Updated
GL-M-01
Glossary · Citizenship and residency programs
MEIN - Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalisation
The name of the Malta citizenship by investment program (formerly MIIP/MRVP), administered by CMA. The scheme was discontinued on 24.07.2025; new applications are not accepted.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- Malta’s former citizenship by investment programme, discontinued on 24.07.2025
- Where it applies
- Malta, a European Union country
- Cost
- From €600,000 contribution + real estate + a donation
- Duration
- A residence period of 12-36 months + an in-depth check
- Can you prepare
- Yes, and it is critical: the check is one of the strictest in the world
02 / In plain words
What MEIN means
MEIN (Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalisation) is Malta’s former citizenship by investment programme, which replaced the earlier MIIP and MRVP. It was discontinued on 24 July 2025, and new applications are not accepted. Until then it remained the last route to a European Union passport through investment — with all the rights of an EU citizen: to live, work and study in any country of the Union.
The programme is administered by the government agency Community Malta Agency (CMA), and the contribution goes to the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF). The conditions are stricter and more expensive than in the Caribbean: a substantial non-refundable contribution, the purchase or lease of property in Malta, a charitable donation and, importantly, a period of prior residence before the passport is issued. The due diligence check here is one of the most thorough in the world.
In return — an EU passport, visa-free access to some 180+ countries and European citizenship status for the whole family. It is the choice of those who need full European rights specifically and are prepared to go through a long and demanding process.
A case from practice
An investor goes through MEIN: first they obtain Maltese residence, complete the required period (usually 12 to 36 months depending on the size of the contribution), pay the contribution into the NDSF, buy or lease a home and make a charitable donation. After the in-depth CMA check, they and their family become EU citizens.
Why people choose MEIN
- The full rights of an EU citizen
- To live, work and study in any country of the Union
- Visa-free access to 180+ countries
- EU citizenship for the whole family
- Passing citizenship to children
- Long-term tax and life planning
03 / What it covers
What MEIN requires
Investment
- A non-refundable contribution to the NDSF
- A charitable donation
- Government fees
Real estate
- Buying a home in Malta
- Or a long-term lease
- Held for the whole term
Residence
- A period of 12-36 months
- Depends on the size of the contribution
- A genuine link with the country
Check
- In-depth CMA due diligence
- Source of wealth (SoW)
- One of the strictest in the world
04 / How it works
How MEIN works
Obtaining residence
In-depth check (CMA due diligence)
Residence period and investment
Applying for naturalisation
EU passport
05 / Cost and timelines
What MEIN costs: the components
01Non-refundable contribution
from €600,000
With 36 months of residence; from €750,000 on the accelerated timeline. Paid into the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF).
02Real estate
purchase/lease
Buying a home in Malta or a long-term lease — for the whole term of the programme.
03Donation
fixed amount
A mandatory charitable donation.
04Check and fees
separately
In-depth CMA due diligence for each applicant plus government fees.
This is the only EU passport by investment, so both the cost and the requirements are higher than in the Caribbean programmes. We calculate the exact budget for your family composition and the chosen residence period.
Timelines
- Residence
- A period of 12-36 months depending on the size of the contribution
- Who carries it out
- Community Malta Agency (CMA)
- Check
- In-depth due diligence for each applicant — one of the strictest in the world
- Residence
- A genuine link with the country during the residence period
06 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
Malta is an EU country, so its passport = full EU citizenship
02
It is the only active EU citizenship by investment programme
03
A period of prior residence is required (12-36 months)
04
The due diligence check is one of the most thorough in the industry
05
More expensive and slower than the Caribbean — because the result is an EU passport
Common mistakes
- Underestimating the strictness of the CMA check and applying “as if for the Caribbean”
- Not preparing an impeccable file on the source of wealth
- Not building the residence period into your plans
- Counting only the contribution and forgetting the property and the donation
- Concealing an episode in your background — with a check like this, it is almost a guaranteed refusal
07 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
MEIN is the programme with the strictest check in the industry, so the file is prepared with particular care: the source of wealth is documented in advance, all contentious episodes are closed and the residence period is planned. The full budget is calculated with all its components — contribution, real estate, donation, fees. That way the only EU passport by investment is obtained without a hitch.
What we do for you. MEIN is the programme with the strictest check, and impeccable preparation matters especially here. We build your file to CMA requirements in advance, help you through the residence period and guide you through every stage so that you obtain the only EU passport by investment without a hitch.
Anna KovalevskayaLead lawyer for EU citizenship and residency, 12 years of practice
08 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
It did while the programme operated: Malta is a European Union country, so its passport is full EU citizenship with the right to live, work and study in any country of the Union. The programme was discontinued on 24.07.2025, and there are no EU citizenship by investment programmes at present.
Yes. MEIN involves a period of prior residence — usually 12 to 36 months depending on the size of the contribution. That is a notable difference from the fast Caribbean programmes.
Because the result is an EU passport. Hence the large contribution, the property requirement, the donation, the residence period and the most thorough check in the industry.
The main non-refundable contribution is from €600,000 (with 36 months of residence) or from €750,000 on the accelerated timeline, plus real estate, the donation and fees. We calculate the exact budget for your family composition.
The spouse, children and, as a rule, dependent parents. Each adult applicant undergoes a separate in-depth check.
MEIN gives citizenship (an EU passport). MPRP is only Maltese permanent residence (PR), with the right to live in Malta and travel in the Schengen area, but without a passport and without the right to work in the EU.
Related terms
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