Malta runs the only EU citizenship by investment program, making it a unique investment migration venture that is extremely beneficial, especially for those who want to unlock all the European Union has to offer.
The Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalisation Program (MEIN) is the fastest route to obtain EU citizenship, as, depending on the investment amount, investors can become fully fledged Maltese citizens within one or three years.
How Does the MEIN Program Offer a Path to Maltese Citizenship?
The MEIN is simple, quick, and streamlined, and it provides perpetual benefits as future generations can become Maltese citizens through descent.
To qualify for the MEIN, investors must have a clean criminal record and make an investment as follows:
- Contribution:
- One year till naturalisation: €750,000, OR
- Three years till naturalisation:: €600,000
- Real estate:
- Purchasing real estate for the amount of €700,000, OR
- Renting real estate for the annual amount of €16,000
- Donation of €10,000 to a predetermined, approved NGO
The Maltese MEIN provides global investors with one of the simplest and most affordable routes to become an EU citizen. Successful applicants will gain the world’s 5th best passport that enables them to travel visa free to over 190 destinations including the US, UK, and many more.
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What are The Benefits of the Maltese MEIN Program for Investors?
However, the most interesting aspect of the Maltese MEIN is that it grants investors EU citizenship, meaning:
- With the Maltese passport, they gain the right to live, work, study, retire, and conduct business in any EU member state. This effectively means that MEIN investors can unlock 27 countries by becoming citizens of Malta.
- The benefits of Malta citizenship by investment are endless, especially considering Malta has one of the best healthcare systems in the world and a robust education system.
- Malta also boasts a specialised non-dom tax regime that can greatly benefit high-net-worth individuals looking to diversify their assets and lower their tax burden.
Why Should You Apply for Maltese MEIN Citizenship by Investment Program Right Now?
Right now is the best time to apply for the Maltese citizenship by investment program. This opportune timing comes as a result of various factors, such as:
1- Sweeping changes
Many EU member states, such as Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Cyprus, launched their investment migration programs as a response to the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and Malta’s citizenship by investment program was a similar response.
These programs have greatly helped alleviate the financial burden these countries faced and have helped them recover quickly and maintain a robust economy.
By providing unencumbered foreign direct investment (FD), EU investment migration programs played a crucial role in these nations’ economies, but now that they have recovered from the financial crisis (and the COVID economic crisis), a lot of the member states have started tinkering with their programs.
Portugal scrapped any real estate-related option from its Golden Visa, and Spain is considering doing the same. Greece has just implemented a second price hike in as many years, and Cyprus shut down its citizenship by investment program a few years back and continues to update its residency by investment scheme.
Malta is no stranger to change either; it had shut down the previous iteration of its citizenship by investment program, dubbed Malta Individual Investor Program (IIP), and replaced it with the more refined MEIN.
However, as we approach the MEIN’s fourth anniversary, we cannot rule out the possibility that Malta will tinker with or change its program to match the new investment landscape in Europe and on the global stage.
More ESG-oriented investment channels are taking center stage throughout the Western Hemisphere, and Portugal is actively altering its Golden Visa to adapt to a new investment environment.
Greece is also targeting specific real estate areas with its new Golden Visa framework, so it isn’t beyond reason to expect Malta to soon follow suit. This is one of the main reasons why right now is the best time to invest in Maltese citizenship through the MEIN under favourable conditions.
A Maltese passport allows MEIN investors to live, work, study, retire, and conduct business across the EU, while benefiting from Malta’s excellent healthcare, education, and favorable non-dom tax regime for high-net-worth individuals.
2- Citizenship by investment price hikes
The biggest concentration of citizenship by investment programs is located in the Caribbean.
St. Kitts & Nevis kicked off the modern era of citizenship by investment back in 1984, and since then, the Caribbean nations of Dominica, Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, and St. Lucia have all joined in on the action.
While each country has updated and changed its program independently throughout the years, 2024 will witness a significant shift toward a more unified decision-making process, and at the heart of that is a price hike.
All the five programs have publicly committed to a memorandum of agreement (MoA) that includes a clause to raise the minimum investment threshold for donations under the Caribbean citizenship by investment programs to $200,000 and the real estate option to $400,000.
This would effectively double the investment amount in most of the Caribbean programs, and they are not the only program to do so.
Almost half a year ago, Turkey announced that it would raise the minimum investment in real estate under its popular citizenship by investment program from $250,000 to $400,000, a 60% price hike.
Since the Caribbean nations and Turkey raised the amounts for their citizenship by investment program, it is reasonable to consider that Malta may do the same.
Citizenship by investment programs continuously adapts to global economic changes, and rampant inflation which means that these programs, at their current prices, are actually much more affordable than they were a few years ago.
Malta may opt to increase its prices to align with the new global economic landscape, and since other programs have already done this, pursuing the MEIN under the current pricing model is a highly economical and favourable venture.
3- Increased geopolitical tensions
Another important reason for obtaining Maltese citizenship now is not the program itself, but rather the global political environment.
Increasing conflicts and more global tensions mean that establishing a Plan B now is more important than ever, and Malta’s MEIN provides the ultimate contingency plan.
By becoming an EU citizen, an investor and their family effectively have the entire EU at their disposal. They can live in any EU country and pursue gainful activity in one of the world’s most important and dynamic markets.
The EU is also a safe spot with robust financial services that allow investors to protect their families and their wealth. They can set up financial management frameworks in the EU to maintain and enhance their wealth.
The current global situation requires everyone to have a Plan B, and the MEIN offers one of the best plans there are.
Relevant Topic: Benefits Of Being An EU Citizen – Malta Citizenship By Investment
Quick Action
Opportune moments come very rarely, and in investment migration, this is no different. There are times when an opportunity reveals itself, and savvy investors can take advantage of it.
Since Malta’s MEIN pricing has stayed the same since the country launched the program, it is more affordable than ever, especially when you consider global inflation.
To take advantage of this opportunity, quick action is required, and the best way to efficiently apply to the MEIN is through a specialised, professional partner such as Savory & Partners.
At Savory & Partners, our team will analyse your situation and provide you with the best possible solutions and a roadmap to make your investment migration journey simple and enjoyable.
Finally
All you need to do to become a Maltese – and by extension an EU citizen – is contact Savory & Partners today to book a comprehensive consultation with one of our experts.
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