MALTA PERMANENT RESIDENCE PROGRAMME

Client Information Summary

Based on Legal Notice 121 of 2021, as amended by Legal Notices 57 and 310 of 2024 and 146 of 2025

  1.  Overview

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) was established by Legal Notice 121 of 2021 under Article 7A of the Immigration Act (Cap. 217), and has been amended by Legal Notices 57 and 310 of 2024 and 146 of 2025. The Programme is administered by the Residency Malta Agency and enables third-country nationals to obtain a Residence-by-Investment Certificate granting the right to reside, settle or stay indefinitely in Malta.

A certificate issued under the Programme constitutes a permit under Article 7A of the Immigration Act. It does not confer Maltese citizenship, nor does it automatically confer any right to reside or work in other EU or Schengen states.

All applications must be submitted through a licensed agent. Mifsud & Mifsud Advocates is available to act as your authorised representative throughout the process.

  2.  Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for a certificate under the MPRP, the main applicant and all dependants must satisfy all requirements under Regulations 13 and 15:

Nationality

• Must be a third-country national — not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland (Reg. 15(1)(a))

No Concurrent Scheme Benefit

• Must not already benefit from the Residents Scheme Regulations, Highly Qualified Persons Rules, High Net Worth Individuals Rules, Malta Retirement Programme Rules, Qualifying Employment in Innovation and Creativity Rules, or the Residence Programme Rules (Reg. 15(1)(b))

Financial Self-Sufficiency

• Must be in receipt of stable and regular resources sufficient to maintain themselves and dependants without recourse to Malta’s social assistance system (Reg. 15(1)(d))

Capital Assets — Two Options (Regulation 9(2))

The main applicant must demonstrate possession of assets satisfying one of the following thresholds, maintained for five (5) years from the appointed day:

Fit and Proper — Character Requirements (Regulation 13)

The main applicant and each dependant over age 14 must satisfy all of the following:

• Must not have been indicted before, or appeared before, an international criminal court
• Must not be listed with INTERPOL or EUROPOL
• Must not be a potential threat to national security, public policy or public health
• Must not have pending charges or have been convicted of: terrorism, money laundering, funding of terrorism, crimes against humanity, war crimes, or offences against the European Convention on Human Rights
• Must not have been found guilty of, or have charges pending for: paedophilia, defilement of minors, rape, violent indecent assault, inducing persons under age to prostitution, or abduction
• Must not be named in any applicable international sanctions list (Reg. 13(1)(h))
• Must not have had a previous MPRP application or application for Maltese citizenship refused (Reg. 13(1)(i))
• Must not have previously ceased to benefit from a certificate under Regulation 17 (Reg. 13(1)(j))
• Must not be involved in any activity likely to cause disrepute to the Republic of Malta (Reg. 13(1)(k))
• The application must not be against the public interest (Reg. 13(1)(l))

Health (Regulation 12(1)(f))

• Must not be suffering from any serious illness or contagious disease and must not represent an unreasonable burden on Malta’s national health system

Health Insurance (Regulation 15(1)(f))

• Must hold a health insurance policy covering all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals, for themselves and all dependants, throughout the duration of the certificate
• A dependant will not be issued a residence card unless they hold such a policy in their own right (Reg. 15(3))

Valid Travel Document

• The main applicant and all dependants must be in possession of a valid travel document at all times (Reg. 15(1)(e))

  3.  Investment Requirements

The MPRP requires three mandatory investment commitments, all to be fulfilled within eight (8) months of the Letter of Approval in Principle (Regulation 9(4)):

3.1  Qualifying Property (Regulations 15(1)(c) and 3)

The main applicant must acquire title to a qualifying residential property in Malta or Gozo and hold it for a minimum of five (5) years from the appointed day. After five years, a residential address in Malta or Gozo must still be maintained.

Note: A qualifying owned property may also count as part of the evidence of capital assets under Regulation 9(2).

3.2  Government Contribution and Administration Fee (First Schedule, as substituted by L.N. 146 of 2025)

All fees are non-refundable. The following amounts are payable to the Residency Malta Agency:

Note: Dependants in categories (a) spouse, (b) minor children, and (e) disabled adult children are exempt from the dependant administration fee (First Schedule proviso).

