Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP), allows third-country nationals to get a second residency in Malta, which is a member of the European Union and a member of the Schengen Area. The Programme is governed by a strong legislative framework that permits the Main Applicant to add his or her spouse, children, parents (including in-law parents), and grandparents in the application and to grant them the right to remain or settle indefinitely in Malta.

CSB Group is a licensed Agent by Community Malta and the Residency Malta Agency, with License number AKM-CSBI-21.

A revised Malta Permanent Residence Programme

As briefed on the 12^th of January by former Parliamentary Secretary Alex Muscat and Residency Malta Agency CEO Charles Mizzi, the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) has come into force on the 29^th of March 2021.

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme Regulations, 2021, enacted by the Legal Notice 121 of 2021, replaced the previous successful Malta Residence and Visa Programme (MRVP). Therefore, applications submitted from the 29^th of March 2021 onwards will fall under the newly enacted regulations.

Amongst many different changes, the new regulations replace the Malta Residence and Visa Agency with the Residency Malta Agency and bring changes to the qualifying investment amongst others.

In the points below, we will see how this will affect you and how it will fit with your Citizenship and Residence planning needs.

Which are the main investment requirements under the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) regulations? 

To qualify for residence under the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) regulations, successful applicants will need to:

• Hold qualifying property, which can be purchased or rented:
  • If purchased, the property value must be a minimum of EUR350,000 for a property situated in Malta or EUR300,000 for a property situated in Gozo or the South of Malta.
  • If rented, the lease value must be for a minimum of EUR12,000 per year for a property situated in Malta or EUR10,000 for a property situated in Gozo or the South of Malta.

• Make a Government Contribution which amount will depend if the qualifying property is rented or purchased, as it follows:
  • If the property is purchased, the contribution will be EUR28,000 plus EUR7,500 for every parent or grandparent of the principal applicant or spouse.
  • If the property is rented, the contribution will be EUR58,000 plus EUR7,500 for every parent or grandparent of the principal applicant or spouse.

• Make a Donation of EUR2,000 to a local non-governmental organisation registered with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, or as otherwise approved by the Agency.
• Also, an administrative fee of EUR40,000 per application will be due. Upon submitting the application, EUR10,000 will need to be paid, and the balance (EUR30,000) upon the file’s approval.

Expert Guidance on Acquiring Your Dream Property and Meeting Investment Requirements

Are there any other requirements to be granted with residence under the Malta Permanent Residence Programme regulations?

All applications must be submitted by an Approved Agent who needs to perform Tier 1 Due Diligence checks, providing evidence to the Residency Malta Agency that the applicants are fit and proper persons.

Aside from making the required qualifying investment, applicants must have:

• Regular resources sufficient to maintain themselves without depending on the social assistance system of Malta;
• Health insurance policy in respect of all risks typically covered for Maltese nationals;
• Assets with a minimum value of not less than EUR500,000, out of which a minimum of EUR150,000 shall be in the form of financial assets.

A formal application is submitted to the Residency Malta Agency, and a proper Due Diligence check will be carried out.

Who can apply for the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) regulations?

As with the previous regulations, only  Non-EU Nationals can apply for the Malta Golden Visa Programme under the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) regulations. To the effects of the regulations, Third Country Nationals are those individuals who are not citizens of the European Union. EEA nationals and Swiss nationals shall not be considered to be third-country nationals. Persons who qualify as dependents of the principal applicant are defined by the L.N. 121 enacting the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) regulation. The qualifying dependents are defined as follows:

• The principal applicant’s spouse in a monogamous marriage or in another relationship having the same or a similar status to marriage. For the purposes of the MPRP, the term “spouse” shall be gender-neutral;
• Children, including adopted, of the principal applicant or his spouse who, at the time of application, are less than 18 years of age;
• Children over the age of 18 years old, not married, and principally dependent on the principal applicant;
• Financially dependent parents or grandparents of the principal applicant or of his spouse; or
• Disabled adult children of the principal applicant or spouse.
• For grandchildren to be added as dependents, the main applicant has to be their legal guardian and proof of this would be required for application purposes.

Malta Permanent Residence Programme Application Process & Timeline

Step 1 - The first step is to onboard the client with CSB Group. At this stage, basic identification documents are needed at this stage. Such documents include Passport, Utility Bill as Proof of Address, CSB Application Form, and CV or Linkedin Profile.

Step 2 – Gathering all necessary forms and supporting documentation. CSB will be able to support you with this process. Once the application is complete, it is submitted to Residency Malta. Once the application is submitted, stringent due diligence checks are carried out.

Step 3 – Once the application passes the due diligence checks, an approval in principal is issued.

Step 4 – Applicants and dependants will need to travel to Malta to have their biometric data taken for the issuance of their Maltese residency card.

Step 5 – The main applicant has to make the required investments – purchase/rent out a residential property, settle the government contribution and carry out the donation to a registered Maltese VO/NGO. After this is successfully done, the applicant and dependents will become Maltese residents and a residence card is issued.

