Canreach Global

Malta Permanent Residence Programme

Permanent residence in an English-speaking European Union member state, through a qualifying residential property and a set of government contributions.

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The Malta Permanent Residence Programme, known as the MPRP, is Malta's open residence-by-investment route. It grants permanent residence status to approved non-EU applicants and their families. It is a residence programme. It does not grant Maltese citizenship and it does not grant an EU passport. Malta's separate citizenship-by-investment route ended in 2025, and this page explains that position in full below.

Key facts

Malta Permanent Residence Programme at a glance

OutcomeMaltese permanent residence status for the approved applicant and included family members. Not citizenship.Minimum investmentQualifying residential property from EUR 375,000 to buy, or from EUR 14,000 a year to lease, plus government fees, which we quote to you individually.Investment routesOne route, with a property choice inside it. You either buy or lease a qualifying residential property, and in both cases the programme's government fees apply.Time to approval6 to 8 months, indicative. The timeframe is subject to government due diligence, documentation completeness and application complexity.Family includedSpouse and minor children, with additional adult dependants such as adult children, parents and grandparents able to be added at an extra cost per person.Physical presenceConfirmed case by case. We confirm the current residence and reporting expectations with you at assessment.

Figures as of October 2026. Amounts and timelines change and are confirmed before you commit.

The program

About the Malta Permanent Residence Programme

The MPRP is administered by the Residency Malta Agency. It grants permanent residence status in Malta to approved applicants from outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, together with their qualifying family members.

Canreach Global places clients on the Malta Permanent Residence Programme and files MPRP cases. This page covers that programme and only that programme.

The structure is straightforward. You hold a qualifying residential property in Malta, either bought or leased. You pay an administration fee to the agency, a government contribution and a donation to a registered Maltese non-governmental organisation. You pass the agency's due diligence. Approved applicants receive a residence certificate and a residence card.

Malta is an English-speaking European Union member state with a common-law influenced legal system and a long-established financial services sector. For many families that combination, rather than a short processing time, is the reason the programme is on their list.

The Maltese citizenship-by-investment route has closed. Here is the position.

Most people researching Malta arrive looking for citizenship. We want you to have the accurate position before you spend anything.

Separately from the MPRP, standard naturalisation after five years of legal residence in Malta remains an ordinary route under general Maltese law, as it does in most countries. It is a separate application with its own statutory requirements. The MPRP does not deliver it, does not shorten it, and should not be bought in the expectation of it.

  • On 29 April 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme in Case C-181/23, Commission v Malta. The Court held that the scheme amounted to the commercialisation of the granting of Member State nationality and, by extension, of Union citizenship.
  • Malta then amended its Citizenship Act by Act XXI of 2025, gazetted on 24 July 2025. That Act ended the citizenship-by-investment programme.
  • Citizenships already granted under the former programme were not revoked.
  • Applications that were pending when the programme ended were put on hold, and there is no finalised transition process for them. If you have a pending file, you need qualified legal advice on your specific position. Do not rely on a general web page, including this one.
  • Malta has introduced a discretionary route described as Citizenship by Merit. Malta's own agency has stated that it is not a programme, a scheme or a pathway. It cannot be bought, applied for as a product, or marketed as one, and Canreach does not present it as one.

Benefits

Why clients choose the Malta Permanent Residence Programme

  1. Permanent residence status in a European Union member state, rather than a permit that must be requalified for from the start each time.

  2. English as an official language, which removes the language barrier from daily life, schooling and professional advice.

  3. A single clear structure, with a property element you can meet by leasing rather than buying if you prefer not to hold Maltese real estate.

  4. Spouse and minor children included without an additional contribution, and a defined cost to add further adult dependants.

  5. A mature European regulatory and financial services environment, with a government agency as the programme authority.

Is it for you

Who the Malta Permanent Residence Programme suits

This route suits families who want secure European Union residence status in an English-speaking country, who can document their wealth and its origins clearly, and who understand that they are buying residence and not a passport.

Main applicant

An excluded-nationality list applies to this programme. Nationals of certain countries cannot be accepted. The list is set by Malta and changes, so we confirm your eligibility against the current list case by case before you spend anything.

  • At least 18 years of age.
  • A national of a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
  • Able to meet the programme's capital test and to evidence it.
  • Able to buy or lease a qualifying residential property in Malta and hold it for the required period.
  • Able to document the lawful source and full path of the funds used.
  • Able to pass the Residency Malta Agency's due diligence, including criminal record, sanctions and politically exposed person screening.

