Malta no longer operates a citizenship-by-investment programme. Following the Grand Chamber judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 29 April 2025 in Commission v Malta (Case C-181/23), Malta repealed its investor-citizenship scheme (Act No. XXI of 2025) and refined a separate, discretionary route: naturalisation for exceptional services by merit (Legal Notice 159 of 2025). There is no set price and no purchase pathway. Citizenship may be granted, at the Minister's discretion, to individuals whose genuine contribution, in science, research, the arts, sport, technology, enterprise or philanthropy, is judged to be of exceptional interest to Malta or to humanity, and who establish a genuine link with Malta. This is one option among several European routes, and it is assessed case by case, not bought.
- Malta's citizenship-by-investment programme was repealed in 2025 after the CJEU judgment in Case C-181/23; there is no purchase route and no set price.
- A discretionary route, citizenship for exceptional services by merit (Legal Notice 159 of 2025), grants naturalisation for exceptional services, contributions or interest to Malta or to humanity.
- The grant is at the Minister's discretion, decided case by case on national-interest grounds and measured against Malta's Vision 2050 objectives.
- A genuine link to Malta is required: at least eight months' lawful residence, residential property, proficiency in English or Maltese, and a competent-body endorsement.
- Genuine contribution (research, enterprise, philanthropy, culture or sport) may support a merit case but can never secure or guarantee citizenship.
What changed, and why it matters
On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union, sitting as the Grand Chamber, held that Malta's investor-citizenship scheme was contrary to EU law. The Court found that granting citizenship in exchange for predetermined payments amounts to a commercialisation of the status of national of a Member State and, by extension, of Union citizenship, in breach of Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union. The full case record is published by the Court at curia.europa.eu.
Malta responded by repealing the citizenship-by-direct-investment provisions through the Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Act No. XXI of 2025, and by refining the discretionary merit route through the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Merit Regulations, 2025 (Legal Notice 159 of 2025). The consolidated legislation is available on Malta's official law portal at legislation.mt. The stated aim is to tie naturalisation to verifiable contribution and a genuine link rather than to a financial threshold. Its long-term treatment under EU law has not been tested by the Court.
This is not a renamed golden passport. There is no published contribution amount, no price list, and no guaranteed outcome.
What citizenship by merit is now
Maltese citizenship by naturalisation may be granted to a person whose exceptional services, contributions or interest are of value to the Republic of Malta or to humanity. The framework recognises exceptional contribution across a range of fields:
- Science and research, including researchers and scientists whose work benefits Malta. Sustained research, and potentially teaching, at a Maltese university illustrates the kind of contribution in view; research is expressly within scope, while teaching alone is illustrative rather than a named category.
- Sport, arts and culture, individuals of genuine distinction who contribute to Maltese life.
- Technology and enterprise, founders and technologists who build ventures that serve Malta's national development objectives.
- Philanthropy, sustained and genuine philanthropic contribution to Malta or to humanity.
Applications are reviewed by an independent Evaluation Board, a chairman and two members appointed by the Minister and coordinated by the Community Malta Agency, which assesses the proposal against the national interest and Malta's Vision 2050 objectives and may request further information or interview the applicant. The Board recommends only; the grant is at the Minister's discretion, and the Minister may revoke citizenship for serious non-compliance with the commitments made.
What a genuine link requires
Legal Notice 159 of 2025 sets genuine-link conditions that an applicant must meet, including:
- a minimum of eight months' lawful residence in Malta, evidenced by a residence permit, before the formal citizenship application;
- ownership or lease of adequate residential property in Malta;
- proficiency in English or Maltese;
- endorsement by a competent body in the relevant field; and
- a credible plan for continued contribution to Malta.
Where genuine contribution fits
Contribution matters as real, lasting value to Malta, not as a fee. Building a venture that creates Maltese jobs, transferring skills, funding or conducting research, or teaching and mentoring at a Maltese university are the kinds of contribution a merit assessment is designed to recognise. Where such contribution is substantial and judged to be of exceptional interest to Malta, citizenship by merit may be one of the avenues to consider. It cannot be purchased, it is decided at the Minister's discretion, and it is never guaranteed.
For many internationally mobile families, a European residence route remains the more predictable path, and several run in parallel to any Maltese ambition. Our Investment Migration Index scores the leading options, and established residence-by-investment routes such as the Greece Golden Visa, the Portugal residence permit and permanent residency in Cyprus are compared side by side on our golden visa hub.
Honest limitations
- No set price, no purchase route, no guaranteed approval.
- Discretionary and case by case; the Minister decides on national-interest grounds.
- A genuine link to Malta is required, including the residence, property and language conditions above; contribution must be real and verifiable.
- Rigorous due diligence applies, and citizenship is revocable for serious non-compliance.
- Timelines depend on the strength and nature of the contribution and the residence pathway.
How Mirabello helps
Mirabello Consultancy does not sell passports, and no reputable adviser can promise Maltese citizenship by merit. What we do is assess, honestly, whether your profile and intended contribution could realistically meet an exceptional-interest threshold, and, if not, guide you to the European residence and citizenship routes that genuinely fit. Swiss-precision structuring, transparent costs and absolute discretion, with the facts stated plainly. If Malta is on your mind, arrange a free consultation and we will give you a candid assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still buy Maltese citizenship?
No. The citizenship-by-investment scheme was repealed in 2025 after the CJEU judgment. There is no price and no purchase route.
What is citizenship by merit?
A discretionary naturalisation route for individuals whose exceptional services, contributions or interest are of value to Malta or to humanity, subject to genuine-link conditions.
Does investment play any part?
Only as genuine contribution to Malta, for example building a venture that serves Malta's development objectives, which may support, never secure, a discretionary merit case. There is no set payment for citizenship.
Would work at a Maltese university count?
Research at a Maltese university is within the kind of contribution the route recognises, and sustained teaching may form part of a merit case. It is assessed case by case and is not, by itself, a guarantee of eligibility.
Is there a residence requirement?
Yes. The route requires at least eight months' lawful residence in Malta before the formal application, together with residential property in Malta, proficiency in English or Maltese, and a competent-body endorsement.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. It is discretionary and can be refused; citizenship is also revocable for serious non-compliance with the commitments made.
Malta's shift from a priced programme to a discretionary, merit-based route is one of the most significant changes in European investment migration in a decade. For the right profile, a person whose research, enterprise, culture, sport or philanthropy brings genuine and lasting value to Malta, citizenship by merit may be one avenue worth exploring, alongside the more predictable European residence routes. It cannot be bought and it is never guaranteed. This page is general information about Maltese law as it stands in 2026 and is not legal or immigration advice; Malta's merit-based naturalisation is governed by Act No. XXI of 2025 and Legal Notice 159 of 2025, which may change, and eligibility is determined solely by the Maltese authorities on the facts of each case. Please take qualified advice, and speak to Mirabello for an honest assessment of whether Malta, or another European route, genuinely fits your goals.
