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MALTA INDIVIDUAL INVESTOR PROGRAMME (IIP) – MALTA CITIZENSHIP

Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment - Overview and Malta Guide

The Maltese archipelago lies virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north of Africa. The archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. In 2014, the population of Malta was estimated to be 445,000 inhabitants, occupying an area of 316 square kilometers.

Malta is the largest island and the cultural, commercial and administrative centre. Gozo is the second largest island and is more rural, characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture. Comino, the smallest of the trio, has one hotel and is largely uninhabited. Malta is renowned for sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, medieval towers, wayside chapels and the oldest known human structures in the world.

Contact VisaConnect's specialist Consultants, together with our partner Malta Lawyers, in 2021, for advice and assistance with an application for the Malta Individual Investor Programme to obtain Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment and acquire a Malta EU Passport! Maltese Citizenship allows the applicant and their family to live, work, and study on the incredible island of Malta through an investment in Malta Property (Real Estate) and financial contribution!

Why apply for Malta Citizenship by Investment, in 2021?

EU Country - Since 2004, Malta has been a member of the European Union (EU) and is a highly respected country. Citizenship of Malta offers the right to live, work and study in any of the 28 EU countries and Switzerland. Also, you can benefit from Free movement of People, Goods, Services and Capital, within the EU.

Schengen Area - Malta has been a member of the Schengen Area of Europe since 2007. This allows a Maltese citizen to travel to 26 European countries without going through any border control.

Visa FREE Travel - According to the Global Passport Index (2019), the Maltese passport ranks 4th in terms of travel freedom. Travel visa-free to 182 countries, including the EU, US, UK and Canada.

Location - Malta is an attractive place to live or to own a second home and is strategically located with excellent air links.

Politics and Economy - Stable political climate, bi-partisan political scene and growing economy. The European Commission’s economic analysts forecast an economic growth of 4.8% in 2020.

Banks - Unlike many neighboring EU countries, Malta has an excellent credit rating (BBB+) and their government bonds are in high demand. The country has also never imposed a tax on deposits in Maltese banks, dissimilar to nearby Cyprus who imposed a one-time tax levy in 2013 which included offshore bank accounts.

Malta Individual Investor Programme (IIP) - IIP program commenced in 2014, and is the first investment citizenship program of its type to be recognized by the European Commission, and the executive body of the European Union has formally acknowledged the legality of the program.

IIP Program Quota - The Individual Investor Programme Malta is strictly capped at 1800 applicants, making it the most exclusive citizenship scheme available.

IIP Application Process - application process is smooth and efficient. The government of Malta is committed to the highest standard of due diligence and vetting of investor applicants ensuring only persons of impeccable standing and good reputation will be admitted.

No Tax consequences of Residence - if an individual moves their primary residence to Malta, they can retain the status of a "non-domiciled" person and therefore have an extremely advantageous tax exposure. Candidates that become a resident of Malta but are not domiciled in the country are only required to pay tax on any income they earn or receive in the country.

Benefits of Tax System - Malta has no municipal taxes, no estate duty, no death or inheritance taxes, and no wealth or net worth taxes. Malta also has double taxation treaties with approximately 60 countries around the world. The corporate tax rate in Malta is 35%, but special tax concessions apply to non-resident or non-domiciled company owners.

Dual Citizenship - Individuals that obtain a second citizenship by investment are not required by Maltese law to renounce their existing citizenship.

Children Inherit EU Citizenship - Any child born to a parent who is a Maltese citizen will also be a citizen of Malta. This means children born to men or women who obtained Maltese nationality via the Individual Investor Program will be full European citizens even if their place of birth is not in Europe.

Citizenship Within 1 Year - The minimum amount of time needed to gain Malta Citizenship by investment is 12 months. If you have already met the Malta residency requirement of the Individual Investor Program, you can secure citizenship in Malta in just 6 months.

No Citizenship or Language Test - There are no citizenship tests included in the Malta investment program, and applicants are not required to know Maltese or even English to be accepted into the financial citizenship program.

Malta IIP - Investment Requirements - effective from 30 September 2020

Malta Permanent Residence Permit - Malta IIP

New Law changes to the Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment or Malta Individual Investor Programme (IIP) were announced on 3 July 2020, and took effect from 30 September 2020. See new Rules below and also VisaConnect's PDF document: Malta IIP Citizenship by Investment in 2021

Qualifying Investment

There will be 2 options leading to Malta Citizenship for High Net Worth Immigrants, based on the Contribution amount:

A. 3-Year residence requirement - Applicant Investor's will be able to make a contribution of €600,000 EUR for the principal applicant and €50,000 for every dependant. They will be able to apply for citizenship after 3 years of effective residence.

B. 1-Year residence requirement - Should the Applicants wish to apply for citizenship after 12 months, applicants will need to make a contribution of €750,000 EUR for the principal applicant and €50,000 for every dependant applicant.

Investment Amount

There will be a cap of 400 approved applications per year with an overall number of 1,500 applications. See the new investment amounts below:

1. Purchase of Property - The minimum property (Real Estate) value is set in at €700,000 EUR – while previously €350,000. The Property must be held for 5 years.

2. Rental of Property - For rentals, the minimum rental amount is at €16,000 EUR , and held for five years. Previously, the rental amount was set at the same rate of €16,000. Note that the property cannot be sublet during this five-year period. A 36-month (or 18-month, by exception) lease agreement or property purchase is required during the residence period.

3. Mandatory Donation - A mandatory donation of €10,000 EUR to a registered sport, cultural, scientific, philanthropic, animal welfare, or artistic non-governmental organization or society, as approved by the Community Malta Agency.

Investment in in Stocks, Bonds, or other Investment vehicles - No longer required. Previous investment was €150,000 in stocks, bonds, or other investment vehicles.

Malta Individual Investor Programme (IIP) - Application Process

Outlined below are the IIP Application Process Steps to obtain Malta Citizenship and a Malta Passport:

1. Passports - Client sends passport page to the Malta Lawyer for Police clearance certificate.

2. Visit Malta - Submit the Residence Permit application, in Malta, and do the following:

Lease or Buy property

Buy a global health insurance

Provide recent Bank statements

Undergo Biometrics

3. E-Residence Card Issued.

4. Citizenship Application - Prepare and Submit Citizenship by investment application.

5. Processing - Processing and Due diligence carried out on the application by Identity Malta

6. Application approval - Approval of application and contribution to be made.

7. Oath of Allegiance - Requirement for the main applicant and all dependents aged 18 and above to take the Oath of Allegiance in Malta.

8. Government Bond - Purchase or lease of property and Purchase Government Bonds.

9. Malta Passports Issued - Apply for and collect Malta Passports.

Malta Residence by Investment Programme

For assistance in applying for the Malta Residency by Investment programme - Malta Permanent Residency Program (MPRP), eligibility criteria, and how our Immigration Consultants can assist you to buy a Property in Malta, click on the following VisaConnect website pages: