How can a Russian citizen obtain Maltese citizenship?

1. Advantages
2. Conditions
3. Methods
4. Refusal

Citizenship of Malta means belonging to an economically developed state that provides comfortable and safe conditions for life, work and leisure for its population. There is a good environment here, always a calm and friendly environment. Malta consistently holds a position in the top twenty happiest countries in the world and is among the Top 10 among EU countries.

A Maltese passport is a document that gives you the opportunity to live and work freely in more than 160 countries around the world. Possessing the main document of a Maltese citizen is not only prestigious, but also profitable. A passport opens up the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a loyal tax system.

Benefits of a Malta passport

Holding a Maltese passport gives you access to various privileges. In addition to unhindered and indefinite residence in a country with comfortable climatic and economic conditions, citizenship of Malta has a number of undeniable advantages:

• priority in employment and training;
• visa-free access to 167 countries of the world with the possibility of long-term residence, employment and training;
• access to public health care and social insurance;
• the opportunity to take advantage of preferential lending;
• the right to acquire citizenship of another country;
• participation in elections.

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Conditions for obtaining Maltese citizenship

To obtain Maltese citizenship, a candidate must meet certain requirements and go through several stages.

Firstly, obtain a residence permit under a program that in the future gives the right to citizenship. In this status you must live in Malta for 5 years. 8 years of temporary residence are also allowed, that is, periodic residence for 12 years, but with the condition that before submitting an application for permanent residence, 1 year must be permanent.

Secondly, obtaining permanent residence status if all the conditions of the first stage are met. Available for an indefinite period. Foreigners with residence permit and permanent residence status have the same rights. The only difference is that the owner of permanent residence has the opportunity to obtain Maltese citizenship.

The third stage is final - obtaining citizenship. Basic requirements for the applicant's personality: age of majority (18+), clean reputation before the law, legal residence, knowledge of English or Maltese, be financially reliable, have a registered address of residence. If you meet all the necessary requirements, you can submit a package of documents in English to the state agency Identity Malta:

• statement;
• internal and international passport;
• 6 photographs 4x3 cm, taken on a white background on matte photo paper. Photos must be six months old. Two of them must be certified by a person who has Maltese citizenship and has known the applicant and his family personally for at least two years;
• certificate of knowledge of English or Maltese languages;
• document confirming legal stay on the island;
• bank statement for the last three months;
• document confirming the availability of a place of residence (personal or rented);
• child's birth certificate (if there are children);
• certificate of good conduct;
• marriage certificate (if married);
• divorce certificate (if the marriage is dissolved);
• document confirming completion of military service or military training (if such a fact exists);
• health certificate;
• medical insurance.

Once approved, the applicant must swear allegiance to the Republic of Malta within 6 months and obtain a passport.

NATURALIZATION AND MALTESE ROOTS

Apart from the individual investor program, other ways to obtain Maltese citizenship are related to the naturalization process and Maltese roots. For example, every child, regardless of country of birth, receives a passport if at least one of the parents is a citizen of Malta.

Moreover, direct descent from an ancestor born in this state is the basis for obtaining Maltese citizenship (the norm has been in force since 2007). Being married to a Maltese citizen for at least 5 years also allows you to obtain a Maltese passport.

Important . Generally, to apply for Maltese citizenship by naturalization, you will need to have been permanently resident in that country for a year and generally have been legally present in Maltese territory for at least 4 out of the last 6 years. In addition, you will need to have a good command of Maltese or English level, have no criminal record and do not pose a threat to the security of Malta.

Main ways to obtain citizenship

According to legal requirements, the path to obtaining Maltese citizenship is a complex and lengthy process. However, if you have good motivation on the way to your goal, patience and discipline in fulfilling the requirements, a positive result is guaranteed in most cases. The main thing is to decide on the methods of obtaining citizenship.

