SPEAKER_01 0:03

Hello, welcome to Big Global Podcast, where we explore trends shaping our world today. I am Giusanne Campus, and in this episode, we are diving into citizenship in the jewel of the Mediterranean. Guess which country we will be discussing today? You are right if you guessed Malta with me is Adalberto Pucca. Hi, Puka. What do you do at Global Citizen Solutions?

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Thank you, Jusanne. I head um the European programs here at Global Citizen Solutions. So myself and my team, we assist clients in navigating the different options available, starting with consultations and guiding them all the way through to the conclusion, obtaining residencies and even citizenships.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Okay, and Alberto, thank you very much. I'm glad you're here. We have lots to talk about Malta. Malta is a country that has gained a lot of traction on um investment in migration. So I want to share with you some recent data and um that's uh fresh from our intelligence unit department. So in 2024 alone, American nationals represented 20% of applicants for Malta's permanent residency program and 15% for its citizenship for exceptional services. So this data basically highlights a growing trend of investors looking overseas for more stable and lucrative opportunities. Now you tell me, Poca, what is behind this surge in international interest in Malta?

SPEAKER_00 1:54

That's a very interesting question. So uh the data that you've shared actually aligns with what we're seeing in practice within the company. We're very fortunate because we actually assist clients from actually 35, 40 plus different countries. Um and uh when it comes to Americans, over the past few years we've seen a significant increase in the search for such programs. Um it's important to contextualize um you know this search. Uh of course, we see that there are uh political uncertainties around the globe, uh, most recently in the United States. These events fuel uh the search for uh for these programs. Um ultimately what these programs offer is um options to families. Some look at it as a plan B, an insurance policy, if you will. Um so that uh could be uh you know one of the reasons. But also these programs have gained more popularity over the past few years. Now with the um you know the growth of social media, uh information uh sharing, uh people are now learning of such programs. They're not necessarily new. So, for example, we can look at the United States, who have um a country that has had a program uh since 1991. There have been programs that date back to the to the 80s, some more recent, as is the case with Malta. But ultimately, um with people gaining this knowledge, they want to diversify their citizenships, give their family a bit more security. And then Malta naturally, which is what we're discussing today, it provides people um with perhaps a faster path to that insurance policy, uh, and we'll explore what that looks like.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

Okay, great. So I was about to ask you so what sets Malta apart? So um yeah, so there's fast uh faster track for naturalization citizenship. We'll we'll discuss that later. So now I have a question. Um, and I think some of our listeners might have the same um issue here in understanding the difference in terminology with MATA programs. So we have the MAUTA permanent residency program, which is often uh used with the acronym MPRP, and the Citizenship for Exceptional Services, which is the CES. What is the difference between both?

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Right. So and you know quite a few acronyms to learn. Um, and luckily we're only speaking about the two programs, but there are more that we can explore in a future date. Uh but the MOLTA permanent residency program or the MPRP is just that it is a permanent residency program. What sets it apart is that the fact that it is for life. Uh you can include um, you know, children, you can include spouse, uh, even parents. Um, so it's something that um really has a lot of family benefits. Uh but how it differs from the CES or the citizenship by investment program by direct investment is um the fact that the MPRP ultimately, although there could be a path to citizenship, it's not an easy one. It requires a lot of time spent in Malta, usually beyond the five years that legally would be required for an individual to uh to apply. You know, we're talking about north of 10, 15 years living in the country. Uh the CES, however, is a more direct path to that citizenship. So it is, uh, as we currently see it, the fastest um citizenship program in Europe. Uh currently, accounting for application time, we're going to be looking at around 15 to 18 months on average. It could be more, it could be a little bit less. It depends on each individual application. Um, but um to think about getting a European passport that quickly, um, it's um you know it's it's something that has huge benefits. Uh and then Malta, of course, has uh other other positives, which again, you know, you mentioned we're going to explore uh shortly. Um but ultimately um the CES program, the Citizenship for Exceptional Services program, um it's it's one that uh one yes obtains citizenship relatively fast, but ultimately comes with a lot of responsibility, comes with uh significant requirements. Um it is more of an exclusive program, so we're looking at um, you know, around 400 people uh per year that can apply and obtain the citizenship. Uh so it's this is where the difference is. One is a direct path to citizenship, whereas the other is really focused on residency.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

Okay, I think that's clear now. Um now that you explained so thoroughly those uh two pathways, are you able to share with us what the requirements are for both uh citizenship and residency in Malta?