Family members who can be included

A spouse and minor children can be included without an additional contribution. Additional adult dependants, which is reported to include adult children, parents and grandparents, can be added at a further cost per person. Dependency tests and age limits are set by the current rules, and we confirm exactly who in your family qualifies during your assessment.

Not the right fit

This program is not the right fit if you want a Maltese or European Union passport. That route closed in 2025 and nothing in the MPRP replaces it. It is also not the right fit if you are not prepared to hold a Maltese property for the required period, or if you need status faster than the programme's indicative timeframe allows.

Investment

Approximate investment and costs

The capital test

Canreach confirms that both forms of the capital test are valid, and you meet the programme requirement by satisfying either one:
EUR 500,000 in total assets, including EUR 150,000 in financial assets; or
EUR 650,000 in total assets, including EUR 75,000 in financial assets.
We confirm which option suits your file, and how to evidence it, before you commit.

Property, bought or leased

Buy a qualifying residential property from EUR 375,000.
Or lease a qualifying residential property from EUR 14,000 a year.
The property must be residential.
A hotel unit does not qualify.
A lease must be registered with the Housing Authority.
A five-year holding period is reported for the property element.

Government fees

An administration fee is payable to the Residency Malta Agency, in stages, with part due on submission and the balance due on the Letter of Approval in Principle.
A government contribution is payable as a flat amount.
Legal Notice 146 of 2025 is reported to have abolished the older contribution split that depended on whether you bought or leased.
A donation is payable to a registered Maltese non-governmental organisation.
A further fee is payable for each additional adult dependant, reported to include parents and grandparents.
We do not publish government fee amounts, because they are set by Malta and change. We quote every applicable fee for your family, in writing, before you commit to anything.

Other costs to budget for

Due diligence and background check fees charged per applicant.
Property acquisition costs, notarial fees and duties where you buy, or lease registration costs where you lease.
Annual property running costs, insurance and the health insurance the programme requires.
Legal and tax advice in Malta.
Canreach professional fees, quoted separately after your assessment.

Figures as at October 2026 and confirmed with Canreach. Government requirements change; we confirm current figures before you commit.

Request program details

Outcome

What you receive

Status and documents

A Maltese permanent residence certificate and residence card for the approved applicant and each included family member, issued under the MPRP and maintained while you continue to meet the programme conditions.

Travel

Malta is a Schengen Area member, and Maltese residence cards carry the circulation rights that apply to Schengen residence permit holders under the applicable rules. Travel rights are set by the countries you enter and can change, so we confirm the current position rather than promising access.

Living, working and studying

The right to reside in Malta on a permanent basis while the programme conditions are met. Access to the Maltese labour market and to study is governed by separate Maltese rules, and we confirm what your status allows before you plan around it.

Family

Spouse and minor children can be included without an additional contribution. Further adult dependants, including parents and grandparents, can be added at the stated cost per person, so an extended family can hold Maltese residence together.

Financial and business

A regulated European Union base, an English-speaking jurisdiction for banking and professional advice, and a Maltese residential property held or leased in your name. Property values can fall as well as rise. The immigration outcome and the performance of the property are separate matters.

Tax considerations

Holding Maltese permanent residence does not by itself determine where you are taxed. Tax treatment depends on your personal circumstances and where you are tax resident. We refer you to qualified tax advisors before you commit.

Path to permanent residence or citizenship

The MPRP grants permanent residence directly, so there is no later permanent residence step to take. There is no citizenship-by-investment route in Malta. It ended in 2025. Standard naturalisation after five years of legal residence remains an ordinary route under general Maltese law, with its own separate statutory requirements, and nothing about the MPRP guarantees it or accelerates it.

Before you apply

What to know before you apply

  • This programme grants residence, not citizenship. Any offer presenting Malta as a route to an EU passport is out of date.
  • An excluded-nationality list applies, and it changes. We check your nationality against the current list first, before any cost is incurred.
  • The property element carries a reported five-year holding period. Selling or ending a lease early can put your status at risk.
  • The administration fee is payable in stages, with a substantial part due at the Letter of Approval in Principle rather than at the end.
  • Processing takes 6 to 8 months on an indicative basis, subject to government due diligence, documentation completeness and application complexity. The official sources reviewed do not establish a guaranteed processing period, so we give you a realistic estimate for your file rather than a promise.
  • Due diligence is thorough. Gaps in your source of funds record are the most common cause of delay.

