FAQs

Yes, during the first 5 years the beneficiaries can sell or stop leasing the qualifying property and buy/lease a new property as long as they continuously satisfy the qualifying property conditions. However, beneficiaries are not allowed to switch from an owned property to a leased property in the first 5 years. There must be no time gaps between the end date of the previous lease/ownership and the new lease/ownership and ideally, such requests should be made within one (1) calendar month prior to the Annual Compliance deadline.

A certified true copy of the purchase/lease agreement of the new qualifying property must be submitted to the Agency as evidence. In case of a Lease agreement the following documents must be submitted:

1. Housing Authority (HA) Approval
2. Utility Bill (not older than 6 months) – bearing the residential address of the qualifying property
3. External photos of the qualifying property, clearly showing the name, number and main entrance of the court/building and the internal door number of the property (if applicable)
4. Receipt of rent payment
5. Lessor’s Power of Attorney (if applicable)
6. Confirmation of De-Registration of previous tenants (if applicable)

In addition, in the case of a purchase agreement the following documents must be submitted:

1. Purchase Agreement – signed between parties
2. An architect’s evaluation must be submitted, indicating the new price of the property if the property was purchased before 2015
3. Utility Bill (not older than 6 months and in the name of the MA) – bearing the residential address of the qualifying property
4. External photos of the qualifying property, clearly showing the name, number and main entrance of the court/building and the internal door number of the property (if applicable)
5. Confirmation of De-Registration of previous tenants (if applicable)

At its discretion, Residency Malta Agency reserves the right to conduct property spot checks. The agents/beneficiaries are also required to declare the number of bedrooms and the total square meters of the property. These details can be included, either in the lease/purchase agreement or as part of the Housing Authority registration form.

Yes, it is possible, as long as the qualifying criteria are satisfied in both cases.

In the first five years, this is not possible.

No, these are not accepted as a qualifying property. The main applicant must lease or purchase a residential property.

Yes. Provided that the property is purchased before the date of application and on which works have been carried out at the expense of the client after the purchase, shall be considered to be a qualifying owned property insofar as the value of such property is notless than €300,000 as supported by an independent architect’s detailed valuation reportincluding a plan of the property and a description of works undertaken. The Agency may, in its discretion, appoint an architect to determine the value of the qualifying owned property. In such case, officers of the Agency and/or any architect appointed by the Agency for this purpose shall be granted full and free access to the qualifying owned property to the extent that such access is likely to assist in determining the value of the said property. In all cases, it is within the power of the Agency to decide whether or not the requirements are satisfied.

Yes, the acquisition of immovable property permit is still required.

The beneficiary is not obliged to retain possession of the qualifying property stipulated in the respective legal notice. However, to retain the residence permit he/she must hold a residential property in Malta or Gozo.

This matter is at the discretion of the Bank.

If applicant fulfils declaration in Form MPRP1 to provide proof of title to a qualifying property in Malta in accordance with the provisions of the Malta Permanent Residence Programme Regulations, applicant at this stage would not need to provide a promise of sale or rent agreement. It is important that this declaration is certified via a licensed agent who will verify the beneficiary’s identity via digital software made available by Residency Malta or else, an applicant has the option to sign Part G of the Form in the presence of a ‘Commissioner for Oaths’, who in turn must compile Part G accordingly.

The amount is applicable to main applicant only. The amount does not change according to the number of persons included in the application.

No, they are not permissible. These should be liquid assets like stocks, bonds, publicly listed/traded shares, funds and bank deposits.

No, applicants can no longer be eligible by showing a yearly employment income of €100,000. Applicants need to show assets of €500,000.

Monitoring of beneficiary’s €500,000 in assets, out of which a minimum of €150,000 need to be financial assets will be made yearly for the first 5 years. The declaration is to be made through the submission of Form MPRP5 (Official Compliance Form), which is to be signed by the beneficiary and by the agent.

Yes, they are different, distinctive requirements. Clients should provide:

1. proof of €500,000 capital, out of which a minimum of €150,000 should be financial assets; and
2. property valued at €300,000/€350,000 or rent of €10,000/€12,000 per annum;

The statement of source of funds and wealth is reflected in Form MPRP2. Also, a bank statement of the applicant’s main account for the last 3 months from which the administrative fee and the contribution will be remitted, is required.

