • Bangladesh
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Djibouti
  • Egypt
  • Jordan
  • Comoros
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Maldives
  • Syria
  • Somaliland
  • Sierra Leone
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Yemen
  • Mali
  • Niger
  • North Korea
  • Sudan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Central African Republic
  • Eritrea

All countries on a Malta passport

170+ destinations with nothing to arrange in advance: visa-free or with a visa on arrival

Where you are admitted without a visa, where the permit is arranged online, where the visa is issued at the border and where a consular visa is needed, with the length of stay given for each country.

Sources: Articles 20 and 21 TFEU — citizenship of the Union and freedom of movement; Article 20(2)(c) — consular protection. Entry rules for third countries are set by those countries and may change at any time.

11 / Our role

Why BRIDGES

A closed programme requires clear status disclosure and a strict separation between the former investment scheme and citizenship by merit.

01

Primary legal sources

We work from the CJEU judgment, the current Maltese Citizenship Act and Community Malta Agency materials.

02

Family-level calculations

We separate the contribution, property, donation, due diligence and public charges.

03

No false availability

We do not promise access to a terminated scheme and identify solutions that exist today.

04

One coordinated plan

Legal, financial and documentary work is organised in one process.

PracticeBRIDGES cases

Malta citizenship cases

Family composition, documents and client goals differ. We show the actual situation, the course of the work and the confirmed result.

How We Rescued Frozen Contributions After MEIN Closure and Transitioned the Family to Malta Citizenship by Merit01How We Rescued Frozen Contributions After MEIN Closure and Transitioned the Family to Malta Citizenship by Merit
How an Adopted Child Was Included in Malta Citizenship by Merit Through Legalization of Soviet Documents02How an Adopted Child Was Included in Malta Citizenship by Merit Through Legalization of Soviet Documents
How an Indian Founder Legally Transferred Capital Beyond RBI Control and Obtained Malta Citizenship by Descent03How an Indian Founder Legally Transferred Capital Beyond RBI Control and Obtained Malta Citizenship by Descent

All cases →

15 / Materials

What a BRIDGES client receives

The deliverable depends on whether there is a previously filed case or a need to select a current alternative.

Personal documentCALCULATION AND PLAN

Case status, cost and next actions

We record whether transitional protection applies, what remains due and which current options exist if no new filing is possible.

Inside:

  • Legal status
  • Family calculation
  • Step-by-step plan
  • Current alternatives

Prepared after a preliminary document check.

Check the filing date, case number and current stage.

A family, financial and case-update document list.

A comparison of active routes against the family objective.

Documents and calculations are prepared for the specific family and do not replace the Maltese authority decision.

TimelineOfficial decisions

What has changed in the programme

  1. 24.07.2025

    Act XXI of 2025 entered into force. The investor scheme was terminated and its provisions removed from the law.

  2. 29.04.2025

    The CJEU delivered its judgment in Case C-181/23 and held the transactional investor-citizenship scheme contrary to EU law.

  3. 20.11.2020

    The final scheme rules introduced two residence periods, a direct contribution, property, a donation and multi-tier due diligence.

Worth having

Download the checklist for a previously filed Malta case

A concise document for checking transitional status, remaining obligations and documents under the discontinued investor scheme.

Inside the document

  • Evidence of transitional status
  • Remaining payments and obligations
  • Checks before continuing or choosing an alternative

We will send it after a short form - no call or obligation.

17 / Questions

Answers to common questions

No. The investment scheme was terminated on 24 July 2025 and new applications are not accepted.

It records the final terms of the former scheme for checking previously filed cases and comparing expenditure. It is not a quote for a new application.

A transitional provision applies. Continuation depends on the filing date and procedural status, which must be confirmed from the case documents.

No. Community Malta Agency states that citizenship by merit is not a programme, continuation, replacement or alternative route to the former investment framework.

A €600,000 or €750,000 direct contribution, €50,000 per dependant, property from €700,000 or rent from €16,000 a year for at least five years, a €10,000 donation, due diligence and public charges.

Depending on the family objective, the options may include active citizenship programmes, European residence programmes or another lawful citizenship ground. Outcome, timing, restrictions and budget must be compared first.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT

Tell us what outcome your family needs

We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.

Or message us on WhatsApp or Telegram

Anna Kovalevskaya, lead lawyer at BRIDGES GLOBAL
Anna KovalevskayaLead lawyer, citizenship and residency, 12 years of practice