Maltese citizenship by investment

The Republic of Malta has a Malta Individual Investor Programme, according to which you can buy citizenship by investment. This is the shortest route to a Maltese passport not only for the investor, but also for his family members - spouse, children under 26 years of age, dependent parents. The main conditions of the program are set out in the following positions:

1. Make an investment of at least 650 thousand euros in the National Fund for Social Development of Malta. If family members apply for citizenship, then to this amount it is necessary to add 25 thousand euros for the spouse and for each child under 18 years of age, 50 thousand euros for children aged 18 to 26 years and for parents.
2. Have housing for a certain amount. This can be either renting at least 16 thousand euros per year, or purchasing real estate at a price of 350 thousand euros.
3. Investment in securities of Maltese enterprises from 150 thousand euros for 5 years.

The investor will need to register as a government representative and undergo a thorough check on the legality of financial funds, which may take six months.

Advantages of this method of obtaining citizenship:

• accelerated process of obtaining citizenship (1 – 3 years, depending on the type of investment);
• without the obligation to permanently reside in the country;
• no language requirements;
• You can have dual citizenship.

Wealthy adults in good health who have passed a multi-level verification of the accuracy of information and the legitimacy of the declared income are allowed to participate in this program.

Maltese citizenship by naturalization

Maltese citizenship by naturalization is one of the longest paths, which includes many different stages. But, despite the long term, it still makes sense to plan your life activities in Malta, provided that there are certain reasons for this. So, according to republican laws, the following can apply for citizenship by naturalization:

• persons who have previously lost their Maltese citizenship;
• those who are of Maltese descent;
• a child who was born outside Malta, but whose parents are both citizens of the Republic;
• a child who was born in Malta and one of his parents has citizenship;
• children whose parents have acquired citizenship.

The rule of law also allows those who do not have any of the listed grounds to apply, but will indicate their own, purely individual and very compelling reasons why they want to swear allegiance to Malta.

Depending on the type of listed grounds, there is a division into categories, which in turn determine the mechanism of movement towards the goal of naturalization.

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A - these are foreigners who have legally resided in the country for 8 years (it does not matter permanently or periodically) in the last 12 years. Applicants must know English or Maltese, as well as be familiar with the sociocultural traditions of Malta, and be clean before the law of any European country. An advantage will be the presence of additional letters that confirm the grounds - active social activities, work, education, etc.

B - these are applicants who have Maltese roots only through the male line. The line of kinship may come from a grandfather or great-grandfather. To confirm this ground, the birth certificates of the applicant and the Maltese relative, the marriage certificates of the parents, and, if necessary, the marriage certificates of the grandparents are required.

C – persons who have lost Maltese citizenship due to various extenuating circumstances.

D – those who have any relatives of Maltese origin. The entire line of descent will need to be documented.

E – children whose parents are citizens of Malta.

To submit an application in categories A, B and C, you must additionally indicate two individuals (from among the citizens of Malta, but not relatives) who will act as guarantors.

Employment

Official employment is an opportunity to obtain a residence permit, and then, based on the length of stay in the country, become its permanent resident. For Russians and Ukrainians, employment here is mainly possible in the service, tourism and service sectors. Competition for high-paying jobs is intense. Local residents have more privileges in this regard. To obtain a work visa for 1 year, you must first enter into an employment contract with an employer who has a state license to employ foreigners. There must be a document confirming the absence of willing applicants among the local population. The period of stay in the country on the basis of employment can be extended, provided that the employer needs such a worker. It is possible to obtain a residence permit on this basis only if the earnings are at least 10 thousand Maltese liras (23 thousand euros) per year, if less, then personal savings should be 150 thousand Maltese liras (350 thousand euros).

Education

For those who wish to study in educational institutions in Malta, a residence permit is issued for the entire period of study (bachelor's degree - 4 years, master's degree - 6 years). The residence permit also applies to parents of minor schoolchildren. Higher education institutions accept applicants on the basis of completing a full course of a comprehensive school in Malta, without the need to take entrance exams. And this moment is attractive for school-age children from Russia who want to receive a European level education in the future. Also, students from CIS countries can be enrolled in the University of Malta after completing two courses at any Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian university. To confirm your intention to live in Malta for the purpose of studying, you must have a certificate of enrollment as a Maltese student or in the local school community.

