This comparison exists so the position is clear. Neither Malta nor Montenegro currently offers citizenship by investment to new applicants. Both routes have ended.
Information, not advice. Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Always confirm the present rules with the official program authority and a licensed professional before you act.
Malta operated citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment, run by the Community Malta Agency. On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the scheme was contrary to European Union law, finding that it amounted to selling citizenship without a genuine link to the country.
Following that judgment, applications for citizenship purely through investment are no longer accepted. Reporting indicates Malta has moved toward a narrower, merit based approach to exceptional grants of citizenship.
Montenegro ran a citizenship by investment programme that combined a government donation with an approved investment. It closed to new applicants on 1 January 2023.
Montenegro has since introduced a property based residence route, but that is residence, not citizenship, and does not deliver a passport on the same terms.
With both citizenship routes closed, the realistic options today are residence by investment routes that may build toward citizenship over years, or citizenship routes in other countries that remain open. Each has very different costs, timelines and obligations.
Because the landscape changes quickly and closed routes are still widely advertised, it is worth getting matched with vetted, independent advisors who can confirm what is genuinely open for your situation.
| Item | Malta Citizenship | Montenegro Citizenship |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Closed after the Court of Justice ruling of 29 April 2025 | Closed to new applicants since 1 January 2023 |
| Outcome if it were open | Citizenship and passport | Citizenship and passport |
| Official authority | Community Malta Agency | Ministry of Interior of Montenegro |
| Available to new applicants | No | No |
Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Malta: Community Malta Agency. Montenegro: Ministry of Interior of Montenegro. publishes the binding detail. Verify before you act.
No. After the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against the scheme on 29 April 2025, applications for citizenship purely through investment are no longer accepted.
No. It closed to new applicants on 1 January 2023. A separate property based residence route exists, but it does not grant citizenship on the same terms.
Open residence by investment routes and citizenship routes in other countries. Verify any route against its official authority and seek matched, independent guidance, since closed schemes are still advertised.
Information, not advice. Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Always confirm the present rules with the official program authority and a licensed professional before you act.
This route is reported closed or paused. Do not rely on older figures. Get the current position, and the routes that are still open, before you commit time or money.
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