Citizen by Merit (Act XXI of 2025 + Legal Notice 159 of 2025)
Citizenship in Malta
- Eligibility
- Persons of exceptional services or contributions to Malta or of exceptional interest to the Republic. Substantive (not transactional) criteria.
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
MT-INV-CITIZEN-BY-MERIT-2025 — Citizen by Merit (post-CJEU replacement, Act XXI/2025). Bucket INV. Eligibility: Persons of exceptional services or contributions to Malta or of exceptional interest to the Republic. Active since 2025-07-24.
Legal basis
Article 10(9) of Maltese Citizenship Act Cap. 188 — discretionary naturalisation framework. Historical: MIIP under Act XV/2013 + S.L. 188.05 (REPEALED); MEINS under LN 437/2020 + S.L. 188.06 (CJEU-INVALIDATED 2025-04-29 by C-181/23). Current: Citizen by Merit under Act XXI/2025 + Legal Notice 159/2025 (effective 30 July 2025). Maltese Citizenship Act (Chapter 188 of the Laws of Malta) — originally enacted as Act XXX of 1965, effective 21 September 1965 (Independence Day). Amendment cascade: Act III/1989 (mother-line transmission, retroactive), Act XXVI/2000 (unrestricted dual nationality), Act IV/2007 (Art 7 descendant registration + Art 3(5) live-ancestor anchor), Act XV/2013 (MIIP framework), Act XXI/2025 (Art 10(9) Citizen by Merit).
Primary statute: Maltese Citizenship Act Chapter 188 of the Laws of Malta. Foundational text dates from 1965 enactment but key cascade-significant amendments are: Act III of 1989 (mother-line transmission); Act III of 2000 (dual nationality permitted 2000-02-10); Act IV of 2007 (foreign-born descendants with pre-1965 connection — 2007-08-01 anchor); Act IX of 2014 (civil unions); Act XXIII of 2017 (marriage equality). CIP statutory layer: Legal Notice 47 of 2014 (MIIP — Malta Individual Investor Programme); LN 437 of 2020 (MEIN — Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalisation, replacing MIIP). Cross-reference: Komunità Malta replaced Identity Malta Agency under the 2020 restructuring.
Example scenarios
ELIGIBLE — Article 10(9) Citizen by Merit (a) exceptional services + (b) exceptional interest
Substantive contribution criteria clearly met; LN 159/2025 application framework applies.
POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE — substantive contribution case-by-case
Citizen by Merit emphasises substantive contribution; investment with substantive job-creation may qualify; pure investment without substantive Malta connection unlikely.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-05.
Track changes to this route
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