HOW TO GET MALTA CITIZENSHIP

How to become a MALTA citizen: Your 4 PATHS TO MALTESE CITIZENSHIP Learn the PROS & CONS

Many people around the world are interested in obtaining Maltese citizenship for good reason. It’s a beautiful jewel of a nation sitting in the sunny Mediterranean that offers both natural wonders and a high standard of living.

Malta is also known for having a citizenship by investment program that is much faster and has less residency requirements than others offered by neighboring EU countries.

This leads many of us to ask, “How can I get Malta citizenship?”

Malta has 4 primary paths to become a citizen of Malta. Learn more about each legal route available for how to get Malta citizenship below. Find the one that best suits your circumstances to start enjoying the benefits of becoming a Malta citizen and a citizen of the European Union.

How to Become a Citizen of Malta at a Glance

Route to Citizenship	Eligibility Requirements	Key Benefits	Additional Notes
Citizenship by Descent (or by Birth)	● Born to a Maltese parent or ● Have a grandparent born in Malta to parents who were also born in Malta	● Automatic qualification if criteria met ● No residency required	Requires registration with Maltese authorities.
Citizenship by Marriage	● Married to or registered partner of a Maltese citizen ● Must live together for 5 years ● Legal residency required for applicants living in Malta	● Access to citizenship benefits after marriage ● Does not require residency if living outside Malta	Sometimes called citizenship by registration.
Citizenship by Naturalization	● Lived 5 out of the last 7 years in Malta ● Continuous residence for 12 months before application ● Rent or own property in Malta ● Pass background checks ● Language skills in Maltese or English ● Knowledge of Maltese history and culture ● Two sponsors (specific professions for one)	● Open to all ● Relatively straightforward for long-term residents	Sponsorship requirements can be challenging.
Citizenship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services	● Requires a contribution to the government (€600,000 or €750,000) ● Residence period of 36 or 12 months, depending on the size of the contribution ● Property investment (€700,000 purchase or €16,000 annual lease, both held for 5 years) ● €10,000 donation to a Maltese NGO	● Fast-tracked citizenship ● Allows significant contributors and investors to gain citizenship	Often referred to as the "Malta Golden Visa."

PATH 1: Malta Citizenship by Investment (Malta Golden Visa)

Note that because it is similar to other programs in the region generally called “Golden Visas,” some people will refer to this route as the Malta Golden Visa.

This program essentially fast-tracks your naturalization process, requiring a direct contribution to the government and property.

The size of your contribution changes how many months of legal residence are also required before becoming a Malta citizen:

€600,000 contribution: Requires 36 months of legal residence before becoming a citizen.
€750,000 contribution: Requires 12 months of legal residence before becoming a citizen.

As for property, you’ll need to either:

Purchase property worth at least €700,000 (held for 5 years)
Rent property with a minimum annual lease of €16,000 (held for 5 years)

You’ll also need to make a €10,000 donation to a non-governmental organization registered in Malta.

This is one of the fastest and easiest ways for how to become a citizen of Malta and the European Union. We have an entire guide to apply for Malta nationality by investment.

PATH 2: Malta Citizenship by Descent (and by Birth)

This is the best route for those with a parent or grandparent who are Maltese citizens.

If you were born to a Maltese parent, you likely gained citizenship at birth.

For those born after July 31, 1989, you even have Maltese citizenship if you were born outside Malta but had at least one Maltese parent. Before then, only your father’s citizenship could qualify you if born abroad. Otherwise, you could get citizenship by birth if you were born in Malta when your father wasn’t a Maltese citizen if he didn’t have diplomatic immunity.

It’s a bit confusing, so the law is much simpler now.

If those qualify you, getting citizenship is just a matter of registering with the proper authorities. Typically, this will mean finding your nearest Maltese Representations Overseas.

With citizenship by descent, you can also get Maltese citizenship if one of your grandparents was born in Malta to parents who were also born in Malta.

So, to recap in simple terms, this could be the route for you if:

You were born on or before July 31, 1989, with a Maltese father (anywhere in the world)
You were born on or before July 31, 1989, in Malta to a non-Maltese father who did not have diplomatic immunity
You were born on or after August 1, 1989, to at least one Maltese parent (anywhere in the world)
You have at least one grandparent who was born in Malta to parents who were born in Malta

If any of these describe your situation, you will likely qualify to get Malta citizenship. Check out our full guide to citizenship by descent here.

PATH 3: Malta Citizenship by Marriage

If you are the spouse of a Maltese citizen, this is the best route for you. The restrictions are fairly open, and you don’t even need to live in Malta.

So, how to get Malta citizenship by marriage? There are two routes.

For those living outside Malta: You must be a spouse or registered partner with a Maltese citizen for 5 years, living together that entire time.
For those living inside Malta: You’ll need to have lived together with your spouse for 5 years and have legal residency in Malta.

Being married makes official residency easy to get, so you can enjoy many benefits of Maltese citizenship right after tying the knot.

If you are married to a Maltese citizen, this may be your best path to getting Maltese citizenship. Learn more about the pathway to citizenship by marriage (sometimes called registration) here.

PATH 4: Malta Citizenship by Naturalization

This pathway is open to anybody—as long as you have spent enough time in the country. These eligibility requirements are fairly open:

Lived 5 out of the last 7 years in Malta
12 months in continuous residence before the application
Rent or own a permanent residence in Malta
Clear background checks
Demonstrate skills in Maltese or English language
Have 2 sponsors

For most applicants, that last item about sponsors is the one that proves most difficult. Rules for sponsors are fairly robust. They can’t be your relative and must have known you for at least 2 years.

One of the sponsors must have one of the following careers:

Advocate
Judge
Legal procurator
Magistrate
Medical practitioner
Member of Parliament
Notary public
Officer of the Armed Forces of Malta
Parish priest
Police officer
Public officer

Your second sponsor doesn’t need to have one of the careers listed above, but they do need to be at least 18 years old and were born into Maltese citizenship (or, at least, did not acquire their citizenship through naturalization).