One of these is open and one is not. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme is an active residence route run by Residency Malta Agency, while Malta citizenship by direct investment was closed after the April 2025 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
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.
The Malta Permanent Residence Programme gives indefinite residence to people from outside the EU who meet its property and capital conditions. The former citizenship by direct investment route gave a passport, but that route was found to breach EU law and is no longer open to new applicants. The table contrasts an open residence programme with a closed citizenship route, current as of June 2026.
For the residence programme, Residency Malta Agency requires a qualifying property, either a purchase from 375,000 EUR or a lease from 14,000 EUR per year, alongside proof of capital assets of at least 500,000 EUR and an administration fee of 60,000 EUR for the main applicant. A government contribution also applies, so confirm the current amount with the official authority. The former citizenship route carried far larger contribution figures, but since it is closed there is no current qualifying cost to publish.
Residency Malta Agency reports a residence decision time measured in several months once a complete application is filed, though published times change. The citizenship route is not accepting new applications, so no current timeline applies. Confirm processing times with the official authority.
The residence programme does not give a passport. It supports short stay travel across the Schengen area for ninety days within any one hundred and eighty. The closed citizenship route would have given a Maltese and therefore EU passport, but it is no longer available, so do not plan around it.
The residence programme suits families from outside the EU who want secure, indefinite residence in an EU and Schengen state without buying citizenship. Anyone whose goal was a Maltese passport through investment now needs a different plan, since that route is closed. Take licensed advice on lawful alternatives.
| Item | Malta Permanent Residence Programme | Malta citizenship by direct investment |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Indefinite permanent residence | Citizenship, route now closed |
| Status as of June 2026 | Open | Closed after the April 2025 EU Court of Justice ruling |
| Property requirement | Purchase from 375,000 EUR or lease from 14,000 EUR per year | Not available |
| Other costs | Capital assets of at least 500,000 EUR, administration fee of 60,000 EUR, plus a government contribution | No current qualifying cost to publish |
| Official authority | Residency Malta Agency | Community Malta Agency |
Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Malta Permanent Residence Programme: Residency Malta Agency. Former citizenship by direct investment route: Community Malta Agency. publishes the binding detail. Verify before you act.
No. The citizenship by direct investment route was closed after the April 2025 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Naturalisation in Malta now follows other legal grounds, which you should confirm with the official authority.
The residence programme is a separate route run by Residency Malta Agency and remained open as of June 2026. Always confirm current status with the official authority.
Permanent residence is not citizenship. Any path to a passport would follow separate naturalisation rules, which you should confirm with the official authority.
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.
The rules for this route changed recently. Confirm the current position with current guidance before you act.
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