Every few years, Malta adjusts its citizenship by investment process and permanent residency programs. 2025 is proving to be one of these years, so we’ll cover those changes below.
But first, we need to clear up a widespread misunderstanding.
MPRP and Citizenship by Investment: What’s the Difference?
It’s important to note that the country is adjusting its Malta Permanent Residence Program (MPRP)—not its citizenship by investment program.
The MPRP offers permanent residency (though not citizenship) status to individuals willing to make a sizeable contribution to the government, purchase or rent property in Malta on an ongoing basis, and make a charitable donation. Permanent residency can later be used to qualify for naturalization (after 7 years).
This differs from the Malta Citizenship with Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (CES), also known as the Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN).
CES is a direct route to citizenship, and it is one of the most successful of its kind in Europe. It offers people with wealth the opportunity to invest directly in the country, and as a reward, they are given a very rapid track to full citizenship. For its part, the government carries out a stringent due diligence process, maintaining the integrity of the program.
The contributions and charitable donations required for CES are much larger than for the MPRP.
If you’d like to know more about this program, read our page about obtaining Malta citizenship by investment.
Changes to Malta’s “Golden Visa” Program
Sometimes incorrectly called a “Golden Visa,” the MPRP is facing some changes in 2025:
- The minimum spending required on property purchased in Malta is raised to €375,000.
- The minimum annual lease on rented property in Malta is raised to €14,000.
- The administration fee is raised to €50,000 plus €10,000 per dependent.
- The worldwide asset minimum can now be structured in a new way: €650,000 total with at least €75,000 in financial assets.
- A new maximum age of dependent children is set at 28 years.
The other parts of the law remain unchanged.
Comparing the Old and New Law at a Glance
| Old Requirements | 2025 Changes | |
| Minimum Property Purchase | ● Central and northern Malta: €350,000
● In Gozo: €300,000 |
€375,000 |
| Minimum Annual Lease | ● Central and northern Malta: €12,000
● In Gozo: €10,000 |
€14,000 |
| Government Contribution | ● If you purchased property: €58,000
● If you leased property: €28,000 |
● If you purchased property: €60,000
● If you leased property: €30,000 |
| Administration Fee | €40,000 | €50,000 plus €10,000 per dependent |
| Global Asset Minimum | €500,000 total with at least €150,000 in financial assets | €500,000 total with at least €150,000 in financial assets
or €650,000 total with at least €75,000 in financial assets |
| Family Members Allowed | Spouse, any dependent children, dependent parents and grandparents | Spouse, dependent children 28 or younger, dependent parents and grandparents |
As you can see, the Malta residency by investment requirements are, in many cases, made simpler. But they are also now more expensive generally.
Malta Residency by Investment (MPRP) 2025 Requirements
Below are the full list of requirements for the MPRP as they stand in 2025:
- You must currently be a citizen of a non-EU country
- Secure housing, either
- Purchase a property for at least €375,000
- Rent a property for at least 5 years with an annual lease of at least €14,000
- Make a direct government contribution, either
- €60,000 if you purchased property
- €30,000 if you leased property
- Make a €2,000 donation to a Malta-registered NGO
- Have minimum global assets of either
- €500,000 total with at least €150,000 in financial assets
- €650,000 total with at least €75,000 in financial assets
- Pay an administrative fee of €50,000 (with an additional €10,000 per dependant)
If you satisfy these requirements, you’ll be able to gain permanent residency for you, your spouse, any dependent children under 29, and any dependent parents or grandparents.
With the MPRP, there are no minimum residency periods, so you can stay for as little or as much as you want throughout the year. That makes it incredibly flexible.
This also paves the way for eventual citizenship by naturalization.
What the 2025 Changes Mean
In recent years, Golden Visa and citizenship by investment programs have been on shaky ground throughout Europe. In Spain, there are even fears that the program will be scrapped altogether.
That’s because in many of these countries, attracting high-wealth individuals has meant an increase in housing costs. As governments try to balance the relative stakeholders and their needs, these programs are under close scrutiny. That’s led to ongoing pressure to make them more difficult to use.
For instance, when Malta first introduced their citizenship by investment program, the contribution figure was much lower and there was no residency requirement at all. That meant you essentially became a citizen as soon as you made a contribution.
Those days are over. But it seems like the MPRP and CES are safe for now—even if the particulars are adjusted every so often to reflect the realities of inflation or to adjust demand.
That being said, if you want to gain permanent residency or citizenship through these paths, act sooner rather than later. You never know what changes could come.
If you’d like to speak with an expert team about how to benefit from these programs, book a free call with MDC now.