Yes, these documents are acceptable as long as they are issued from a reputable company or an official entity. These documents will accompany the necessary MPRP forms, including Form MPRP2 in which the statement of source of funds and wealth has been incorporated. The Agency is interested in the ‘individual’ financial capabilities, and the applicant must convince the Board that he/she has enough funds to satisfy the MPRP requirements with regards to qualifying property, and sustain him/herself and their dependants while at the same time still satisfy the programme qualification criteria with regards to €500,000 in capital out of which a minimum of €150,000 shall be in the form of financial assets. What is important is that reliable evidence is presented to sustain applicant’s declaration.

Yes, an architect’s valuation is acceptable and real estate can form part of main applicant’s capital requirement.

Although the spouse is considered as a dependant, nothing precludes him/her from being in possession of certain assets and sources of income.

If main applicant’s shareholding exceeds 10% of the total shareholding in a publicly listed company, the company documents are required. For more information, please refer to question Q56.

Yes, however these should be in the name of the main applicant as specified in the legislation. In order to satisfy this requirement, the benefactor should transfer the funds to the main applicant who should present documentary evidence of this transfer such as deed of gift or sworn declaration, as well as evidence of the bank transfer.

KYC evidence has to be submitted upon application stage.

A comprehensive list can be found in the Agent Handbook, available on the Agency’s website.

No, such certificates are required at initial application stage and they may be submitted either as originals or as certified true copies of originals, apostilled or legalised as the case may be. If such documents are in a language other than English these should be translated to English. Translations done abroad should be apostilled or legalised. Translations done in Malta should be carried out by a registered translator.

In case of a divorced individual – whether a main applicant or a qualifying dependant – a divorce certificate must invariably be submitted, even if the said individual has since re- married.

1. In the case where main applicant has sole legal custody, a court ruling is required.
2. In the case where main applicant and spouse share the custody and the spouse is part of the application, they both need to sign Form MPRP4a related to the minor.
3. In the case where main applicant and spouse share the custody but the spouse is not part of the application, spouse needs to sign Form MPRP4a related to the minor and a full certified true copy of the passport is required.
4. In the case where the spouse has sole custody, a court ruling is required.
5. In the case where main applicant shares custody with the biological parent, who is not part of the application, the biological parent’s consent is required together with a full certified true copy of the passport.
6. In the case where the spouse shares custody with the biological parent, who is not part of the application, the biological parent’s consent is required together with a full certified true copy of the passport.
7. If the biological parent has sole custody and is not part of the application, the minor cannot be included in the application.

Note that if the non-applying party does not hold a passport, an affidavit must be provided.

Reference is being made to Form MPRP4a – Declaration of Minor Dependant. In case where an applicant has sole custody of the child/dependant, his/her partner is not required to sign any additional papers. This is without prejudice and subject to the national laws in the child’s country of origin. In the case of shared custody, the other parent has to fill in Section C and provide a copy of his/her full passport.

As outlined in the legislation, a police certificate is required, issued by the competent authorities (federal or national) in the country of origin and in the country or countries of residence where main applicant has resided for a period of more than 6 months during the last 10 years. Only in exceptional cases, where it is proven to the satisfaction of the Agency that such a certificate is not obtainable, we would require an affidavit from a police official and/or a government entity in his/her country of origin or where he has resided for a period of more than 6 months in the last 10 years, confirming that good faith attempts were made by applicant to obtain the required certificates. Moreover, another separate sworn affidavit made by applicant and any dependants, declaring a clean criminal record is required.

No, it is not required.

Only documentary evidence for each current residential address held by the main applicant is required.

Yes. This has to be a fully-fledged Power of Attorney (POA) and must include:

1. date;
2. details of main applicant: full name, passport number and country of issuance and residing address;
3. details of the agent: full name, ID Card number, residing address and AKM License number;
4. validity to cover the full duration of the application process, from submission to collection of residence certificates and residence cards;
5. signature of grantor; and
6. details of witness: full name and signature, passport number and country of issuance

If translators are mentioned, these have to be identified and must sign the POA.

No, there is no specific template. Moreover, this is required only for adult children, parents and grandparents.

