Malta Dual Citizenship: Routes to Apply for Maltese Dual Citizenship

Malta dual citizenship allows a person to hold Maltese nationality while retaining their original citizenship. This means a Maltese passport can be both a strategic second citizenship and an asset that can provide benefits for future generations.  

Maltese citizenship can be acquired through several lawful routes, including birth, descent, registration through marriage, and ordinary naturalisation. However, the former Malta Citizenship by Investment programme is no longer available. 

For clients considering Malta as part of a wider international mobility or family planning strategy, Global Citizen Solutions helps assess the available citizenship and residency options based on their individual circumstances.  

Therefore, for those who do not qualify for Maltese citizenship through these routes, we recommend the Malta Permanent Residence Program (MPRP) because you still get indefinite residency that can be passed down generations.  This is a great balance for investors looking for long-term stability in Europe and mobility.  

This guide explains Malta’s current dual citizenship rules, the different routes to citizenship, documents required, and the benefits of having a Maltese second passport.  

Malta Dual Citizenship: Key Takeaways

Malta allows dual and multiple citizenship, meaning Maltese citizens can generally hold another nationality without giving it up, provided the other country also permits dual citizenship.  

There are several routes to Maltese citizenship, including birth, descent, marriage, ordinary naturalisation, and the newer Citizenship by Merit route.  

The former citizenship by investment program is closed. New applicants can no longer obtain Maltese citizenship through the previous investment route. 

 The Maltese passport ranks 18th on the Global Passport Index and provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 184 destinations, giving citizens greater international travel flexibility.  

Citizenship by naturalization requires residence in Malta, including 12 months of continuous residence immediately before applying and at least four years of residence during the previous six years.  

Citizenship by Merit is discretionary and is intended for people who have made an exceptional contribution to Malta or humanity in areas such as science, technology, culture, sport, entrepreneurship, or philanthropy.  

Yes. Malta allows dual and multiple citizenship. Since February 2000, Maltese citizens have been able to acquire and keep another citizenship. Foreign nationals can become Maltese citizens through birth, descent, marriage, or naturalization, and through exceptional services.  

This means Malta dual citizenship is permitted in 2026, although the other country involved must also allow dual citizenship. Malta’s rules are set out in the Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap. 188) and administered by the Community Malta Agency, which handles all citizenship applications. 

1. Citizenship by Birth 

Maltese citizenship can be acquired by birth in certain circumstances, including where at least one parent was a Maltese citizen at the time of birth, subject to the applicable rules. Anyone born in Malta between 21 September 1964 and 31 July 1989 generally acquired Maltese citizenship by birth, regardless of their parents’ nationality, although exceptions applied, including where the father was a foreign diplomat. For births outside this period, different rules apply depending on the citizenship and circumstances of the parents. 

2. Citizenship by Descent 

The Malta citizenship by descent route is for people born outside Malta who have a Maltese citizen parent or, in some cases, Maltese ancestry further back in their family. Eligibility depends on your date of birth and your parents’ or grandparents’ citizenship history, as the rules have changed over time. The Community Malta Agency checks eligibility on a case-by-case basis. 

3. Citizenship by Registration through Marriage 

A foreign spouse of a Maltese citizen can qualify for Maltese citizenship through marriage after being married to and living with their Maltese spouse for at least five years. The marriage must still be valid, and the couple should still be living together when the application is made. 

Both spouses need to provide a joint statutory declaration confirming the marriage and cohabitation, along with supporting evidence such as a shared address, joint bank accounts, or a joint lease. 

A surviving spouse can also qualify if they were living with their Maltese spouse when the spouse died. The marriage and cohabitation must have reached the required five-year period. 

4. Citizenship by Ordinary Naturalization 

If you don’t have Maltese ancestry or a Maltese spouse, you can still become a citizen by living in Malta long enough to qualify for naturalization. This route is set out in Article 10(1) of the Maltese Citizenship Act, and it’s built around two residence tests rather than one flat number: 

• Recent residence: You must have lived in Malta continuously for the 12 months right before you apply. 
• Longer-term residence: On top of that, you need to have lived in Malta for at least 4 years in total during the 6 years before that 12-month period 

5. Citizenship by Merit 

The Malta Citizenship by Merit was introduced in July 2025 under Act XXI of 2025 / S.L. 188.06. This is a discretionary route for individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to Malta or humanity. This can include contributions in science, technology, innovation, culture, sport, entrepreneurship, or philanthropy. 

There is no fixed financial contribution. Applicants must meet one of the legal merit categories and are assessed by an independent evaluation board. The Minister then makes the final decision. 

• Powerful passport: The Maltese passport ranks 18^th on the Global Passport Index by Global Citizen Solutions, and provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 184 destinations.   
• EU settlement and market access: Maltese citizens have the right to live, work, and study across all 27 EU member states and the 4 EFTA nations of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Malta provides direct, duty-free access to the European Single Market, which serves more than 450 million consumers. 
• Tax and wealth benefits: Non-domiciled Maltese residents can pay 0% tax on foreign capital gains and on foreign income that is not remitted to Malta, while Malta’s 35% corporate tax rate can be reduced to 5% through its 6/7ths refund system, and there is 0% tax on inheritance, wealth, annual property, and gifts. 
• Good healthcare and quality of life: Malta has a well developed healthcare system, with the WHO ranking it 5th globally in its 2000 World Health Report. The country is also home to Mater Dei, one of Europe’s larger hospitals, and as an EU member, Malta participates in the EHIC scheme, giving residents access to state healthcare when traveling in other EU/EEA countries. 

No, not directly. The Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) grants permanent residency through investment, not citizenship. It’s a separate legal track from citizenship entirely. 

If someone on an MPRP residency later wants Maltese citizenship, they’d have to qualify through ordinary naturalization like anyone else, meaning they’d need to meet the naturalization route’s residence requirements. As a licensed agent, Global Citizen Solutions can help you get started on your MPRP journey and secure a European base for you and future generations.

No, Malta’s citizenship-by-investment program ended in 2025. In April 2025, the European Court of Justice ruled that granting EU citizenship in exchange for financial investment, without a genuine connection to the country, breaches EU law. Malta formally amended its Citizenship Act in July 2025 to remove the investment-based route. 

Malta now offers a discretionary Citizenship by Merit framework for exceptional services and contributions. This can apply to individuals with exceptional achievements or contributions in areas such as science and research, technology, sport, entrepreneurship and job creation, culture and the arts, and philanthropy. Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to strict due diligence and approval requirements.