Malta Citizenship by Investment Programme Has Closed

The investment route to Maltese citizenship ended in July 2025; here is what remains and what to consider instead

Closed

The Investment Route Has Ended

Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme — most recently run as the "Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services" programme — has been discontinued. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 29 April 2025, in Case C-181/23 (Commission v Malta), that the scheme was contrary to EU law. On 24 July 2025 the Maltese Citizenship Act was amended by Act XXI of 2025, and the Government of Malta confirmed that the programme, the underlying transaction and the agents involved have been removed from the citizenship framework.

New applications under the investment-linked citizenship route are no longer accepted.
The change follows the Court of Justice of the European Union's judgment of 29 April 2025 in Case C-181/23.
Legal Notice 159 of 2025 (29 July 2025) then amended Subsidiary Legislation 188.06 to set the process and requirements for citizenship by naturalisation on the basis of merit.

If You Already Applied or Hold Maltese Citizenship

Legal Notice 159 of 2025, which amended the regulations in July 2025, sets out the transitional rule. Citizenship already acquired under the earlier rules continues to be governed by, and remains valid under, those rules. Applications under the direct-investment part of the former scheme (Part IV) that the Minister had not approved for naturalisation before 29 April 2025 — the date of the CJEU judgment — ceased to have effect.

Citizenship granted under the earlier rules remains valid under those rules, according to the transitional provision in Legal Notice 159 of 2025.
Direct-investment applications not approved by the Minister before 29 April 2025 ceased to have effect; the official texts we reviewed do not address refunds, and Trem Global has not confirmed this point.
If you have a case under the former scheme, contact Community Malta Agency (Aġenzija Komunità Malta) directly for its status.

Citizenship rules are set by the Maltese authorities and can change; we confirm the current position before advising on any individual case.

See the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (residence by investment)

What Malta Still Offers

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

A residence-by-investment route that remains open. It leads to Maltese and EU residence, not citizenship — see our Malta Permanent Residence page for the current requirements.

Naturalisation on the Basis of Merit

Under Article 10(9) of the Maltese Citizenship Act and Subsidiary Legislation 188.06 as amended, Malta can confer citizenship by naturalisation on the basis of merit, assessed case by case for the value the candidate brings — not against a fixed contribution, and not a route you can purchase.

Caribbean Citizenship by Investment

Several Caribbean nations still run investment-linked citizenship programmes with published routes and amounts — see our citizenship overview for the programmes we cover.

Residence Elsewhere in the EU

Other EU member states continue to run investment-linked residence programmes. Trem Global can advise on the countries and routes that remain open.

Availability, thresholds and conditions for every route above are set by the relevant authorities and reviewed periodically; we confirm current terms before any application.

Official sources: komunita.gov.mt — Government of Malta; legislation.mt (Act XXI of 2025, L.N. 159 of 2025); Court of Justice of the European Union, Case C-181/23

This page reflects the Court of Justice of the European Union's judgment of 29 April 2025 in Case C-181/23 (Commission v Malta), the Government of Malta's announcements on komunita.gov.mt of 23 July and 2 September 2025, the Maltese Citizenship Act as amended by Act XXI of 2025, and the transitional provision in Legal Notice 159 of 2025, fetched 24 September 2026. Malta's citizenship rules are set by its authorities and can change.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. Following the Court of Justice of the European Union's ruling of 29 April 2025 (Case C-181/23), the Maltese Citizenship Act was amended on 24 July 2025 by Act XXI of 2025, discontinuing the investment-linked "Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services" programme.

The Court of Justice of the European Union held that granting nationality — and with it EU citizenship — in direct exchange for predetermined payments or investments amounts to commercialising citizenship. That is incompatible with the relationship of solidarity and good faith on which nationality is based, and it breaches the principle of sincere cooperation between EU member states.

Under Article 10(9) of the Maltese Citizenship Act and Subsidiary Legislation 188.06 as amended, Malta's ordinary naturalisation routes remain, including naturalisation on the basis of merit — a discretionary process assessed case by case, not a route you can purchase.

Under the transitional provision in Legal Notice 159 of 2025, direct-investment applications that the Minister had not approved for naturalisation before 29 April 2025 ceased to have effect, while citizenship already acquired under the earlier rules remains valid under those rules. If you have a case under the former scheme, contact Community Malta Agency directly.

No. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme is a separate residence route and remains open — see our Malta Permanent Residence page for its current requirements.

Several Caribbean nations still run citizenship-by-investment programmes, and a number of EU countries run residence-by-investment programmes. Trem Global can advise on the routes that remain open for your situation.