The declaration in Part B on Form MPRP1 suffices.

Yes, we have encountered such occurrences. Official documents/notarial certificates originating in China have to be legalised, meaning that such documents have to be certified by the foreign ministry of China and subsequently certified by either the Maltese Embassy in Beijing or the Maltese Consulate in Shanghai. Several applicants have already done this without encountering issues.

A self-declaration has to be signed and dated by the issuer and has to be submitted in original. Any self-declarations not in English must be translated to English. Translations done abroad have to be apostilled/legalised. Translations done locally do not need to be apostilled/legalised but have to be carried out by a Malta registered translator.

In the case of business ownership, whether in part or in full, evidence is required whatever the declared employment status of the applicant. For more information, please refer to question Q56.

Yes, evidence of employment is required when main applicant has declared that he is not self-employed.

In the case where main applicant is both self-employed and not, he has to mark both options in Part C of Form MPRP2 and has to produce evidence on both his/her employment and his/her self-employment.

Originals or Certified true copies of the following documents, or their jurisdictional equivalent, are to be provided for all businesses owned in part or in whole:

• certificate of incorporation.
• memorandum and articles of association.
• share register.
• register of directors.

In those cases where the official extract from the National company registry of the applicable jurisdiction contains all the relevant details, including incorporation information, list of shareholders, registered and paid capital including dates, and the list of directors and/or all legal persons, this extract can be submitted instead of the above documents.

Depending on the jurisdiction, documents can, at times, be titled in a different manner but would still hold jurisdictional equivalence.

When this occurs, a declaration is required stipulating such differences in titles.

If you are not sure whether the official extract or any of the document satisfies the required criteria, it is suggested that you seek advice from the Agency’s Client Relations and Compliance department before submitting the application pack.

The affidavit of dependency should suffice but any supporting evidence would facilitate the process.

There is no issue with producing one marriage certificate (or a certified true copy) for a wedded couple. However, all divorce certificates must be submitted.

For minors who are less than 12 years old on date of application, the tick box in Part B and all of Part C have to be completed. In the case of a minor dependant who is between 13 and 18 years, Part B and Part C have to be completed. Part C is to be filled in and signed by the main applicant or the spouse, who is to select in which role he/she is submitting the form by selecting main applicant or spouse in the appropriate field. If he/she has sole custody, he/she has to denote this by ticking the box denoting sole custody. Part D is to be filled in by the other parent/legal guardian of the minor unless the other parent has sole custody. Again, this person (other parent/legal guardian) has to tick whether he/she is the main applicant, the spouse or a non-applicant in relation to the minor whose details are written on the form.

Form MPRP1 and Form MPRP7 are to be certified via a licensed agent after the latter would have verified the applicant’s identity via digital software made available by Residency Malta. A copy of the identity software verification report is to be signed by the licensed agent and submitted with the form. An applicant also has the option to have these forms signed in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths. The Commissioner for Oaths needs to witness the signatures. A Commissioner for Oaths shall be deemed to be a person who under the law of that country, is empowered to administer oaths.

The form should suffice as long as it is accompanied by the patient’s identification document which is stamped, signed and dated by the examining physician.

This person may be the same general medical practitioner who filled in Part A of MPRP3. However, it could be a different medical practitioner.

Whoever is empowered to administer oaths in that respective jurisdiction (and the Agency has official confirmation that this is the case) can witness the signature in person and other affidavits. A Commissioner for Oaths could also be available in local courts of law. It is to be remarked that all signatures should bear the stamp of office and any other relevant details.

In certain cases, a written signed declaration is needed, as in the declaration of wealth/income, for example. In other cases, and this is specifically stated, an affidavit is required. For example, when main applicant declares that dependants over 18 years are principally dependent on him/her.

Yes, the Commissioner for Oaths is a suitable person for this function.

Oaths taken via video calls are not accepted. Oaths are to be taken in the physical presence of the Commissioner, while also indicating the place it has been taken. During the oath-taking, the identity of the person taking the affidavit is confirmed by the Commissioner and identity documents verified. Moreover, the individual needs to thoroughly understand the seriousness of what s/he is swearing to.

A receipt from the relevant NGO registered with the Commissioner of Voluntary Organisations showing a donation of €2,000 should suffice.

