Malta Passport Ranking 2023

A Mediterranean climate, with a high quality of life, a thriving real estate market and optimal investment conditions— it seems like Malta has it all— including a prime spot in the world for its powerful passport status. Our unique Global Passport Index looks at the strength of all the world’s passports using a robust and nuanced ranking system. Our index ranks global passports of today not just by visa-free access, but by enhanced mobility, investment opportunity, and quality of life offered by each destination. And when it comes to Europe, Malta made the top 50 list, keeping its place in our Global Passport Index.

The Malta passport ranks 38th, with 170 visa-free places accessible with a Malta passport. Please keep in mind that the list of visa-free countries is computed to represent the number of countries Malta passport holders can access without a visa, via a visa on arrival, or via the eTA.

Read on to discover how our research team came up with the Malta Passport Ranking, with a detailed breakdown of Malta’s country profile.

Malta Passport Ranking

Trailing just behind Hong Kong, a Maltese passport is the 38th most powerful in the world. How did we conclude this? We looked at factors like ease of doing business, quality of life, and investment opportunities to determine how alluring a Maltese passport truly is. The truth is, individuals looking to uproot their lives and obtain a second passport don’t just look at a passport’s travel access opportunities. So, how then does a Maltese passport fare in terms of travel, relocation, and investment options? The answer is very well.

To get an idea of our scoring system, our index is split into three standalone indexes, with the Malta passport performing differently for each separate index.

1.The Enhanced Mobility Index

Holds the most weight (50%) and is based on the destination’s travel benefits for each passport holder, while taking into account the destination country’s level of ‘attractiveness’ based on its quality of life standards.

Malta passport ranking: 31st

2.The Investment Index

Holds 25% of the overall calculation and is based on the country’s economic strength, looking at how investor-friendly and business-friendly it is as a destination country for passport holders.

Malta passport ranking: 65th

3.The Quality of Life Index

Is worth 25% of the total calculation. Six components related to the quality of life are covered under this index including (but not limited to) healthcare, education, and personal safety.

Malta passport ranking: 37th

For more information, consult Malta’s country profile here.

Malta Passport Ranking- Mobility Highlights

How comfortably can you hop from country to country with a Maltese passport? Malta passport holders will be pleased to know that a Malta passport is incredibly travel-friendly, holding the 31st spot in the world for its visa free privileges. Indeed, Maltese citizens enjoy relatively few visa requirements across dozens of nations.

Having a Maltese passport has several advantages since Malta is an EU member state. If you hold a Maltese passport, you have strong mobility since you may live, work, and study in any of the EU’s 27 member states, for both yourself and your family. Maltese passport also provides visa-free travel to the Schengen Area, quality healthcare, and a very good education system. In addition, Malta has good international links to Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Visa-free access:	Visa on arrival:	eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization):	Visa online:	Visa only:
Albania Andorra Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Austria Bahamas Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil The British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Cape Verde Cayman Islands Chile Colombia Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Estonia Eswatini Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French West Indies The Gambia Georgia Germany Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kazakhstan Kiribati Kosovo Kyrgyzstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Monaco Malaysia Marshall Islands Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Netherlands New Caledonia Nicaragua Niue North Macedonia Norway Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Reunion Romania Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Samoa San Marino Sao Tome Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Korea Spain St. Helena St. Maarten St. Pierre St. Vincent Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tanzania Timor-Leste Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Wallis and Futuna Zambia Zimbabwe	Bahrain Bangladesh Bolivia Burkina Faso Cambodia Comoros Egypt Gabon Guinea-Bissau Iran Iraq Jordan Kenya Kuwait Laos Lebanon Madagascar Malawi Maldives Mauritania Mongolia Mozambique Nepal Oman Rwanda Saudi Arabia Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia Tajikistan Thailand Togo	American Samoa Australia Canada Guam New Zealand Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pakistan Puerto Rico Sri Lanka United States of America US Virgin Islands	Angola Azerbaijan Benin Djibouti Ethiopia India Lesotho Myanmar Papua New Guinea Suriname Vietnam	Afghanistan Algeria Bhutan Burundi Cameroon The Central African Republic Chad China Congo Congo (Dem. Rep.) Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Cuba Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ghana Guinea Guyana Liberia Libya Mali Namibia Nauru Niger Nigeria North Korea Russia South Sudan Sudan Syria Turkmenistan Yemen

Maltese passport holders have visa-free or partially visa-free access to 170 countries in total including EU member states in the European Union. Other countries include Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, and Qatar. Maltese citizens can also enter the United States and stay there up to 90 days via an entry permit called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

For more information, check out our Enhanced Mobility Index.

