Malta’s citizenship-by-investment programme ended after the EU Court of Justice ruled against it in April 2025; the passport can no longer be obtained through a set investment. What remains is the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, an active EU residence route with no minimum-stay requirement.
Malta carries a status few other pages on this site need: 'partial', because one of its programmes ended while the other keeps running. The EU Court of Justice struck down the citizenship-by-investment route on 29 April 2025, and Malta repealed it that July — citizenships already granted stand, but no fixed sum buys a passport anymore. What remains is the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, EU residence with no minimum-stay rule, built around a non-refundable government contribution rather than a redeemable investment. Malta's real tax draw survives untouched: the non-domiciled remittance basis, taxing foreign income only once it enters the island. Weigh Malta's residence route against Portugal or Cyprus on our comparison of EU residence routes.
| Programme | Status | Verified on | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) | Open | Residency Malta Agency — cadre légal du MPRP | |
| Malta Citizenship by Direct Investment (MEIN) — closed | Closed | CJUE — arrêt C-181/23, Commission c. Malte (29 avril 2025) |
Residency by investment
Read the full Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) page →
Citizenship by investment
This programme is closed. The EU Court of Justice ruled it unlawful on 29 April 2025 (Case C-181/23) and it was repealed by Act XXI of 2025, in force from 24 July 2025.
| Route | Official minimum | Real total, family of four | Hold | Recoverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estatePurchase path: property of at least 433,000 USD, held five years. On top sit a 42,500 USD government contribution, a 2,300 USD charitable donation and 69,500 USD in administrative fees, none of which is refundable. 2025 figures; no 2026 revision found. | env. $433 000 | ≈ $577 821 | 5 yr | No |
| Real estateRental path: lease of at least 16,000 USD a year for five years (81,000 USD total), instead of a purchase. The same 42,500 USD contribution, 2,300 USD donation and 69,500 USD administrative fees apply, none refundable. 2025 figures; no 2026 revision found. | env. $80 800 | ≈ $107 860 | 5 yr | No |
The programme announces 12–18 months. That is the official figure, not a commitment.
Malta taxes ordinary residents at progressive rates up to 35% on Malta-source income. Its real draw for internationally mobile people, though, is the non-domiciled remittance basis: a person who is resident but not domiciled in Malta is taxed on Malta-source income and on foreign income only to the extent it is remitted (brought into) Malta — foreign income kept outside Malta is not taxed, and foreign capital gains are not taxed even if remitted. A minimum tax of 5,800 USD per year applies to non-doms with at least 40,500 USD of annual foreign income.
Malta’s headline corporate rate is 35%, but it runs a full-imputation system with shareholder refunds — commonly six-sevenths of the tax on trading income — that can bring the effective rate on distributed profits down to around 5% for qualifying structures. This is a genuine feature of the system, but it needs real substance and proper professional advice; it is not automatic.
The standard VAT rate is 18%, among the lower standard rates in the EU, with reduced rates for some categories. There is no annual wealth or general property tax; stamp duty applies on transfers.
There is no wealth tax and no inheritance tax in the usual sense (stamp duty applies on certain transfers of immovable property and shares). Combined with the remittance basis, this is what draws internationally diversified individuals.
Since Malta’s citizenship-by-investment programme is closed after the 2025 EU Court ruling, the way into Malta is the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) for EU residence. Neither the MPRP nor a passport makes you tax-resident automatically — that follows real presence and personal ties. Understand the distinction in our guide to second citizenship and taxes, weigh Malta beside other EU options on our golden visa comparison, and see our methodology for how each figure is verified.
| Route | Official minimum | Real total, family of four |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate | env. $433 000 | ≈ $577 821 |
| Real estate | env. $80 800 | ≈ $107 860 |
| — | Colombia | Paraguay |
|---|---|---|
| Official minimum | $45 500lower | $70 000 |
| Real total, family of 4 (fees included) | ≈ $60 743lower | ≈ $93 450 |
| Announced processing | 1–3 monthsfaster | 3–6 months |
| Presence required | This is a live-here visa. | You must enter Paraguay to complete the process. |
| Years to citizenship | 5 years | 3 yearsfaster |
| Investment routes | Real estate, Business | Business, Real estate, Investment fund |
| A route returns the capital | No | Yes |
| Open to Russian applicants | YesIdentical on this line | YesIdentical on this line |
| Region | Latin AmericaIdentical on this line | Latin AmericaIdentical on this line |
Open the country page · ColombiaOpen the country page · Paraguay
Freedom. Anywhere.
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