Features of registration of citizenship of Malta

The possibility of obtaining citizenship of Malta in exchange for investment in the economic and social development of the country has been in effect since 2013. During this time, more than 750 Russians have received a passport of Malta. The main requirements for applicants are: financial solvency, good reputation and compliance with certain investment requirements.

True, the Maltese government every year of the program toughens the verification of applicants: at the moment, every fourth applicant receives a refusal. But at the same time, the principal amount of the investment is paid by the applicant after receiving the principal approval, that is, by submitting documents, the applicant does not risk the principal amount of the investment. In addition, an experienced agency can assess your chances of obtaining Maltese citizenship in advance.

It is also important to know that in case of revealing false information or hiding it, discrediting the reputation of the applicant, the government can take away the already issued passport without returning the investment amount, so foreign investors should prepare as carefully as possible for the application for citizenship by contacting companies that have been doing this for a long time. question and have good statistics of positive results from their clients.

Analyzing the statistics for 2018 on the program for issuing citizenship to foreign investors in Malta, one can note a significant increase in the number of applicants from Asian countries, primarily from China. Although Europe, including Russia, still ranks first in terms of the number of applications.

A foreigner who decides to apply for citizenship in exchange for investment must be over 18 years old, have no criminal record and not violate visa rules. If a person is denied entry to a country with which Malta has a visa-free regime, then he will not be able to participate in the program. If, after the refusal, the visa was nevertheless received, the restriction is lifted. The main investor can also include a spouse and their minor children in the application. Also, passports can be obtained by children under the age of 27, if they are not married and are in the financial care of the investor.

Advantageous distinction of the Malta program

Malta's program compares favorably with other European ones in that citizenship can also be obtained for parents on both sides, if they are over 55 years old, do not have their own income and live in the same house with the applicant's family. All applicants for a Malta passport must pass a due diligence check, and for this, provide full information about the sources of their income, as well as take out health insurance.

The individual investor program (this is what is officially called in Malta the process of granting the citizenship of the country to a foreign investor) is divided into three phases: first, a residence card is drawn up, then an application for participation in the program and verification of documents take place, followed by payment of contributions, taking the oath, naturalization and obtaining a passport.

In total, the whole process will take at least 6 months. However, a passport and certificate of naturalization can only be issued after 12 months from the date of issue of the residence card. Based on the experience of companies professionally dealing with this issue, it takes, on average, 12-14 months from submitting documents for participation in the program to issuing passports.

Stages of obtaining citizenship of Malta

At the first stage of participation in the program, a foreign applicant must have a residence card for 12 months, while residence on the island during this time is not required: the registration takes 1-4 days plus 12 months before the submission of documents. Then the prepared documents are transferred to Identity Malta Agency. The company starts checking the applicant for reliability - the procedure takes 120 days. In the course of this verification, company employees may also require additional documents. The due diligence period begins on the day the due diligence invoice is paid and ends with a letter of approval in principle.

The Letter of Approval is a document in which the Maltese authorities confirm that they are satisfied with the due diligence results and are willing to grant citizenship to the foreign investor, subject to payment of the principal program fees, investment in securities and ownership or lease of residential property. that meets the requirements of the program.

Upon receipt of the Letter of Principle Approval, applicants for Maltese citizenship are required to pay the basic program fees. The main applicant must then invest at least € 150,000 in Malta government bonds for a period of at least five years from the date of receipt of the letter of approval. At the same stage, the main applicant must confirm the fact of renting residential real estate in Malta, worth at least 16,000 euros per year, or the fact of purchasing residential real estate worth at least 350,000 euros.

In parallel, the local registry office must provide the originals of birth and marriage certificates with a certified translation for approval. The original documents will have to remain at the local registry office, and in return they will be issued with Maltese documents. In order to keep the originals with you, you will need to order duplicate copies in advance from the relevant authorities in Russia. After receiving all the necessary documents and applications, but not earlier than a month later, the applicant will receive an official invitation to take the oath and receive passports. Passport processing takes about five days after taking the oath.

In addition to the basic fees, upon receipt of the letter of principle approval, the main applicant will need to prove that they own or lease a residential property that meets the program's conditions. The minimum purchase price for such real estate is 350,000 euros, and the lease is 16,000 euros per year.

The property must remain in the possession of the main applicant for a period of five years from the date of receipt of the letter of principle approval. But at the same time, even before receiving this letter, the applicant must still have residential real estate owned or rented, but its value does not matter until the day the letter is received.

Thank you for your help in preparing the material:

Elizaveta Borisova, Leading Specialist of RENTSALE

Irina Dzyuina, specialist of the company "Adveks.Realty"