Malta · European Union
Maltese citizenship by merit
Not bought, and not a programme. Malta grants citizenship to people who have made an exceptional contribution to the country or to humanity, and considers each case on its own. It is the only route left to a Maltese passport through achievement, after the investment route was ended in 2025.
- EU citizen
- Full rights as a Maltese national
- 8 months
- Minimum residence before the formal filing
- 5 stages
- From proposal letter to oath
- Case by case
- Individually assessed, no fee schedule
Citizenship
What to understand before anything else
Malta's citizenship-by-investment route ended in 2025 following a ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union. What remains is something else entirely: each case considered individually on the value the applicant brings - social, cultural, scientific, humanitarian - rather than on a sum of money. There is no fee schedule, no capital threshold, and nobody may promise an outcome.
Governed by Subsidiary Legislation 188.06 - Granting of Citizenship by Naturalisation on the Basis of Merit, issued under the Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188). Applications go to the Community Malta Agency.
No fee schedule
There is no sum that buys citizenship. What is weighed is the value of the contribution, not the money.
No capital threshold
The law sets no financial condition. A scientist and a founder stand at the same door.
No promised outcome
The Minister decides at discretion, gives no reasons, and there is no appeal. Anyone promising approval is promising what they have no power to give.
Fields that may be considered
The legislation restricts eligibility to no particular sector. Both internationally established individuals and those showing exceptional future potential may be considered, provided the contribution is of clear interest to Malta.
- 01
Science and research
- 02
Arts, culture and the creative industries
- 03
Sport and athletics
- 04
Technology and innovation
- 05
Entrepreneurship with demonstrable impact
- 06
Philanthropy and humanitarian work
Five stages
From the first letter to the oath, a file passes two independent board reviews and one ministerial decision. No stage can be skipped.
- 01
Proposal letter
A detailed letter to the Community Malta Agency setting out who the applicant is and what they have achieved, the exceptional contribution already made or intended to Malta or to humanity, how they plan to continue contributing, supporting documentation, and any dependants to be included.
- 02
Evaluation and due diligence
An autonomous specialised evaluation board assesses the proposal alongside a comprehensive due diligence process run by the Community Malta Agency. The board submits its recommendation to the Agency, which forwards it to the Minister.
- 03
Approval in principle
The Minister decides whether to approve or refuse. The decision is fully discretionary: it carries no right of appeal, the Minister is not required to give reasons, and there is no automatic entitlement to proceed.
- 04
Formal application
Once approval in principle is granted and the statutory requirements are met, the applicant may file the formal naturalisation application. The evaluation board reviews it again and submits a final recommendation.
- 05
Grant of citizenship
If approved, the applicant and any included dependants take the Oath of Allegiance and a certificate of naturalisation is issued. From that point they are full Maltese citizens with all rights and obligations under Maltese law.
04
The statutory requirements at stage four
Approval in principle is only permission to continue. Before the formal naturalisation application, the applicant must show the five things below. This is why ties to Malta must be built early, not at the last minute.
- 1/5
At least eight months of residence in Malta
- 2/5
Owning or leasing adequate residential property in Malta
- 3/5
An endorsement from a competent Maltese body confirming the applicant as a leading talent, a person of exceptional promise, or a case of exceptional interest to Malta
- 4/5
Demonstrated knowledge of Maltese or English
- 5/5
Evidence of the ties established with Malta, in line with the proposal letter
Dependants who may be included
- A spouse
- Minor children
- Adult children, in limited circumstances
- Financially dependent parents
Every dependant goes through the same assessment, due diligence and discretionary approval as the main applicant.
The part rarely mentioned
Citizenship granted on the basis of specific commitments has to be honoured. Where material obligations are not met, Malta may withdraw it. This is not a transaction that ends at the ceremony.
What Maltese citizenship gives a family
Citizenship of the European Union
From the certificate of naturalisation, the person granted is a full Maltese citizen with all rights and obligations, which means an EU citizen: living, working and studying across the Union as any Maltese national does.
