Here is your first Forum » Maltese citizenship: a passport to Europe

Malta's Citizenship-by-Investment scheme is an ideal option for families looking to relocate their business and/or personal affairs to the European Union. The Maltese citizenship granted through this program is valid for life and can even be passed on to your children and their descendants.

Last year more than 1000 applicants took part in this program and contributed an additional one billion euros in direct investments into the Maltese economy. Malta has a stable political climate and above all a growing economy, even in times of financial crisis.

Maltese citizenship offers investors some advantages. First, you can travel to 166 countries without a visa, including Canada, the United States of America and the EU. Second, it gives you the right to live, study and work in 28 European Union countries as well as Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

Malta is a stable, safe (it has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe) and neutral country with an extremely friendly population and a high standard of living (its education and healthcare systems have long been among the best in Europe). ). Malta's fusion of European lifestyle, Mediterranean quality of life, pleasant climate (with around 300 days of sunshine per year), delicious food and absolute security would be great for you and your family. Family claims include the primary applicant's spouse and parents, children under the age of 18, and unmarried dependent adult children under the age of 27.

As previously mentioned, once you are a Maltese citizen your children are automatically entitled to citizenship as well. Obtaining Maltese citizenship is a very efficient process and you will be informed of the outcome of your application in just four months. Note that the 12-month processing time for passport applications includes these four months. In addition to all these advantages, you can enjoy tax structuring advantages without inheritance tax, without wealth tax and without inheritance tax. Malta has double tax treaties with 60 countries. Furthermore, Maltese law does not require you to give up your existing citizenship as there are no restrictions on holding dual citizenship.

To apply for dual citizenship through the Citizenship for Investment Program the applicant must contribute at least EUR 650,000 to Malta while spouses must contribute EUR 25,000 (as do unmarried children under the age of 18). Unmarried children under the age of 25 but over the age of 18 must contribute EUR 50,000 each (also dependent parents aged 55 and over).

Applicants to the Citizenship for Investment Program of Malta must invest at least EUR 150,000 in government bonds. In addition to these requirements, the applicant must choose one of the following options: purchase a property for at least EUR 350,000, retain ownership for at least five years, or rent a property for EUR 160,000 for at least five years. After purchasing a property or entering into a property rental agreement in Malta, applicants will be issued with a Maltese identity card (eResidence Card).

As part of the programme, a four-stage process is implemented by the Maltese Government to thoroughly assess all candidates. All applicants must have a clean record with no criminal record and the Government of Malta conducts extensive criminal investigations with the International Criminal Court, INTERPOL and other authorities and sources. In addition, candidates must present a police clearance certificate before being accepted for a European passport.

In order to participate in the Malta Citizenship-by-Investment scheme, applicants are required to provide documentation regarding their health status. Applicants should prove that they do not have any contagious diseases and must be covered by international medical insurance. If all of these requirements are met, applicants face no further obstacles to becoming Maltese citizens.