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Of course. Um well, although structurally they are somewhat similar, uh they differ in terms of the amount uh and process. So starting with the MPRP. The MPRP is a program that requires a real estate uh component. So an individual can either acquire a property in Malta for at least 375,000 euros, or they can rent a property in Malta for 14,000 euros per uh per year for a minimum period of uh five years. Additionally, you then have government contributions. These, of course, are non-refundable. They differ depending on whether someone has acquired or uh leased a property. If someone acquires um the total contribution is going to be around uh 60,000. If it's a lease, it's going to increase around 110,000. Um and then there is a charitable donation, so a philanthropic contribution to a Maltese charity of 2,000 euros. Of course, this doesn't account for legal and procedural costs, uh, but this is the base uh of or the basic um requirements of the MPRP program. The CES, on the other hand, um, although it has a real estate component, it increases to 700,000 euros if someone wants to buy a property. And if they want to rent, it's 16,000 euros per year for a minimum period of five years. Uh the government contributions are also significantly higher. So we're looking at 750,000 euros uh for the main applicant with an additional 50,000 per family member. If um they go for the 12-month option, it's important to say that there is also an option that comes with a 150,000 euro discount. However, it is a 36-month option. But um most people, because of the timeline, often pick the 12-month. And then both options would also require a philanthropic donation. Uh this time it's 10,000 euros. Uh again, it doesn't include legal and procedural costs, uh, but these are the basic requirements of the of the program.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Aaron Powell Okay. Okay. Thank you. That's very good. Um now that we know the difference, we know the requirements, I think it would be good to um get the low down on the timeline for both residency and uh and the citizenship program.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

Aaron Powell Of course. Um and they are also distinct um because they're different application procedures. You actually apply to two different agencies. So the MPRP, you apply to it, uh or rather for it with the Malta residency uh agency. And the application time currently takes around eight months. Um what's great about both programs actually is the fact that you receive your pre-approval prior to making the investment. So you do have a um portion of the contribution which is paid ahead of time as a non-refundable deposit. But ultimately, if you do not receive an approval, um you would not be required to move forward with the investments. Uh but again, the MPRP, uh it currently has taken about eight months. They are uh doing their best to uh decrease uh that timeline. Uh and then once residency is obtained, it is going to be you will receive uh actually a certificate of permanent residency which is valid for life. You do need you do need to have a residential address in Malta in order to obtain a residency card, which is initially valid for three years and then renewable. Um however, uh again, as long as you continue having a residential address, you'll be able to renew it in perpetuity and be a permanent resident of Malta for life.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Can you pass it on to descendants?

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Um you can pass it on to uh to children, yes. Uh there would be an additional contribution required, um, but it is something that you can pass on to your dependents. Uh, even your children, if eventually they get married, uh, so long as an additional contribution is made, they can pass it on to their spouses uh as well. Uh and then on the other hand, we have the CES uh program. Um as I mentioned initially, it currently has taken around 15 to 18 months time. However, um the breakdown of that uh timeline includes an initial three-month period for the application, gathering of the documents, because it is uh a process that has an expedited time to citizenship. It requires a lot of due diligence on the government side. So we need to prepare with the legal team on the ground, of course, um, all the different paperwork. Once the application is submitted, you will receive a residency card typically within a month and a half to two months, sometimes three months. Uh that's when the residency period begins. So in this case, you know, either 12 or 36 months. During this time, we do the eligibility um requirements of the um of the process. At this point, it's taking north of six months for that to be approved. Only once it is approved do you then make the government contributions. Okay, so you don't need to make those large contributions until you receive your approval in principle. And then once you reach the end of the 12-month, you would move forward with the citizenship application process um and very quickly have a passport in hand.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Yeah, I think that's the end goal for everyone. Um right, so I did get a good um overview of the uh the programs in Malta. But now I want to know how do these programs there in Malta compare with other popular, popular EU programs, uh, especially Spain and Portugal.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Okay. Um that's uh a very important question. And usually where we start the process with each client is understanding their options um in the continent. Um ultimately it comes down to timeline. Um, you know, what really sets Malta apart. Of course, you know, they have uh a geographic location which is enviable. They're uh quite literally in you know in the middle of the Mediterranean. So there's a lot to gain from that. Um diplomatic relations with most countries is typically very good. Uh but the the path to citizenship, the time to citizenship, or even permanent residency, if if you're looking at the MPRP program compared to programs like Portugal, like Spain, uh, are generally significantly faster. So we can look at Portugal, for example, where the path to citizenship uh requires at least five years residency in the country before you can file an application. So we're talking about several years uh of advantage um in terms of Malta. And then Spain, actually. Um the program unfortunately is coming to an end now in the beginning of April, so there wouldn't be sufficient time for anyone to move forward with an application there. Um but ultimately these are programs that require a bit more time spent uh in the country, a lot more patience uh during the residency stage in comparison to Malta, where things move generally much quicker.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Okay, that's good. Adoberto, thank you for breaking this down for us. Um unlike other EU countries where the naturalization process can take up to a decade, Malta offers one of the fastest pathways to full European citizenship. So it was great to hear how we can make this happen. And um, listeners can find out more about it on uh Global Citizen Solutions website. And thank you again. And if you like this discussion, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review and see you next time.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Thank you, Jusanne.