Malta Permanent Residence Programme
The MPRP grants permanent residence in an EU and Schengen state for EUR 99,000 in government payments plus a qualifying property. It was restructured in July 2025. It is not a work permit, it confers no tax status, and it is not a route to a Maltese passport — that route closed in 2025.
— Last updated: September 2026 · 10 min read
Malta No Longer Sells Citizenship
On 29 April 2025 the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in Commission v Malta, Case C-181/23, that granting nationality in exchange for predetermined payments or investments, without a genuine link to the country, is incompatible with EU law. Malta amended its Citizenship Act through Act XXI of 2025, gazetted on 24 July 2025, repealing the investor naturalisation route. A discretionary Citizenship by Merit framework sits in its place, and Malta's own agency states that it cannot be marketed as an investment product.
Malta was the last EU member state offering citizenship by investment. No EU state offers one now. Anyone still presenting a Maltese passport as a purchasable product is describing a programme that no longer exists.
What the MPRP Actually Is
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme is a residence-by-investment framework under S.L. 217.26, administered by Residency Malta Agency. It grants permanent residence to non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals who meet the property, contribution and due diligence requirements. Malta is in the Schengen Area, so the residence card carries visa-free short-stay travel of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
It is commonly marketed as the Malta Golden Visa. That is not a legal term. The status granted is permanent residence, and the obligations behind it are permanent too.
You cannot apply directly
The Government Payments
Four payments, totalling EUR 99,000 before any property commitment and before professional costs.
| Payment | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative fee — first instalment | EUR 15,000 | Within one month of submission |
| Administrative fee — balance | EUR 45,000 | Within two months of the Letter of Approval in Principle |
| Government contribution | EUR 37,000 | Within eight months of the Letter |
| Philanthropic donation | EUR 2,000 | Within eight months of the Letter |
| Each adult dependant | EUR 7,500 | Additional, excludes spouse and children under 18 |
The donation must go to a registered Maltese philanthropic, cultural, sporting, scientific, animal welfare or artistic organisation. The contribution and the administrative fee are non-refundable.
The Property Requirement
- Purchase a qualifying residential property at a minimum of EUR 375,000, or rent one at a minimum of EUR 14,000 a year.
- The property must be located in Malta or Gozo. Property held anywhere else does not qualify, whatever its value.
- The threshold is national. Unlike Greece, Malta applies no lower band by region — EUR 375,000 applies across Malta and Gozo alike.
- The property must be held for at least five years, and a qualifying property must be maintained for as long as the residence status is held.
- All included family members must complete biometrics in Malta. This is a physical visit requirement, which matters when the application includes elderly dependants.
What Legal Notice 146 of 2025 Changed
Legal Notice 146 of 2025, published on 22 July 2025, restructured the programme. Material published before that date is unreliable on cost.
- •The government contribution is now a single figure of EUR 37,000, the same whether the applicant buys or rents. It was previously split, with the rental route carrying the higher charge.
- •A temporary residence permit pathway was introduced. An applicant may apply for a one-year temporary permit shortly after a redacted application is submitted and initial background screening clears, allowing lawful residence in Malta while full due diligence continues.
- •The administrative fee is staged rather than paid in one tranche, on the schedule set out above.
The property thresholds did not change. EUR 375,000 to purchase and EUR 14,000 a year to rent have applied since 2021.
What the MPRP Does Not Give You
This section exists because most Malta pages do not have one. The MPRP is a good product for a specific purpose and a poor one for three purposes it is frequently sold for.
- It is not a work permit. A certificate of residence under the MPRP confers no employment licence. A holder wanting to work in Malta must apply for a work permit through the ordinary procedure, and the MPRP gives no right to work anywhere else in the EU.
- It confers no tax status. Ordinary Maltese tax rules apply. Broadly, a non-domiciled individual resident in Malta is taxed on Maltese-source income and gains and on foreign income remitted to Malta, but not on unremitted foreign income. Residence status and tax residence are decided separately.
- It is not a route to a passport. Permanent residence is the outcome. Naturalisation is governed separately by the Maltese Citizenship Act and is discretionary.
The Citizenship Question, Answered Properly
Maltese citizenship is acquired by birth, by descent, by registration, or by naturalisation on the basis of long lawful residence. Under the Citizenship Act, satisfying the residence conditions creates no entitlement. Any grant is discretionary and assessed case by case.
The practical difficulty is that naturalisation requires genuine, substantive presence in Malta. Most MPRP holders use the programme precisely because it carries no minimum stay. Those two things are in direct tension. If the objective is a European base, family mobility and a stable second residence, Malta is a strong candidate. If the objective is citizenship without relocating, it is the wrong programme and no amount of structuring changes that.
How an Engagement Runs
Eligibility and structuring review
Confirm the family composition, the dependants who qualify, and whether the purchase or rental route fits the objective.
Source of funds
Assemble and evidence the funds trail. Malta's due diligence is among the more rigorous in the EU and this is where applications fail.
Submission through a Licensed Agent
The application is filed with Residency Malta Agency through an RMA Licensed Agent via the Agents' Portal. The first administrative fee instalment follows within one month.
Due diligence and approval in principle
Residency Malta Agency screens the applicant and dependants. The Board of Approvals issues a Letter of Approval in Principle.
Fulfilment
The balance of the administrative fee within two months of the Letter. The contribution, qualifying property, donation and health insurance within eight months.
Issuance and maintenance
Biometrics in Malta for every included family member, then the residence certificate and card. The property and insurance must be maintained thereafter.
How We Work On Malta Matters
Maltese law requires MPRP applications to be submitted by an agent licensed by Residency Malta Agency. We work alongside a licensed agent, who owns the submission and the agency relationship. Presenting it any other way would be inaccurate, and any adviser who tells you otherwise is describing something the regulations do not permit.
Our side of the work is the part that decides whether an application succeeds: the source-of-funds file, the corporate and asset structuring behind it, the documentary standard Malta's due diligence expects, and coordination across jurisdictions where the applicant's affairs sit in more than one. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Malta's investor citizenship scheme unlawful on 29 April 2025 in Case C-181/23, and Malta repealed the route through Act XXI of 2025, gazetted on 24 July 2025. No EU member state offers citizenship by investment. The MPRP grants permanent residence only.
Considering Malta?
The MPRP works well for families who want a permanent European base without relocating, and poorly for anyone chasing a passport. We will tell you which of those you are before you commit capital, handle the structuring and the source-of-funds file, and coordinate the submission with a licensed agent.
Quick Facts
- Programme
- Malta Permanent Residence Programme
- Legal basis
- S.L. 217.26
- Administering body
- Residency Malta Agency
- Government payments
- EUR 99,000
- Administrative fee
- EUR 60,000, staged
- Contribution
- EUR 37,000
- Donation
- EUR 2,000
- Adult dependant
- EUR 7,500 each
- Property purchase
- From EUR 375,000
- Property rental
- From EUR 14,000 per year
- Holding period
- Five years minimum
- Minimum stay
- None
- Work rights
- No — separate permit required
- Schengen
- Yes, 90 days in any 180
- Citizenship by investment
- Repealed July 2025
- Updated
- September 2026
Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Requirements, timelines, and fees are subject to change. Always consult directly with the relevant regulatory authority or a qualified professional for the most current information. Zitadelle Advisory Group LTD is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation.