Malta allows for dual citizenship.
Naturalization
After five years of permanent residency in Malta, you can apply for citizenship. Anecdotally, naturalization is granted rarely through simple residency. But the country has rectified that with their CIP program…
Citizenship By Investment—The Individual Investor Program
As with the residency program, Malta also has an attractive Citizenship-By Investment Program (CIP) as an option for obtaining dual citizenship, the Individual Investor Program.
Though it is considered the clearest route to citizenship in this EU nation, it comes at a considerable cost. It requires paying a 650,000 euro nonrefundable donation and investing 150,000 euros in local stocks or bonds. You also are required to either purchase a property worth 350,000 euros or rent one for 16,000 euros or more for a year. The process may take anything from 6 to 24 months.
A cap of 1,800 applicants was put on the program, so it’s advisable to take advantage now if this program is of interest; it provides immediate citizenship with no need for a prior period of residency and a passport that allows you access to 28 EU member nations as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein— quite a hefty benefits package.
The lack of a residency requirement is a key aspect; it means that, as a Maltese citizen, you can work, live, or study in any country in the 28-nation EU without anything tying you to Malta physically
Successful applicants became ordinary residents with the special tax status for one year and after this period they can apply for citizenship. However, the applicants must prove their “genuine connection” with Malta.
Practically, it means different donations to various philanthropic and nongovernmental organizations.
Individual Investor Program
The Individual Investor Program works only through official agents, and applicants must apply through one of these agents. The process is not difficult compared to other EU countries.
The applicants can receive their residence cards within three weeks from the time of the application, and a passport should take 12 months from the date of gaining residency status.
Another significant benefit is that the main applicant can add their spouse, children, and, under certain conditions, parents and grandparents as dependents.
The applicant must go through the “fit and proper” test to prove good health conditions. The 650,000-euro contribution goes to the National Development and Social Fund.
However, the contribution and investment happen after the official approval of the citizenship petition. If an investor wants a passport for the family members, spouses, and children, they must contribute 25,000 euros. For each unmarried child (from ages 18 to 25), it’s required to provide 50,000 euros. They must maintain the bond investment for five years and the same timeframe applies to the real estate investment and rent.
Malta Visa And Residency: By Descent
Malta recognizes jus sanguinis, so children born outside of Malta to a Maltese parent (whether by birth or naturalization) after 1989 acquire citizenship automatically. However, those born before 1989 must apply to register for citizenship (it is not granted automatically).
If you have a Maltese ancestor, you can apply for Maltese citizenship by providing documentary evidence showing a direct decent from the relation (eg. birth, death, or marriage certificates).
In order to qualify, the ancestor must have been born in Malta to a parent who was also born in Malta. If you have parents, grandparents, etc., who are alive and are direct descendants themselves, they will also have to make applications (the direct line of descent cannot be broken). There is no residency requirement.