Malta MEIN (Exceptional Investor Naturalization Policy) | A Complete Guide
What is Citizenship By Investment Program?
Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, also known as the Passport Program, is an opportunity offered by certain countries to attract foreign investment. It allows foreign investors to quickly obtain citizenship in the destination country by making a substantial financial contribution through donations, deposits, purchasing funds, buying property, or operating a business.
Currently, there are ten globally stable and reputable passport programs:
- Caribbean: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, and Saint Lucia.
- Pacific: Vanuatu.
- Middle East: Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.
- Southeast Asia: Cambodia.
In addition to these countries, Malta, after canceling its passport program, has introduced a new fast-track citizenship law called MEIN (Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalization). By donating a certain amount of money, investors can secure naturalization and citizenship within 1 to 3 years.
Overall, while the global Citizenship by Investment programs require significant financial investment, they offer several advantages:
1. Quick Passport Acquisition: In most CBI countries, once the investment is made, applicants can obtain a passport within 3 to 4 months, or even just a few weeks.
2. Lenient Background Checks: Although there has been increased scrutiny on background checks due to pressure from the EU and the US, compared to major countries’ green card programs, the background checks for CBI programs in smaller countries are still relatively lenient, sometimes even superficial.
3. No Residency Requirement: Almost all CBI countries have a zero-immigration-residency policy. In most cases, applicants can apply for and hold citizenship without ever having to reside in the country.
4. Broad Dependent Eligibility: Many CBI programs allow multiple generations of the primary applicant’s family, including grandparents and grandchildren, to be included regardless of age or status.
Malta MEIN:
The Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN) policy, introduced in October 2020, is a replacement for the former Malta Citizenship by Investment program, which was halted due to EU pressure. Under this policy, investors can make a financial contribution in exchange for the opportunity to obtain Maltese citizenship after a one- or three-year residency period.
Malta has pledged to the EU that the MEIN program will be limited to 400 applicants per year and will be closed once 1,500 passports have been issued.
Financially Requirement:
Currently, the Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN) program offers two donation options:
1. The first option requires a donation of €600,000 to the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), allowing you to obtain a Maltese passport after 36 months.
2. The second option involves a donation of €750,000 to the same fund, with the opportunity to acquire the passport after just 12 months.
For both options, an additional €50,000 is required for each dependent added to the main applicant’s donation amount.
In addition to the donation, applicants must meet the following financial requirements:
1. You must purchase property in Malta valued at no less than €700,000 or lease a property with an annual rent of at least €16,000. Whether buying or renting, the property must be held for at least five years.
2. You must also donate €10,000 to a local non-governmental organization (NGO) registered in Malta.
3. Additionally, the following fees apply:
- Due Diligence Fees: €15,000 for the main applicant, with an additional €10,000 for each dependent over the age of 12.
- Government Fees: €10,000 for the main applicant, plus €1,000 for each additional dependent.
- Residence Card Fee: €27.50 per person.
Beyond the financial requirements, applicants must also meet other basic criteria, including being at least 18 years old, having a clean criminal record, being in good health, and purchasing health insurance annually.
Application Process:
The process of obtaining a Maltese passport through the MEIN (Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalization) program takes approximately 12 to 18 months. The general steps are as follows:
1. Prepare the Required Documents and Apply for a Malta Residence Card: At this stage, you need to decide whether you will follow the 12-month or 36-month pathway.
Required documents for this program include:
- Personal Identification Documents: All applicants must provide their passports, and applicants over the age of 12 must submit a recent photo. Before the residence card is issued, all main and dependent applicants must provide biometric data, including fingerprints.
- MEIN Application Letter: In this letter, you need to explain your reasons for applying and provide evidence that you meet the MEIN criteria.
- Proof of Relationship for Main and Dependent Applicants: Typically, this includes marriage and birth certificates.
- Proof of Income: You must provide a bank endorsement issued within the last six months to demonstrate your financial capacity. Additionally, detailed proof of income and assets is required to verify the legality of your funds.
- Proof of Health Insurance: You need to purchase health insurance for all main and dependent applicants, with a minimum coverage of €50,000 per person, valid in Malta.
- Certificate of No Criminal Record.
All documents originating outside Malta must be notarized, and non-English documents must be translated into English or Maltese.
2. Submit the Citizenship Application: In this step, you need to submit a citizenship application to Identity Malta (IM). IM will conduct an investigation into your eligibility and background. If the investigation is successful, IM will issue a “Letter of In Principle Approval.”
Any false information provided during the background check may result in the rejection of your citizenship application.
3. Complete the Donation: After receiving the “Letter of In Principle Approval,” you must complete the donation within 25 days, purchase local health insurance, and either purchase or rent property (this can be done earlier).After completing the donation, you must take part in a naturalization oath of allegiance ceremony. Following this, you will need to wait for 1 to 3 years to receive your Maltese passport.
Dependents:
Under the Malta Passport Program, eligible dependents who can accompany the main applicant include the spouse, children under 18, financially dependent children aged 18 to 29, children of any age with physical or mental disabilities, and parents or grandparents aged 55 or older.
Useful Links:
Community Malta Agency：https://komunita.gov.mt/en/