According to the Malta Residency and Visa Agency (MRVA), the legislation of the Malta Residency & Visa Programme (MRVP) came into force in July 2017. The necessary investment is 250,000 euros in government-backed vehicles and a contribution of 30,000 euros  (see details below). The advantage of the program is the simple investment, compared to the Malta Global Residence Programme’s flat tax requisite.  The investors will receive the invested amount after five years with the interest and they can live in Malta and stay anywhere in the EU.

Only third-country nationals may qualify for the program, so EU/EEA and Swiss citizens are excluded.

Advantages of the Malta Residency & Visa Programme

Maltese residents can travel freely in the Schengen area of 26 European nations.
As Malta is a Member State of the European Union, its residents enjoy the benefits and the four freedoms of the EU. The primary applicant may bring his/her dependent family members as the spouse, children under 26 years or the dependent children of the souse. Economically dependent parents, grandparents may also join the family in Malta.
Malta is a beautiful, friendly and secure island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. The health care system and the education are excellent and accessible. Meanwhile, the quality of life is high.

Requirements of the Malta Residence and Visa Programme before receiving the Certificate of Residence

  • Only adults can apply, the primary applicant must be older than 18 years.
  • The primary applicant has an annual and foreign sourced income not less than 100,000 euros or has capital in his possession of not less than half million euros (€500,000.)
  • He/she has comprehensive health insurance for Malta.
  • Proof of sources to maintain him/herself and the dependants.

Necessary documents to qualify for the Malta Residency & Visa Programme

  • Valid travel documents.
  • Clean Police Conduct from the applicants country of birth and from any country, where the applicant and the dependants lived for more than six months during the last ten years.
  • Health certificate from a reputable source.

Non-refundable fees for qualifying for the Malta Residency & Visa Programme

Initial fee: €5,500 at the submission of the application
Dependants fee: €5,000 per dependant (but not for the children and the spouse.)

If the primary applicant and the dependants qualify for resident status through the scheme, he or she will receive the Certificate of Residence. However, there are other requisites to be able to keep the resident status of Malta.

As the Malta Residency & Visa Programme is a residency by investment scheme, here are the qualifying criteria:

The applicant must pay the rest of the contribution: €24,500, plus €5,000 per additional adult applicant, when applicable.
He/she must pay the residency card fees €27.50 per person/year.
The qualifying residential property has different costs. The minimum amount of investment or rental fee is more affordable in South Malta and on the island of Gozo. The new residents must buy or rent but in both cases, maintain a residential real estate in Malta.

Qualifying real estates for the Malta Residency & Visa Programme

Purchase a property of:
a minimum of 270,000 euros for real estates in Gozo and the South of Malta, or
a minimum of 320,000 euros for real estates in the rest of Malta.

Rent a property of:
a minimum of 10,000 euros annually for real estates in Gozo or the South of Malta, or
a minimum of 12,000 euros annually for properties situated in the rest of Malta.

Qualifying investment for the Malta Residency & Visa Programme (MRVP)

The resident under the MRVP must hold a qualifying investment of not less than 250,000 euros for five years, from the date of obtaining the Residency Certificate. The tool of investment can be bonds backed by the Government or other official and qualifying investments.

Is the Maltese resident status under the MRVP revokable?

Yes, absolutely. The successful cases are when the resident becomes an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen or becomes a long-term resident and does not need the special investor status anymore. However, the resident status of Malta can be revoked if the investor does not maintain the investment and the qualifying residential real estate. Another reason can be the not so transparent “the individual’s stay is not in the public interest”.

It is good to know that only a Registered Accredited Person (RAP) or a Registered Approved Agent (RAA) registered with the MRVA can process applications for the scheme. If your contact cannot prove his/her official agent status, find another one.

Malta Residency and Visa Programme Tax

Foreigners, who became tax residents and are not domiciled in the island-nation are paying tax on a remittance basis. It means that their foreign sourced income is tax exempt and they pay taxes only on their remitted income in Malta (ask for an official and legal consultancy before taking the advantages of the low-tax Maltese system.)

Malta offers serious low-tax incentives, still in the legal framework of the European Union:

  • No wealth tax
  • Capital and savings remitted to the country are also tax-exempt
  • No estate duty
  • No municipal taxes
  • Exemptions from stamp duty

Meanwhile, the income from or capital gain sourced from Malta is subject to the local taxation.