Any document that requires legalisation from Vietnam, must first be legalised in Vietnam from either of the below locations:

1. Consular Department – Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs Address: 40 Trần Phú Street, Ba Đình District, Ha Noi Phone number: (0084) 24 3799 3125
2. Department of External Relations – Ho Chi Minh City: Address: 6 Alexandre de Rhodes, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Phone number: (0084) 28 3822 4224 or (0084) 28 3822 3055

Once a document is legalised in Vietnam, this must be sent to the Maltese embassy in Beijing, China, for counter legalisation at:

1. 51, San Li Tun Diplomatic Office Building, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Applicable fee is RMB 200 (€25) per document as per Legal Notice 221 of 2016.

It is important to note that an appointment must be set in advance to submit the documents at the Maltese Embassy in Beijing, China on Thursdays between 10:00 and 12:00hrs. Documents must be presented and collected in person by the applicant or his/her representative. Processing time is 10 working days.

The fee has to be transferred via an electronic bank transfer to the Agency. At the time the application pack is accepted by the Agency, a request for payment is handed over to the agent, who will instruct the main applicant to effect payment within one month directly from the bank account specified in Form MPRP2 to the Agency’s bank account, quoting the application reference number.

Payments to settle any fees should only be made by direct debit from the bank account as declared by the main applicant in Form MPRP 2 on submission of application.

The following payment methods are not accepted by Residency Malta Agency :

• Payments via debit/credit cards;
• Payments via virtual payment platforms (e.g. Paypal);
• Payments in cryptocurrency.

Debit/Credit card payments are only accepted for processing fee payments for the issuance or renewal of a residence card to Identity Malta.

The Agency requires an introductory letter from the agent explaining the applicant’s motivation to apply for residency-by-investment in Malta. Additionally, main applicant may also opt to forward a letter of intent.

As long as all requirements stipulated in the legislation continue to be met, the residence certificate will not have an expiry date. The residence card, however, is initially valid for a period of 5 years, but is renewable. In cases where a residence card is issued to a minor of less than 14 years, and the minor turns 14 during the 5-year validity, the expiry date of such minor’s card will fall due one month after his/her 14th birthday. The same applies when dependant turns 18 years of age.

Yes, infants are exempt from biometrics up to the age of 2. However, Form ID2 together with 2 certified passport size photos need to be submitted for each child. With regards to persons with disabilities, each case will be decided on its own merits.

No language tests are applicable.

Yes. Each individual has to pay €27.50 per year for the renewal of the residence card.

No, residence cards cannot be renewed through a Maltese Embassy abroad.

Yes, all beneficiaries are requested to retake their biometric data after the first five years of residence.

No, the Agency cannot provide any support to applicants who would like to obtain a travel visa.

Ideally the lease agreement should commence closest to the submission of the final proofs. The same applies to the health policy. The Agency applies a tolerance period of a maximum of 3 months.

In order for the main applicant to use his/her company’s bank account, the following documentation is required:

• board resolution authorising main applicant to transfer funds from the company bank account for the MPRP application;
• certificate of incorporation, shareholder register and register of directors for the company;
• 3-month bank statement for the company account from which the funds will be transferred. The 3-month bank statement for main applicant’s working bank account is still required.

Yes, the health policy must be submitted together with a declaration signed by the Main Applicant, whereby, he/she states that he/she will take care of any additional medical expenses locally for all the beneficiaries, which are not covered by the health insurance policy.

The health insurance should cover each beneficiary for a minimum of €100,000 per annum, that requires to cover full health expenses in Malta and other European countries. This applies to all new applications submitted from 1st August 2024.

All applications submitted prior to 1^st August 2024, will still retain a health insurance coverage for each beneficiary for a minimum of €30,000 per annum, that requires to cover full health expenses in Malta.

After the Letter of Final Approval, main applicant and all dependants have to travel to Malta to have their biometric data captured.

The beneficiary or spouse can apply to launch a business in Malta through the competent authorities, as long as they satisfy the prevailing legislation. A dependant can also take this route without losing his/her residence rights.

The MPRP does not provide any tax related status or benefit. The applicable Maltese statutory tax provisions apply to this status.

Nonetheless as a general principle, the basic statutory provisions lay down that Maltese tax for non-Maltese-domiciled individuals is imposed on:

1. all chargeable income and capital gains arising in Malta, and on chargeable income arising outside Malta that is remitted to Malta in the case of an individual who is resident in Malta, and
2. only chargeable income and capital gains arising in Malta in the case of an individual who is not resident in Malta.

An exception to the above principles applies in the case of individuals holding certain rights under the Status of Long-Term Residents (Third Country Nationals) Regulations and the Free Movement of European Union Nationals and their Family Members Order, who would remain chargeable on a worldwide basis. However given that the MPRP does not of itself grant such rights, MPRP holders’ basic tax position should be governed by the general principles set out in the preceding paragraph.

Of course every individual would need to determine the tax treatment applicable in his/ her specific situation and thus it is strongly recommended that the advice of a tax consultant be sought.

No, under the MPRP a minor is not entitled to free education. However, if the main applicant or spouse acquires a work permit in Malta, his/her children can apply for an exemption of fees under the applicable single work permit legislation (SL 217.17) and the Education Act.

The MPRP does not grant beneficiary any employment rights in the Schengen Area. Therefore s/he will need to apply for a work permit in the Schengen country according to the provisions of that particular country.

No, they do not lose their MPRP residence status as long as they still satisfy of the eligibility criteria.

The fact that s/he sells the property or opts out of the lease agreement means that the beneficiary will lose his/her status and this applies vice versa, that is, if s/he relinquishes the residence certificate, there will be no obligations to fulfil. If beneficiary relinquishes and/or loses his/her residence rights, any dependants benefiting from residence rights through the same certificate will automatically lose their residence rights too.

Residence cards are issued with a validity of 5 years, unless the minor dependant turns 14 or 18 years old, in which case the card validity ceases on the dependant’s birthday. In the latter cases, the card is renewed automatically. Renewal requests after the 5-year expiry have to be done via the agent. The renewal procedure is subject to change. Biometric data has to be recaptured before cards can be extended.

The duration of the lease has to be not less than a year to comply with the set requirements. But the beneficiary must have a valid residence in Malta at all times, with no gaps whatsoever.

After five years, the beneficiaries do not need to retain the qualifying property. However, if the beneficiaries would like to extend their stay in Malta, they are still required to retain a residential property and obtain health insurance to cover risks in Malta and other European countries. The Agency has the right to ask the beneficiaries, via the licensed agents, to provide proof of residential address and health insurance, while also undertaking due diligence checks to ensure the beneficiary and dependents are still eligible. At its discretion, the Agency also reserves the right to carry out random property spot-checks.

The beneficiary is required to hold the €500,000 capital with €150,00 in financial assets for the first five years only.

No. The two programmes are separate and distinct. An applicant may wish to abandon his/her Citizenship for Exceptional Services application and apply for the MPRP. However, the MPRP process needs to be undertaken in full.

Yes, applicant would be required to submit new residence application forms to the Agency. The Applicant’s documentation submitted for previous permits will have no bearing on the MPRP application.

In the case of a divorce, the beneficiary’s spouse and his/her parents and grandparents will lose residency rights. This might also affect the spouse’s children whose other biological parent is not the beneficiary and who would have been included as dependants under the application. Each case will be assessed on its own merits.

Legislation does not impede him/her from submitting an application as main applicant, supported by a benefactor.

The Donor

A donor is a person who, at a certain point in time, has contributed to the accumulation of total wealth of the main applicant, with a one-time donation. In this case the following documents are to be submitted:

1. The passport bio page and page containing signature of the donor(s), required as a means of verification of the signature in all cases (in addition to the deed of the donation, etc);
2. Benefactor documents (listed below) are required if the donation/s form/s a considerable part of the wealth and/or have had a considerable impact on the applicant’s wealth In view of this, the agent and/or the main applicant should in the first instance assess this themselves, and if according to their judgement, the circumstances require such documents to be submitted, they do so with the initial application to speed up the process. In any case, however, the Agency reserves the right to ask for these documents at a later stage, if from our assessment it results that the donation’s impact on the wealth requires such documents.

