Residency by Investment
Permanent residence in an EU member state through Malta's Permanent Residence Programme, with no physical stay requirement.
Time to residency
6–8 months
Minimum investment
€375,000+
Program Overview
In brief
The Malta program is a residency-by-investment program that grants the right to live in Malta. The minimum qualifying investment is €375,000+, and approvals typically take 6–8 months. It requires no residence or relocation. Figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant.
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) grants qualified investors and their families permanent residence in an EU member state, with the associated Schengen mobility, through a combination of a qualifying property and government contributions.
Note: Malta's former citizenship-by-investment framework was discontinued following the 2025 ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU; the MPRP is a residence — not citizenship — program.
Presence requirement
No minimum stay to maintain the status
Document validity
Permanent residence certificate is granted for life; cards renew every 5 years
Dual nationality
Residence status — your current citizenship is unaffected
How it compares
Where Malta sits among the 8 residency by investment programs we advise on. The gold marker is the peer average.
Investment is compared on a USD-normalized basis; the label shows this program's own currency. Time uses the upper end of the published range. Figures are indicative.
The Life It Unlocks
Schengen, whenever
Ninety days in every hundred-eighty across the Schengen Area, from an English-speaking EU base in the middle of the Mediterranean.
Permanent means permanent
The certificate is granted for life — no renewals to requalify for, no clock to feed. Your family's European foothold, settled once.
Room for the whole family
Spouse, children, parents, and grandparents can be included — four generations under one approval.
From €375,000
Purchase of a qualifying residential property in Malta, together with the required government contribution and donation.
Held for a minimum of 5 years
From €150,000
Lease of a qualifying residential property together with a higher government contribution and donation.
Explore your route
From (indicative)
$409,000
Capital treatment
Held for a minimum of 5 years
Purchase of a qualifying residential property in Malta, together with the required government contribution and donation.
Who comes with you
Family additions are quoted individually — request your exact figure
Your dates
Complete files are typically processed in 6–8 months.
Indicative — based on typical processing of 6–8 months for complete files. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
Month 1
Document collection, KYC checks, and application preparation.
Months 2–5
Application submitted to Residency Malta; four-tier due diligence conducted.
Month 6
Letter of approval issued; contributions paid and the qualifying property secured.
Months 7–8
Issuance of the certificate of permanent residence and residence cards.
Honest advice includes the trade-offs. Before committing to the Malta program, consider:
Three questions, scored by the same engine as our Program Finder — with an honest answer, even when it isn't this program.
No. Malta's citizenship-by-investment framework was discontinued after the Court of Justice of the EU ruled against it in 2025. The MPRP — permanent residence — is the current investment route, and this page describes it.
The MPRP grants the right to reside in Malta and travel visa-free within the Schengen Area for 90 in every 180 days. It does not grant the right to settle in other EU states.
Leasing needs less capital up front but pays higher government contributions; purchasing ties up more capital with a lower contribution. We model both across your five-year horizon.
Alternatives
Families often weigh this program against these alternatives.
Residency
PortugalEurope's best-known golden visa: EU residency with a minimal stay requirement and a potential path to citizenship after seven to ten years of legal residence.
Residency
GreeceOne of Europe's most affordable golden visas: Greek residency through real estate, with no stay requirement to renew.
Residency
HungaryEurope's longest golden visa: a 10-year renewable Hungarian residence permit through a €250,000 fund investment.
Request a private assessment to see whether the Malta program is the right fit.
Malta · 6–8 months