Company registration

Owners of companies registered in the Maltese Islands have the right to apply for a residence permit, and then after a few years for permanent residence and citizenship. For this basis, the following conditions must be met:

• more than 100 thousand euros were invested in the company;
• the entrepreneur has a higher education;
• a business plan for a unique idea demonstrating the promising economic growth of the enterprise;
• at least three employed Maltese citizens within one and a half years from the date of opening of the company.

It is allowed to register a business in shares with local citizens. The share of the foreigner must be from 40 thousand euros. An entrepreneur can also open a branch of a foreign company that has a good reputation and has shown stable progress in development for 3 years.

Family reunion

You can become a resident of Malta on the basis of family reunification - moving to your spouse or minor children. But to do this, the immigrant must additionally confirm the presence of a place of residence and an income at the level of the average monthly Maltese salary. First, he receives a long-term Schengen visa, then applies for a residence permit, etc. according to an established process. Inviting all other relatives is the basis for a short-term stay on the islands.

Through marriage

Marriage to a Maltese citizen is the basis for satisfying an application for Maltese citizenship. The main condition is that at the time of filing the application the marriage must be valid and the length of married life must be 5 years. In this case, the place of joint residence does not matter. This legislative norm was adopted to eliminate fictitious marriages. Such phenomena are strictly monitored here, and if the fact is proven, the punishment will be a criminal case and up to 2 years in prison for fraud.

Refugee

According to the laws of Malta, citizenship of the country can be obtained by a foreigner with refugee status after 6 years of permanent residence. Plus, the applicant is exempt from taking the language exam. But this opportunity is not given to everyone. Malta receives a large flow of refugees due to its geographical location. Mostly residents of Africa and the Middle East are trying to get through the Maltese island to the EU territory. The state strictly controls this issue, so it is difficult for a person to prove facts of discrimination, persecution and threat to life from his native state.

Special Merits

A foreigner who has distinguished himself with special services to Malta can obtain citizenship on preferential terms and in exceptional cases at the discretion of the President of the country. This is possible if the foreigner’s achievements were dedicated to the Maltese state, which subsequently significantly influenced his international image. As an example, performance and victory at international competitions under the Maltese Flag.

How long do you need to live to obtain citizenship?

The term “residence qualification” was mentioned above. What it is? Essentially, this is a period of continuous residence in Malta, after which a foreign applicant can apply for the status of a resident and, then, a citizen of this island state.

For most applicants in this situation, the general residency requirement is 18 years - the highest in the entire European Union (exceeding even the Swiss - 12 years). Of these, 5-6 years with a long-term visa, and the remaining 12-13 with a residence permit/permanent residence card.

Do I need to give up my Russian passport?

The issue of dual citizenship is relevant for most emigrants from Russia. On 10 February 2000, Maltese legislation was amended to abolish the single nationality rule. Now, provided that the applicant’s homeland recognizes dual citizenship, it is possible to retain both passports, and the Russian Federation does not prohibit its citizens from obtaining a second citizenship.

Can Maltese citizenship be denied?

Rejection of applications for citizenship is not uncommon. Those who have or have had problems with the law or violated the migration regime have no chance. Since the process itself is quite complex, there are other reasons for refusal. The most common of them are:

• incomplete, inaccurate or unreliable information in documents has been identified;
• insufficient income;
• fictitious grounds for a residence permit - marriage, employment contract, birth certificate, call to study, etc.;
• lack of evidence of persecution by the state when applying for political asylum;
• the person poses a risk to the security of Malta and may negatively affect its reputation;
• failure to comply with the terms of the program;
• illegality of sources of income based on the results of the audit.

If the applicant does not agree with the reason for the refusal, he may file an appeal within 2 months from the date of receipt of the notification.

What is the process for establishing Maltese citizenship by descent

The form for registering Maltese citizenship is available online on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. The application form must be supported by long originals of relevant birth certificates, marriage certificates and other documents. You can apply at a Maltese embassy or consulate near where you live.

It is difficult to say exactly how long it will take to obtain Maltese citizenship by descent. The lead time for an order can vary from five months to two years. Additionally, please be aware that it may take several weeks to receive all documents needed to submit your application.