Step by step

How the application works

  1. Eligibility check

    We confirm your nationality against the current excluded list, and confirm that you can meet the capital test.

  2. Assessment and planning

    We map your family composition, your source of funds record and your property preference, buying or leasing.

  3. Appoint a licensed agent

    MPRP applications are submitted through an agent licensed by the Residency Malta Agency, and we coordinate that appointment with you.

  4. Prepare the file

    Assemble identity, civil, financial, health insurance and source of funds documentation, with translations and legalisation.

  5. Submit and pay the first instalment

    The application goes to the Residency Malta Agency with the first instalment of the administration fee.

  6. Due diligence

    The agency carries out its background, sanctions and politically exposed person checks.

  7. Letter of Approval in Principle

    On approval in principle, the balance of the administration fee becomes payable.

  8. Complete the investment

    Buy or register the lease of the qualifying residential property, pay the government contribution and the NGO donation, and put the required health insurance in place.

  9. Receive your status

    The residence certificate and cards are issued for you and your included family members.

  10. Maintain and monitor

    Hold the property for the required period and keep your file compliant.

The indicative 6 to 8 month timeframe is subject to government due diligence, documentation completeness and application complexity. We confirm a current, realistic timeline with you at the assessment stage and keep you updated as your file moves.

Preparation

Documents and our pre-filing review

Documents we help you prepare

Passports for every applicant; birth and marriage certificates; criminal record certificates; proof of address; evidence of assets and financial assets; source of funds and source of wealth documentation; health insurance; the property purchase deed or the registered lease agreement; and dependency evidence for any adult dependants.

Our pre-filing review

Before anything is filed we work through: nationality and residence history, family composition, criminal history, sanctions and politically exposed person screening, source and path of funds, tax advice, investment and project due diligence, translations and legalisation, current government fees, and holding and exit rules.

Questions

Malta Permanent Residence Programme questions, answered

Can I still get Maltese citizenship by investment?
No. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme on 29 April 2025 in Case C-181/23, and Malta ended the programme through Act XXI of 2025. Citizenships already granted were not revoked. The discretionary Citizenship by Merit route that followed is not a programme, scheme or pathway, according to Malta's own agency, and we do not market it as one.
What happens to an application that was pending when the programme closed?
Pending applications were put on hold, and no finalised transition process has been published. If this is your situation, you need qualified legal advice on your specific file rather than general guidance. We can tell you how we would approach it at an assessment.
Does the MPRP give me an EU passport?
No. It gives you Maltese permanent residence status. Permanent residence and citizenship are different things. Standard naturalisation after five years of legal residence remains an ordinary separate route under Maltese law, with its own requirements, and the MPRP neither delivers it nor shortens it.
Do I have to buy property in Malta?
No. You can meet the property requirement by leasing instead, from EUR 14,000 a year, with the lease registered with the Housing Authority. The property must be residential in both cases, and a hotel unit does not qualify.
What capital do I need to show?
Both forms of the capital test are valid. You need either EUR 500,000 in total assets, including EUR 150,000 in financial assets, or EUR 650,000 in total assets, including EUR 75,000 in financial assets. We confirm which option suits your file and how to evidence it at assessment.
Can my parents be included?
Reported rules allow additional adult dependants, including parents and grandparents, at a further cost per person. Dependency tests apply. We confirm who in your family qualifies during your assessment.
How long does approval take?
The indicative timeframe is 6 to 8 months, subject to government due diligence, documentation completeness and application complexity. The official sources reviewed do not establish a guaranteed processing period, so we give you a realistic estimate for your file at assessment rather than a marketing number.
Are any nationalities excluded?
Yes. An excluded-nationality list applies to this programme and it changes over time. We confirm your position against the current list before you incur any cost.

Official program source

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme is administered by the Residency Malta Agency. The official source is residencymalta.gov.mt. The programme's government fees are set by Legal Notice 146 of 2025, and we quote the current amounts to you individually rather than publishing them here.

Canreach draws program information from the official program authority and confirms current rules, fees and qualifying amounts before any file is submitted.

Next step

Take the next step

Schedule a confidential program assessment. We will confirm whether the Malta Permanent Residence Programme fits your goals, or point you to a program that fits better, and prepare a tailored roadmap covering eligibility, investment structure, documentation, the expected government process and next steps.

  • A confidential assessment of your goals, your family and your budget
  • A written comparison of the programs that fit
  • Clear estimates of costs and timelines before you commit to anything
Phone: 905-696-7434
Email: info@canreach.com