For births on or after 1 August 1989, birth in Malta confers citizenship only where a parent has the qualifying citizenship or status required by the Act.
Sources: Community Malta Agency — Acquisition of Citizenship
Registration as a spouse after five years of marriage and cohabitation.
Sources: Community Malta Agency — Acquisition of Citizenship
Malta provides registration routes for specified family situations, including descendants in the direct line where the relevant line includes two consecutive ascendants born in Malta, and for certain second or subsequent generations born abroad. A foreign spouse of a Maltese citizen may also qualify for registration after five years of marriage, subject to the applicable conditions.
Sources: Community Malta Agency — Acquisition of Citizenship
An adult may apply after residing in Malta throughout the twelve months immediately before the application and for an aggregate of at least four years during the preceding six years. The applicant must also meet character and language requirements. Naturalization remains a ministerial, discretionary decision rather than an entitlement after five calendar years.
Sources: Community Malta Agency — Acquisition of Citizenship
Malta discontinued the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services programme following the Court of Justice of the European Union judgment. Current exceptional-merit naturalization is a discretionary route based on genuine exceptional service or contribution and residence; it should not be represented as a direct citizenship-by-investment product.
Sources: Government of Malta — citizenship programme discontinued · Community Malta Agency — amendments to the Citizenship Act · Community Malta Agency — naturalisation on the basis of merit
Immediate permanent residence via property, a government contribution, and a donation.
Sources: Malta Permanent Residence Programme — Residency Malta
One-year renewable residence permit for non-EU remote workers with foreign employers or clients.