Changes to investment residency in Malta
Investment residency in Malta has been one of the most popular programs in Europe thanks to its quick and straightforward procedure. Although the program has been recently closed (while people who started the procedure during then can still go through it with unchanged conditions), a new version has been launched at the end of March 2021, with similar specifications. The program is supposed to be handled by the Residency of Malta Agency, but for now no information is published on that site, only on the websites of other dealers.
The new investment residency program of Malta
The most conspicuous change compared to the previous program is that it is no longer required to invest in government bonds, which used to be one of the first steps of your investment residency.
Spending on real estate remains part of the residency program. The required minimum spending depends on whether you buy or rent, and the location of the property. If you rent, you are expected to spend at least EUR 10,000 each year if the property is in the South of Malta on the island of Gozo, and EUR 12,000 if it is elsewhere. If you buy, the property must worth at least EUR 300,000 in the South of Malta or on Gozo island, or EUR 350,000 elsewhere. In either case, you must hold that piece of real estate for at least 5 years.
After taking care of your property rental or purchase, you will be required to make a government contribution in two instalments. The first instalment is EUR 40,000, which is supposed to cover administrative fees. The second instalment will depend on whether you rent or purchase: for rentals, it is EUR 58,000, for purchases, it is EUR 28,000. Since this sum is non-refundable, it is intended to encourage property purchase: while the initial investment is bigger because of the price of the real estate, the non-refundable part is significantly smaller.
The third element of the new investment residency program of Malta is a charitable donation of EUR 2,000 to an NGO in Malta, approved by the Residency Malta Agency.
How much to invest to get residency for the whole family?
Considering all the above elements, you can become eligible for investment residency in Malta for EUR 150,000 already. The deal remains attractive even if you add your family members. With your application, you may include not only your spouse and underage children, but other dependent family members, meaning adult unmarried children, and parents or grandparents of both you and your spouse. For each dependent, an additional government fee is to be paid, which is EUR 7,500 for the spouse, parents and grandparents, and EUR 5,000 for every other person included in the application (which includes adult or minor children of the applicant.
Additional fees would include health insurance for all applicants.
Are there any further requirements?
While a family of 4 may receive lifelong residency in Malta for an investment as little as EUR 150,000, a background check is conducted on the main applicant. An investor is only eligible if their assets are worth at least EUR 500,000, of which at least EUR 150,000 are financial assets.
Other than that, only a clean criminal record is required beside the above-mentioned health insurance policy.
After the investment and the donation are made, the fees are paid, and the application is submitted, the applicant may become permanent residents of Malta within just 4-6 months.
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