Business immigration to Malta
About Malta
Malta is a European Union member state since 2004.
Malta can offer citizenship in an EU country that is stable, neutral and highly respected. It offers Visa free travel to more than 160 countries. Maltese citizenship will also grant the right of work and establishment in all 28 EU countries.
Rich of 7500 years of history, Malta is a highly cultured and well educated country. The government of Malta is democratically elected and has a very strong legal system and well established institutions. Both highly evolved educational system and excellent health services are appreciated.
Malta offers 2 programmes known as :
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Malta Residence And Visa Programme (MRVP)
The Malta Residence and Visa Program (MRVP) was introduced by virtue of legal notice 288 of 2015 and is aimed at individuals and their families who are not nationals of the EU, EEA or Switzerland. Very recently, in 2021, it has been announced that the said programme requirements will be amended. The MRVP grants international investors and their registered dependents the right to reside, settle or stay indefinitely in Malta (an EU Member State) and the right to travel within the Schengen Area, of which Malta forms part. The certificate issued shall be monitored annually for the first five years from its issue and every five years thereafter.
The programme falls under the Immigration Act and is available to both the applicant and their dependents on condition that certain criteria are satisfied.
- Citizenship for Exceptional Services (previously known as Individual Investor Program – IIP)
MRVP
This programme enables the applicant and his/her immediate dependents to obtain a long term residence permit in Malta which would also imply freedom to travel in other European Union countries.
Applicants may avail themselves from unique business opportunities whilst also benefiting from various advantageous tax incentives that the Maltese Jurisdiction has to offer them.
Benefits of the MRVP
- Right to travel freely in the Schengen Zone;
- Being granted the right to live, reside, work and do business in Malta;
- No minimum requirement of stay in Malta;
- Guarantees the safety of future generations as it allows four generations of families to apply;
- Offers the possibility of investing in the Maltese Real Estate market;
- The possibility to take advantage of various attractive tax incentives for business.
Minimum Criteria
In order for a person to be eligible to apply under the Programme, he/she should be neither a permanent resident nor a long-term resident of Malta. The applicant must prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner for Revenue that he/she satisfies all the conditions set out below:
- He/She and his/her dependents are third country nationals and not Maltese, EU/EEA or Swiss nationals;
- He/She is at least eighteen (18) years of age;
- He/She and his/her dependents are in possession of a health insurance in respect of all risks across the whole of the European Union which are normally covered for Maltese nationals;
- He/She and his/her dependents are not persons who benefit under the Residents Scheme Regulations, The High Net Worth Individuals – EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals Rules, the Malta Retirement Programme Rules, the Residence Programme Rules, the Qualifying Employment in Innovation and Creativity Rules or the Highly Qualified Persons Rules;
- He/She is in receipt of stable and regular resources which are sufficient to maintain himself/herself and his/her dependents without recourse to the social assistance system of Malta;
- It is obligatory for main applicants to have a capital of €500,000 (€150,000 of which must be financial assets).
2 paths possible for MRVP
Full Contribution Option: €98,000 when opting to rent a property.
Rental rates of €10,000 per annum in the South of Malta and Gozo, and €12,000 for the rest of Malta.
Plus a mandatory donation of €2,000 to a Maltese registered NGO.
Reduced Contribution Option: €68,000 when opting to purchase a property in Malta.
Property value requirement: €300,000 in the South of Malta and Gozo or €350,000 for the rest of Malta.
Plus a mandatory donation of €2,000 to a Maltese registered NGO.
Additional Criteria
Further to the criteria listed above, the applicant and his/her dependents would be required to satisfy the following criteria:
- He/She and his/her dependents have a clean criminal record;
- He/She and his/her dependents over the age of twelve have passed the due diligence test and are fit and proper persons;
- He/She and his/her dependents are in possession of a valid travel document;
- He/She or any of his/her dependents are not individuals indicted before an International Criminal Court or who appeared at any time before an International Criminal Court, whether such persons have been found guilty or otherwise by such Court;
- He/She and, or any of his/her dependents, are not persons listed with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) at the time of application;
- He/She and, or any of his/her dependents, is not, or may not be a potential threat to national security, public policy or public health;
- He/She and, or any of his/her dependents, shall not be an individual who, at any time, had pending charges related to crimes of terrorism, money laundering, funding of terrorism, crimes against humanity, war crimes, or crimes that infringe upon such Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as established by the European Convention on Human Rights, or who has been found guilty of any such crimes;
- He/She and, or any of his/her dependents, is not an individual who has been found guilty or has charges brought against him/her regarding any of the criminal offences that disturb the good order of the family;
- He/She and, or any of his/her dependents, is not an individual who at any time was found guilty, or, at the time of the application, is being interrogated and suspected, or has criminal charges brought against him for any criminal offence, other than an involuntary offence, punishable with more than two years.