3.3  Philanthropic Donation (Regulation 3)

  4.  Dependants (Regulations 3 and 11)

The following categories of family member may be included on the certificate, sharing the right to reside indefinitely in Malta, subject to a successful due diligence check for each:

Additional family members may be added after certificate issuance (Reg. 11(2)-(5)), including the spouse of a dependent child and minor children of a previously approved dependent child, subject to the relevant fee and a successful due diligence check.

The main applicant must provide an affidavit confirming financial support for each dependant over 18, other than the spouse (Reg. 12(4)).

  5.  Required Documentation (Regulation 12)

Applications must be completed in English. Documents in another language must be accompanied by an authenticated translation. Documents must be originals or certified copies. The application must include at minimum:

• Conduct certificates (police clearance) in original format for the main applicant and all dependants over age 14 — issued by authorities in the country of nationality and all countries of residence where the person resided for more than 6 months in the last 10 years
• KYC due diligence carried out by the agent confirming no a priori evidence that the applicant and dependants are not fit and proper persons
• Undertaking to purchase or lease a qualifying property in Malta or Gozo
• Undertaking to remit the required contributions and fees
• Undertaking to make the required €2,000 donation
• Confirmation that the main applicant and dependants are in good health and free from serious illness or contagious disease
• Evidence of possession of qualifying capital assets (Reg. 9(2))
• Affidavit from the main applicant confirming financial support for each adult dependant (other than the spouse)
• For minor dependants: forms signed by both parents, or the sole custodian (with supporting court documentation)
• Any other document required by the Agency from time to time (Reg. 12(1)(g))

A false statement or omission of information is grounds for declining the application (Reg. 12(6)).

  6.  Application Process

Typical processing time: 6 to 12 months from submission of a complete application.

  7.  Ongoing Obligations and Compliance (Regulation 15)

From the appointed day and throughout the entire duration of the certificate, the beneficiary must continuously satisfy all of the following. The Agency monitors compliance annually for the first five years:

• Maintain title to a qualifying property for the first five (5) years from the appointed day; thereafter maintain a residential address in Malta or Gozo
• Remain a third-country national (not acquire Maltese, EEA or Swiss nationality)
• Not benefit from any other listed Maltese residency or tax scheme
• Maintain stable and regular financial resources sufficient to support themselves and dependants without social assistance
• Hold a valid travel document at all times
• Maintain qualifying health insurance for themselves and all dependants throughout the certificate
• Retain possession of the required capital assets (Reg. 9(2) threshold) for five (5) years from the appointed day

Beneficiaries must notify the Agency within four (4) weeks of becoming aware of any circumstance that may affect eligibility (Reg. 17(6)). The Agency has discretion to condone a breach caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the beneficiary’s control, provided the Agency is notified promptly and best efforts are made to remedy the situation (Reg. 17(7)).

  8.  Cessation of Certificate (Regulation 17)

A certificate and all rights conferred by it will cease in any of the following circumstances:

• The beneficiary acquires Maltese, EEA or Swiss nationality
• The beneficiary fails to maintain the conditions in Regulation 15
• The beneficiary no longer satisfies the eligibility criteria in Regulation 13
• False, misleading or materially inaccurate information was provided during the application process
• Any commitment or condition under the Regulations is not fulfilled
• The individual’s stay is not in the public interest or is seriously prejudicial to Malta’s vital interests
• The individual has shown disloyalty or disaffection towards the President or the Republic of Malta

  9.  Rights Conferred by Certificate (Regulation 10)

• The right to reside, settle or stay indefinitely in Malta
• Approved dependants included on the certificate share the same right of indefinite residence
• Schengen Area visa-free short-stay travel (up to 90 days in any 180-day period) by virtue of Malta’s Schengen membership
• No minimum physical presence requirement to maintain residence status
• Potential pathway to long-term residence status under S.L. 217.05, subject to conditions therein

The certificate does not, by itself, entitle the holder to any rights under the Immigration Regulations beyond those expressly conferred (Reg. 10(1)(b)). It does not confer Maltese citizenship. Separate rules apply under the Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188) for naturalisation.

  10.  Agency Discretion and Appeals (Regulation 19)

All decisions, determinations and verifications made by the Residency Malta Agency are made at its absolute discretion. They are final and are not subject to appeal (Reg. 19(1)). The Agency may extend any time limit fixed by the Regulations upon good cause being shown (Reg. 19(5)).