Benefits of Obtaining the Malta Permanent Residence Programme

The benefits associated with MPRP are numerous as the Programme provides investors with a link to the European Union. Such benefits comprise of the below:

• Residents will be able to settle, remain and live indefinitely in Malta. Indeed, the political climate of the island is quite stable and the crime rate is low. Indeed, Malta is considered as one of the safest countries in the world. The country is also renowned for its reputable and world-class health care services and education systems. Language barriers are minimal as the vast majority of the Maltese population is bilingual, and English is one of the official languages of the country.
• Make use of visa-free travel across Schengan states for 90 out of 180 days.
• Infiltrate Malta’s ever-growing real estate market.
• The Programme offers the possibility for non-Maltese persons to travel freely wihin the Schengan zone, without having to undergo border inspections.
• Investment is only required for the first five years of residency.
• The inclusion of four generations in one application, and the application may include: The spouse or long-term partner, Children of the Main Applicant/Spouse (no age limits), Parents of the Main Applicant/Spouse, Grandparents of the Main Applicant/Spouse
• Investment opportunities – Following the accession into the European Union in 2004, Malta has flourished into one of the fastest growing economies in the EU, with new niches and markets expansions being introduced.

Can applications be rejected under the Malta Permanent Residence Programme regulations?

Applications to the Residency Programme regulations undergo a stringent due diligence and background check.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifying criteria won’t be approved, with causes for rejection being as follows:

— The principal applicant and, or any of his dependants shall not have had a previous application for a certificate or an application for Maltese citizenship refused;

— The principal applicant, or any of his dependants, shall have a clean criminal background; They must not have been found guilty, or, at the time of the application, being interrogated and suspected, or has criminal charges brought against him/her for any criminal offence, other than an involuntary offence, punishable with more than one (1) year imprisonment.

— The principal applicant, or any of his dependants, shall not be individuals who, at any time, had pending charges or who has been found guilty of any crimes related to:

• crimes of terrorism,
• money laundering,
• funding of terrorism,
• crimes against humanity,
• war crimes,
• crimes that infringe upon such Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental  Freedoms as established by the European Convention on Human Rights;

— If the principal applicant, or any of his/her dependents, have been found guilty or have charges brought against him/her regarding any of the following criminal offences:

• paedophilia,
• defilement of minors,
• rape,
• violent indecent assault,
• inducing persons under age to prostitution, and
• abduction;

•  The application will be rejected if the applicant is listed in international sanctions applying restrictive measures that the Agency is bound by law, or has opted, to follow.

The Malta Permanent Residence Programme Terms and Conditions

• Annual compliance has to be carried out with the help of a licenced agent, such as CSB Group, for the first 5 years.
• During the first 5 years, real estate requirements must be maintained and health insurance must be renewed.
• If the applicant is a tax resident of Malta, he/she must not spend more than 183 days in any other jurisdiction in a calendar year.

The main applicant needs to meet the following requirements to be granted a Malta Permanent Residency:

• Applicant must be a third country national (Non-EU/EEA/Swiss)
• Main applicant must be at least 18 years of age and have valid travel documents
• Applicant’s criminal record must be clean
• Applicant must be in possession of at least €500,000 in capital, a minimum of €150,000 of which should be in financial assets.
• Applicant must earn stable and regular income which is sufficient enough to maintain themselves and their dependents without relying on Malta’s social assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the MPRP application fees for an entire family?

An administrative fee of €40,000 is applicable upon submission of application. A fee of €28,000 if purchasing a property or €58,000 when renting which are payable to the government, covers the main applicant, spouse and children who are dependant on the main applicant. A donation of €2000 to Maltese VO/NGO is also compulsory. An additional fee of €7,500 for each adult dependant is applicable, exclusing the spouse. 

Do applicants have to use a licensed agent or can they apply directly?

A licenced agent must be used.

What is the validity period of Maltese Residency Granted the MPRP and how much is the renewal fee?

The MPRP is valid indefinitely as long as annual compliance is carried out for the first five years and the residency cards are renewed when they expire.

Is it possible to add dependents at a later stage after obtaining the MPRP?

Yes, additional dependents may be added only once the application has been approved.

After obtaining the MPRP, does a newborn automatically acquire citizenship by birth? 

MPRP grants residence only not citizenship. A child born in Malta is only granted citizenship if at birth, their mother or father was a citizen of Malta.

Is it possible to replace our rental property with a purchased property? 

Yes, as long as Residency Malta is notified of such a change through the licenced agent.

Can the applicant sell the property before 5 years and replace it with another leased property? 

Yes, as long as the requirements are met. 

What is the difference between the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, the Malta Residence by Investment Programme and the Malta Golden Visa.

Malta Permanent Residence Programme, the Malta Residence by Investment Programme and the Malta Golden Visa all refer to the same Programme.

How can CSB Group help you?

Capitalising in a second Citizenship or Residence by investing in the jurisdiction of choice, can certainly protect HNWI and their families and give them independence, freedom and flexibility.

CSB Group Citizenship and Residence Planning services, help Private Clients, HNW and UHNW individuals and their families decide their best routes to achieve Financial Diversification, Freedom and Security through a Sound and Smart Investment in Europe or the Caribbean.

Should you wish to discuss these recent updates or for any other information required, please do not hesitate to get in touch on [email protected] or on +356 99241428.