Source: SL 188.06 · Cap. 188
Keep the existing nationality
Malta allows dual citizenship without restriction, under Chapter 188, article 7. There is no choice to make between two passports.
Source: Cap. 188, article 7
Vietnamese nationality is not lost
Vietnam's Nationality Law lists the ways nationality is lost, and naturalising abroad is not one of them. It is lost only by applying to renounce and having that approved.
Source: Nationality Law, consolidated text 53/VBHN-VPQH
VNIS Investment and trusted partners
CSB Group
VNIS Investment does not work alone. In Malta we work with reputable partners, among them CSB Group.
CSB Group is a Malta-based professional services group established in 1987. On Maltese files they are a licensed agent - meaning your application is filed by a firm answerable to the Maltese authorities, not passed through an intermediary.
- Established
- 1987
- Head office
- Swatar, Malta
CSB International Limited C38923
Licensed Agent for the Malta Permanent Residence Programme - licence no. AKM-CSBI-21, issued by the Community Malta Agency
CSB International Limited C38923
Company Service Provider authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)
Licences shown are for the MPRP and financial services. Merit-based naturalisation has no agent licence: proposals are filed with the Community Malta Agency.
More about CSB Group and the MPRP →What VNIS Investment does on this journey
This route is not for most people, and we do not pretend it is. The first job is to say honestly whether a file has anything to be assessed.
- 01
Read the file first, then speak plainly
Whether your achievement is what Malta calls merit, and whether it carries a clear benefit for Malta. If not yet, we say so at the first meeting and suggest another route.
- 02
Build the case for the contribution
The proposal letter is the centre of the whole file. We build with you the account of contribution made, contribution intended, plans to continue, and evidence for each point.
- 03
Work with trusted partners in Malta
VNIS Investment works with reputable partners in Malta, among them CSB Group, to handle what must be done there: filing the proposal with the Community Malta Agency, qualifying accommodation, the endorsement from a Maltese body, and the naturalisation procedure.
- 04
Stay on after the grant
Citizenship granted on the basis of commitments must honour them. We track those milestones, because Malta can withdraw citizenship if material obligations go unmet.
If the goal is permanent residence rather than a passport yet, see the MPRP. Malta permanent residence (MPRP) →
Questions Vietnamese families ask
- Is this buying Maltese citizenship?
- No. Malta's citizenship-by-investment route was ruled contrary to EU law by the Court of Justice on 29 April 2025 and repealed. The merit route has no investment component and no fee schedule, and is assessed on the value of the contribution. Anyone still offering Maltese citizenship for sale is selling something that no longer exists.
- How long does it take?
- The law sets no processing time, and we do not invent one. A file passes two independent board reviews and a ministerial decision, and the formal filing alone requires at least eight months of residence in Malta. Count in years, not months.
- Do we have to live in Malta?
- Yes. The statutory conditions at stage four include at least eight months of residence in Malta, owned or leased accommodation, and evidence of ties built with Malta. This is not a card held from a distance.
- What counts as merit?
- The law does not restrict the field. The fields usually cited are science and research, arts and culture, sport, technology, entrepreneurship with demonstrable impact, and philanthropy. Both internationally established people and those showing exceptional promise may be considered, provided the contribution is of clear benefit to Malta.
- Can the family come?
- Yes, within the definitions of Subsidiary Legislation 188.06: a spouse, minor children, adult children in limited circumstances, and financially dependent parents. Every dependant goes through the same assessment and discretionary approval.
- Can citizenship be withdrawn?
- It can. Citizenship is granted on the basis of specific commitments, and the Minister may withdraw it if material obligations are not met. We say this to every family before starting.
- What does it cost?
- There is no government fee schedule for this route. VNIS's fees and those of our partner in Malta depend on the file and are set out in a full schedule of costs before signing, as with every file we take.
Beyond Future
Does your file have something for Malta to assess?
The first meeting is free and carries no quotation. We read the actual achievements, say plainly whether they can be assessed, and if not, which route would.
Photography: Björn S. (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Taibhseoir (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Rhododendrites (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Berthold Werner (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Hunor Péter (CC0) · Cosal (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons.