The MPRP is a straightforward residency-by-investment program based on investments in property and government contributions. With the promise of a 4 to 6-month processing time from submitting a complete and correct application, it offers many potential clients the opportunity to make Malta their home.

The new regulations replace the Malta Residence and Visa Agency with the Residency Malta Agency and bring changes to the qualifying investment.

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 located 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 located 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 EUR68,000 plus EUR7,500 for every parent or grandparent of the principal applicant or spouse.

If the property is rented, the contribution will be EUR98,000 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 organization 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 applying, EUR10,000 will need to be paid, and the balance (EUR30,000) upon the file's approval.

The benefits offered by the new program include:

• The right to settle, stay and reside permanently in Malta;
• Enjoyment of Visa-free travel across Schengen, 90 out of 180 days;
• A gateway into Malta's affordable real estate market;
• The possibility of including up to four generations in an application;

WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE NEW MALTA PERMANENT RESIDENCE PROGRAMME (MPRP) REGULATIONS?

Only Third Country Nationals (TCN) can apply for residence under the new Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) regulations. Third Country Nationals are those individuals who are not citizens of the European Union. EEA (European Economic Area) nationals and Swiss nationals shall not be considered 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. Accordingly, the qualifying dependents are defined as follows:

• The principal applicant's spouse in a monogamous marriage or another relationship has the same or a similar status to marriage. For 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 18 years old, not married, and principally dependent on the principal applicant.
• Financially dependent parents or grandparents of the principal applicant or his spouse; or
• Disabled adult children of the principal applicant or spouse.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

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 were sufficient to maintain themselves without depending on the social assistance system of Malta.
• held the qualifying property for a minimum period of 5 years, after which a residential address is required
• Sickness 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.

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 and, or any of his dependents may not be listed with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) or EUROPOL.
• 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 offense, other than an involuntary offense, 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 offenses:
  • pedophilia,
  • defilement of minors,
  • rape,
  • violent indecent assault,
  • inducing persons underage 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.

MALTA PERMANENT RESIDENCY APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE

Below is the step-by-step application process timeline for MPRA.

Step 1: Engagement Stage

• Initial due diligence checks
• Letter of engagement
• Optional background verification report

Step 2: Compilation & Submission Stage

Step 3: Residency Malta Agency Processing Stage

• Start of RMA due diligence
• Independent due diligence review
• Possibility of clarification requests

Step 4: Approval Stage

• Letter of approval issued by RMA
• Payment of contribution to RMA
• Fulfillment of government contribution
• Fulfillment of qualifying property

Step 5: Malta Permanent Residency Stage

• Certificate of residence issued.
• Collection of biometric data in Malta.
• Malta residence card issued.

Step 6: EU Long-Term Residency

• Lived in Malta for five years
• Proof of stable & regular income
• Complied with integration measures