Malta Passport Ranking- Investment Highlights

As a center for business excellence, Malta has a steady reputation of attracting high-net-worth individuals and foreign investors to its shores. Its favorable economic environment, compounded with friendly links to other countries in Europe, North Africa, and beyond make it an optimal country to do business in. 

There are numerous advantages to investing in Malta, including (but not limited to) its European Union status, stable credit ratings, dedicated and educated workforce, hub status for knowledge-based industries, and thriving financial services sector. 

The Maltese government also passed the Business Promotion Action, which essentially encourages foreigners to do business in Malta. In force since 2001, the Act is continually being updated, offering attractive incentives for industries demonstrating growth and employment potential. That’s not all. Tax incentives for companies involved in specific manufacturing and qualifying activities are high, making Malta an ideal place to do business.

The Gross National Income per capita currently stands at $43.970, with a personal tax rate of 35%. 

For more information, check out our Investment Index.

Malta Passport Ranking- Quality Of Life Highlights

Malta might be a small Mediterranean island-nation but it certainly makes up for it in other ways. Not only do its Maltese citizens enjoy the warm, pleasant weather but the European country is also packed with wonderful restaurants, an exuberant cultural scene, rich historical sites, and various points of interest. Not to mention, the views around the island are mesmerizing. From the bustling and energetic capital of Valletta to the more relaxed pace of lifestyle on the island of Gozo, Malta has something for everyone.

Malta passport holders get unlimited access to a high quality of life. People holding citizenship here particularly enjoy a high level of safety, political freedoms and happiness. Malta also boasts a reputation for being a very eco-friendly country with a high level of sustainable development. On the downside, Malta does have high living costs, which is usually the price to pay for enjoying a high quality of life. Nevertheless, the wages are good, and the economy is high-performing, meaning Maltese citizens are likely to afford living here.

For more information, check out our Quality of Life Index.

World’s Most Powerful Passports

The top ten world’s powerful passports are, USA, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and New Zealand. The United States of America ranked 10th in the Enhanced Mobility Index, 4th in the Investment Index, and 23rd in the Quality of Life Index.

In Europe, the world’s most powerful passports are:

Malta Citizenship By Investment

Malta operates its own program for a direct route to citizenship by investment called the Maltese Citizenship Act Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations (CES), which is often referred to as the Malta Citizenship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment scheme. It offers an expedited route to Maltese citizenship, allowing eligible applicants and their family members to obtain Maltese citizenship by making investments and a non-refundable contribution in Malta.

Aimed at high standing applicants, CES allows you to obtain a European passport within 12-36 months, as long as you make a minimum qualifying investment from €690,000 + costs. After holding Maltese residence for 12 months, you are eligible to get a Maltese passport, and hence, become a citizen. As a full member of the European Union, Maltese citizenship comes with all the benefits of owning a European passport. Maltese citizens enjoy the right to live or work in all European countries.

A high standard of living and a stable, secure economy are huge draws for aspiring Maltese citizens. 

What Global Citizen Solutions Can Do For You

As a boutique investment immigration consultancy, our sole mission rests on finding the right citizenship by investment or second residency scheme for individuals wishing to secure their future and become global citizens.

With offices in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Brazil, our multilingual team guides individuals and families from start to finish, providing expert advice considering freedom, mobility, taxation, and security.

To get a powerful second passport, simply apply for one via citizenship by investment scheme. If in doubt, visit our site to get a comprehensive overview of what countries offer citizenship by investment and residency by investment, or get in touch today to speak to a consultant.

Here are just some of the countries we offer passports by investment or second residency programs in:

• Golden Visa Portugal
• Golden Visa Spain
• Golden Visa Greece
• Golden Visa Ireland
• Turkey Citizenship By Investment
• EB5 Investor Visa in the USA
• E2 Visa USA
• Dominica Citizenship By Investment
• St Lucia Citizenship By Investment

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Malta a powerful passport?

It is, indeed. If you hold a Maltese passport, you have the freedom to travel and reside anywhere in the European Union. This includes anywhere you want to live, work, or study. With a Malta passport, you can travel visa-free or acquire a visa on arrival to over 170 nations, including the Schengen region of the EU, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

What is the rank of Malta passport?

The passport of Malta is ranked 38th among global passports, according to the Global Citizen Solutions Global Passport Index.

Why is the Maltese passport strong?

This is because it appears like Malta has it all, including a great positioning in the world according to its EU passport status, a great Mediterranean environment, a high standard of living, a growing real estate market, and ideal investment circumstances.

Which countries can you travel to with a Malta passport?

The Malta passport provides visa-free travel or visa on arrival to over 170 countries including, but not limited to, the EU’s Schengen Zone, Asia, the Americas, and Africa. This grants holders of the Maltese passport access to the world at large.