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

Malta's Citizenship by Investment Program is an ideal option for families looking to relocate their business and / or personal affairs to the European Union. 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 in 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 a number of 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 countries of the European Union plus 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 health systems have long been among the highest rated in Europe). Malta's fusion of European lifestyle, Mediterranean quality of life, pleasant climate (with approx. 300 days of sunshine per year), delicious food and absolute security would be great for you and your family. The family entitlement includes the main applicant's spouse and parents, children under the age of 18 and unmarried dependent adult children under the age of 27.

As mentioned earlier, once you become a Maltese citizen, your children are automatically entitled to citizenship. Obtaining Maltese citizenship is a very efficient process and you will be informed of the outcome of your application within just four months. Note that the 12-month processing time for passport applications includes these four months. In addition to all these advantages, you enjoy tax advantages without inheritance, wealth and inheritance tax. Malta has double taxation treaties with 60 countries. In addition, under Maltese law, you are not required to give up your existing citizenship, as having dual citizenship is not restricted.

To apply for dual citizenship through the Citizenship for Investment program, the applicant must pay a minimum of EUR 650,000 to Malta, while spouses must pay EUR 25,000 (like unmarried children under the age of 18). Unmarried children under 25 but older than 18 must pay EUR 50,000 each (as do dependent parents aged 55 and over).

Applicants for Malta's Citizenship for Investment program are required to invest at least EUR 150,000 in government bonds. In addition to these requirements, the applicant must choose one of the following options: to buy a property for at least 350,000 euros, to keep the property for at least five years or to rent a property for 160,000 euros for at least five years. After purchasing a property or signing a property lease in Malta, applicants are issued with a Maltese identity card (eResidence Card).

As part of the program, the Maltese government is running a four-step process to thoroughly evaluate all candidates. All applicants must be in good standing with no criminal record and the Maltese government is conducting extensive criminal investigations with the International Criminal Court, INTERPOL and other agencies and sources. Candidates are also required to provide a police certificate prior to being approved for a European passport.

In order to participate in the Maltese Citizenship through Investment program, applicants must provide documents relating to their state of health. Applicants should demonstrate that they do not suffer from infectious diseases and that they have international health insurance. If all of these requirements are met, applicants will face no further obstacles on the path to Maltese citizenship.