The Benefactor

A benefactor is a person who takes the responsibility to cover the financial requirements established by the law that would qualify the main applicant as eligible for the issuance of the certificate of residence. The benefactor will be screened by our due diligence process as the source of funds of the main applicant. Therefore, the following documentation must be submitted:

• Form MPRP2, in the name of the benefactor, all sections fully completed (including the Source of Funds and Wealth section);
• Form MPRP 4;
• 3-month bank statements for the benefactor’s account from which the funds for the MPRP application will be remitted;
• Certified true copy of all valid passports of the benefactor (ALL pages);
• Evidence of current employment (if applicable);
• Evidence of business ownership (for business owned in part or in whole by the benefactor) – For more information, please refer to question Q56.
• Sworn declaration that the benefactor will fund the main applicant’s MPRP application and all the related financial obligations and will also provide the main applicant with stable and regular resources;
• A copy of the biometrics data page;
• Police certificates from the benefactor’s country of origin, his/her current residence and any country he/she has lived in for a period of over 6 months in the past 10 years.

The main applicant should still complete Form MPRP2 in its entirety and provide a 3- month bank statement of his/her personal bank account.

No. The Approvals Board decision is final and cannot be appealed.

The requirement is that the individual must be completely free from the contagious disease to be eligible for the programme. Hence, as an example, an individual who is clinically fit and does not suffer from any acute or serious pathology but is in Hepatitis B carrier state with low infectivity, he would still be harbouring a contagious condition and for this reason he is medically not eligible to qualify for the Malta Residency programme.

For avoidance of doubt, it is strongly suggested that such situations are clarified with the Agency before submitting the application. This is because if at a later stage it results that the Main Applicant is not eligible, this alone would already result in the application not being approved. If the non-eligibility pertains only to a dependant(s) , the dependent(s) will not be approved as part of the application.

In all cases, the Agency’s decision as to whether an individual is to be considered as medically eligible or not is final.

Yes, the agent must set an appointment with Client Relations and Compliance to collect the file submitted by the applicant.

Yes, in this case, if the dependant is a minor, the main applicant should still submit a declaration on behalf of the minor dependant, explaining the reason for withdrawal. If the dependant is an adult, he/she should submit a signed declaration on their own behalf.

• covering letter signed by the agent;
• certified true copy of Main Applicant’s passport;
• certified true copy of partner’s passport;
• certified true copy of the Main Applicant’s birth certificate;
• certified true copy of the partner’s birth certificate;
• adequate proof of long-standing relationship, which may include the following:
  • affidavit from relatives/friends confirming that they have known the couple for an adequate number of years;
  • bank statements (either showing transactions between partners or showing a joint bank account);
  • rental agreement or purchase agreement of a joint property;
  • dated photos portraying the couple;
  • flight tickets showing travel together, and
  • any other relevant documentation

The full documentation should be submitted prior to the initial application submission, since the de facto partnership should be approved by the Minister. The agent is requested to set an appointment with Client Relations and Compliance to submit such documents well in advance.

• MA/SP’s biological father or mother married to a stepparent when MA/SPs were still minors.
• MA/SPs biological father or mother, married to a stepparent prior to MA/SPs marriage.
• MA/SPs biological father or mother already divorced and holding custody rights. It might be that the stepparent played a significant role in the upbringing of the MA/SP, even though the stepparent at that time was not yet married to the biological mother or father.

The following documents may be suitable:

1. bank statements (showing transactions between their individual accounts or joint bank accounts);
2. flight tickets;
3. affidavits from persons who can testify to the relationship;
4. household certificate (the Hukou for Chinese applicants); and
5. other relevant documentation.

The full documentation should be submitted prior to the application submission since the validity of such genuine link requires to be pre-approved or otherwise by the Agency. The agent is requested to set an appointment with Client Relations and Compliance to submit such documents well in advance.

The capturing of biometric data is held at Zentrum Business Centre, Level 2, Mdina Road, Qormi QRM 9010, Malta. To set appointments for biometrics, send an email to clientrelations.residencymalta@gov.mt

The residence cards are issued by Identity Malta but will be collected by the beneficiary or by the agent from Zentrum Business Centre, Level 2, Mdina Road, Qormi QRM 9010, Malta. Agents will be notified by email when residence cards are ready to be collected.