Citizenship in Malta

Naturalisation timelines, tests, and dual nationality

Malta naturalises after a long period of residence, and the decision remains substantially discretionary rather than a matter of meeting a published checklist. The separate scheme that allowed citizenship to be obtained through investment was found contrary to European Union law by the Court of Justice in 2025, and any guide still describing a purchasable Maltese passport is out of date.

The investor citizenship scheme has ended

Malta operated a scheme under which nationality could be granted to applicants making substantial payments to the state, acquiring or renting property, and holding a residence card for a period before the grant. In 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union held that granting nationality on that basis was incompatible with Union law, and the scheme was accordingly discontinued.

This is the single most important point on which older material about Malta is wrong. Any article, brochure or advertisement offering a Maltese passport in exchange for a defined payment should be treated as obsolete. Residence by investment continues, but residence and nationality are different things and the distinction now carries the whole weight.

Anyone who was mid-process under the former scheme should rely on the position published by Identita rather than on intermediaries with an interest in the outcome.

Ordinary naturalisation

The ordinary route requires a substantial aggregate period of lawful residence, with the period immediately preceding the application spent in Malta, together with good character, adequate knowledge of Maltese or English, and evidence that the applicant is a suitable citizen.

Two features distinguish it from most European systems. The residence requirement is long by comparison with Portugal or France, and the decision is discretionary: the responsible minister may refuse without giving reasons, and there is no published points scheme that converts compliance into approval. Applicants should therefore plan around long-term residence as the outcome and treat naturalisation as a possibility rather than a schedule.

The other routes

• By descent. Children of a Maltese citizen acquire citizenship, and provision has been extended in defined circumstances to descendants of emigrants born in Malta, subject to registration.
• By marriage. The spouse of a Maltese citizen may register after a qualifying period of marriage, provided the couple are still living together.
• By birth in Malta. Rules differ sharply by date of birth, because Maltese nationality law was changed substantially in 1989 and again since. The date matters more than the facts in many cases.
• Exceptional services. A narrow provision for direct investment and exceptional service to the state exists, but it is not a marketed programme and should not be read as a replacement for the discontinued scheme.

Dual nationality

Malta permits dual and multiple citizenship, so acquiring Maltese nationality does not of itself require renouncing another. Whether the other country permits it is a separate question governed by that country's law.

Official sources

• Identita — citizenship
• Government of Malta

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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