The Malta government has announced its plans to replace its citizenship by investment offering with a reformed Citizenship-by-Merit opportunity.
Home Affairs Minister, Byron Camilleri, said the changes to the Citizenship Act would eliminate any transactional elements, meaning that citizenship can no longer be acquired solely through financial investment. Instead, Maltese citizenship will be granted on the basis of ‘exceptional services by merit,’ which includes significant achievements in fields such as science, entrepreneurship, sports, culture, philanthropy, and job creation.
The Citizenship‑by‑Merit opportunity will be aimed at attracting individuals who demonstrate exceptional talent or contribution to the country.
The new merit-based system will involve an evaluation board, which will review applications and consult experts before making recommendations to the Minister.
The government maintains that this shift respects national sovereignty while aligning with European legal obligations, following the judgment by the ECJ in April this year.
Existing citizenships granted under the previous Citizenship by Investment offering, remain unaffected.
The Citizenship-by-Merit has existed in some form since 2017, offering non-Maltese nationals a route to citizenship through exceptional contributions or services.
Under the newly proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act, the opportunity will be expanded, making philanthropists and technologists eligible to apply.
Legal amendments to the Citizenship Act have been tabled in parliament, with further debate expected as early as next week.
For more information about these changes, please get in touch.