Eligible Dependents
The following dependents of the main applicant are eligible for consideration under this programme:
- The spouse of the main applicant in a monogamous marriage or in another relationship having the same or similar status to marriage;
- A child, including an adopted child, of the main applicant or of his/her spouse who is less than eighteen (18) years of age;
- A child of the main applicant or of his/her spouse who is between the age of eighteen and twenty-six years and who is not married and who proves, to the satisfaction of the Minister, that he/she is not economically active and is principally dependent on the said person;
- A parent or grandparent of the main applicant or of his/her spouse who proves to the satisfaction of the Minister that he/she is not economically active and is principally dependent on the said person;
- A child of the main applicant or of the spouse of the main applicant who is at least eighteen years of age, and who has been certified by a recognized medical professional as having a disability in terms of the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act and who is living with, and is fully supported by, the main applicant;
- An additional fee of €7,500 for a spouse, a parent, or a grandparent will apply, as well as a fee of €5,000 for any adult children added after the initial approval.
Documentation required
The following documentation is to be submitted with the application:
- A certificate issued by an appropriate medical authority or doctor confirming that the main applicant and his dependents are not suffering from any contagious disease and that they are otherwise in good health;
- Clean criminal record issued by the Malta Police as well as by the competent authorities in the country of origin and in the country or countries of residence where the applicant has resided for a period of more than six months during the last ten years;
- Bank and or other references evidencing the fact that the main applicant and dependents are fit and proper persons;
- Tax factsheet;
- Undertaking to purchase or lease a qualifying residential property in Malta;
- Undertaking to make the qualifying investment rent or purchase property;
- Undertaking to remit the financial contribution according to the applicable path and the additional contribution for each individual/ dependent included in the application;
- An affidavit of support by the main applicant for each dependent who is more than 18 years old.
The Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services, 2020
Programme Fact Sheet
* This Fact Sheet is for guidance purposes and the above list is not exhaustive and further documentation may be required.
This programme was brought into effect by virtue of legal notice 437 of 2020 with the scope of prescribing the requirements and regulating the granting of citizenship by naturalization for exceptional services to the Republic of Malta on the basis of humanity, or on the basis of exceptional interest to the Republic of Malta. This programme will lead to the granting of Maltese citizenship to the main applicant and his family dependents following the satisfaction of the programme requirements. A thorough due diligence process underlies this whole programme so as to ensure that only those genuine applicants who merit becoming citizens of Malta are actually granted this privilege.
The programme falls under the Immigration Act, Chapter 188 of the Laws of Malta and is available to both the applicant and their dependents on condition that certain criteria are satisfied.
This programme enables the applicant and his/her immediate dependents to apply to become Maltese Citizens if they satisfy all the requirements. Successful applicants will enjoy all the benefits that Maltese citizenship bring along with it such as safety, security, a jurisdiction with a pro-business attitude, access to a high caliber education system for descendants and access to a state of the art healthcare system. Most importantly, Maltese Citizenship would enable successful applicants to travel, reside and establish themselves in any European Union country. Dependants may be also included in the same application.
This programme was previously referred to as the Individual Investor Programme (IIP).
Major Benefits
– The Maltese Passport rates among the top 10 in the world;
– Full enjoyment of benefits granted to EU citizens;
– A peaceful way of life complemented with a high standard of living;
– An English speaking competent workforce;
– Schengen mobility;
– The possibility of investing in the Maltese Real Estate market;
– The possibility to take advantage of various attractive tax incentives for business.
Criteria
In order for a person to be eligible to apply under the Programme, he/she first and foremost need to be persons of good conduct who are desirous of investing and making an exceptional contribution towards the Republic of Malta. The requisites of the application are namely the following;
- Main applicant is of at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- Residence in Malta for a period of thirty-six (36) months, provided that this period may by exception be reduced to a minimum of twelve (12) months subject to an exceptional direct investment in Malta.
- Undertake to purchase immovable residential property in Malta having a value or not less than EUR 700,000 or to take on lease immovable residential property in Malta for a minimum yearly rent of EUR 16,000.
- Undertakes to carry out an exceptional direct investment towards the Republic of Malta by a contribution of EUR 600,000 & EUR 50,000 for each dependent.
In case the application is submitted before the completion of 36 months of residence, the exceptional contribution that would need to be paid is that of EUR 750,000.
A non-refundable deposit of EUR 10,000 from the main contribution is to be paid a priori.
- Undertakes to donate the sum of EUR 10,000 to a Maltese philanthropic non-governmental organization.
- Due diligence fees need to be paid: EUR 15,000 for the main applicant and EUR 10,000 for each dependent.
- Administration fees that are due to the Responsible Agency will add up in the region of EUR 7,500 for the main applicant which might increase if there are dependents.
Eligible Dependents
The following dependents of the main applicant are eligible for consideration under this programme:
- The spouse of the main applicant in a monogamous marriage or in another relationship having the same or similar status to marriage;
- A child, including an adopted child, of the main applicant or of his spouse who is less than eighteen (18) years of age;
- A child of the main applicant or of his spouse who is between the age of eighteen and twenty-six years and who is not married and who proves, to the satisfaction of the Minister, that he is not economically active and is principally dependent on the said person;
- A parent or grandparent of the main applicant or of his spouse who proves to the satisfaction of the Minister that he is not economically active and is principally dependent on the said person;
- A child of the main applicant or of the spouse of the main applicant who is at least eighteen years of age, and who has been certified by a recognized medical professional as having a disability in terms of the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act and who is living with, and is fully supported by, the main applicant.