The Malta Residence and Visa Programme (the Programme or MRVP) was introduced by virtue of legal notice 288 of 2015 and is aimed at individuals and their families who are not nationals of the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
The MRVP grants international investors or High Net Worth Individuals and their registered dependents the right to reside, settle or stay indefinitely in Malta (an EU Member State) and the right to travel within the Schengen Area of which Malta forms part. The certificate issued shall be monitored annually for the first five years from its issue and every five years thereafter.
The programme falls under the Immigration Act and is available to both the applicant and their dependents on condition that certain criteria are satisfied. As accredited agents we at Camilleri Cassar Advocates can assist and guide prospective applicants through all stages of the application process.
Minimum Criteria
In order for a person to be eligible to apply under the Programme he should be neither a permanent resident nor a long-term resident of Malta. The applicant must prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner for Revenue that he/she satisfies all the conditions set out below:
- The main applicant and his dependents are third country nationals and not Maltese, EU/EEA or Swiss nationals;
- The main applicant is at least eighteen (18) years of age;
- The main applicant and his/her dependents are in possession of a health insurance in respect of all risks across the whole of the European Union which are normally covered for Maltese nationals;
- The main applicant and his/her dependents are not persons who benefit under the Residents Scheme Regulations, The High Net Worth Individuals – EU/EEA/Swiss Nationals Rules, the Malta Retirement Programme Rules, the Residence Programme Rules, the Qualifying Employment in Innovation and Creativity Rules or the Highly Qualified Persons Rules;
- The main applicant is in receipt of stable and regular resources which are sufficient to maintain himself and his dependents without recourse to the social assistance system of Malta;
- The main applicant must have an annual income of not less than one hundred thousand euro (€100,000) arising outside of Malta or is in possession of capital of not less than five hundred thousand euro (€500,000);
- The main applicant must acquire and hold an immovable residential property in Malta, purchased for not less than three hundred and twenty thousand euro (€320,000) if situated in Malta, or two hundred and seventy thousand euro (€270,000) if situated in Gozo or in the South of Malta. Alternatively, the main applicant must lease a residential property in Malta for a minimum annual rent of twelve thousand euro (€12,000) per annum if the property is situated in Malta or ten thousand euro (€10,000) per annum if the property is situated in Gozo or in the South of Malta;
- The main applicant holds a qualifying investment for a minimum period of five years from the date of certificate having an initial value of two hundred and fifty thousand euro (€250,000);
- The main applicant must commit himself to making a one-time financial contribution of thirty thousand euro (€30,000) to the Government of Malta. A non-refundable application fee of five thousand five hundred euro (€5,500) constitutes a part-payment of this financial contribution;
Additional Criteria
Further to the criteria listed above the applicant and his dependents would be required to satisfy the following criteria:
- The main applicant and his/her dependents have a clean criminal;
- The main applicant and his/her dependents over the age of twelve have passed the due diligence test and are fit and proper persons;
- The main applicant and his/her dependents are in possession of a valid travel document;
- The main applicant or any of his/her dependents are not individuals indicted before an International Criminal Court or who appeared at any time before an International Criminal Court, whether such persons have been found guilty or otherwise by such Court;
- The main applicant and, or any of his/her dependents, are not persons listed with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) at the time of application;
- The main applicant and, or any of his/her dependents is not, or may not be a potential threat to national security, public policy or public health;
- The main applicant and, or any of his/her dependents shall not be an individual who, at any time, had pending charges related to crimes of terrorism, money laundering, funding of terrorism, crimes against humanity, war crimes, or crimes that infringe upon such Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as established by the European Convention on Human Rights, or who has been found guilty of any such crimes;
- The main applicant and, or any of his/her dependents is not an individual who has been found guilty or has charges brought against him regarding any of the criminal offences that disturb the good order of the family;
Eligible Dependents
The MRVP main applicant can also extend such application for his/her families who are of a reputable standing. The following dependents of the main applicant are eligible for consideration under this programme:
- The spouse of the main applicant in a monogamous marriage or in another relationship having the same or similar status to marriage;
- a child, including an adopted child, of the main applicant or of his spouse who is less than eighteen (18) years of age;
- a child of the main applicant or of his spouse who is between the age of eighteen and twenty-six years and who is not married and who proves, to the satisfaction of the Minister, that he is not economically active and is principally dependant on the said person;
- a parent or grandparent of the main applicant or of his spouse who proves to the satisfaction of the Minister that he is not economically active and is principally dependant on the said person;
- a child of the main applicant or of the spouse of the main applicant who is at least eighteen years of age, and who has been certified by a recognized medical professional as having a disability in terms of the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act and who is living with, and is fully supported by, the main applicant;
Documentation Required
The following documentation is to be submitted with the application:
- A certificate issued by an appropriate medical authority or doctor confirming that the main applicant and his dependents are no suffering from any contagious disease and that they are otherwise in good health;
- Clean criminal record issued by the Malta Police as well as by the competent authorities in the country of origin and in the country or countries of residence where the applicant has resided for a period of more than six months during the last ten years;
- Bank and or other references evidencing the fact that the main applicant and dependents are fit and proper persons;
- Tax factsheet;
- Undertaking to purchase or lease a qualifying residential property in Malta;
- Undertaking to make the qualifying investment of at least €250,000 in Malta;
- Undertaking to remit the financial contribution of €30,000;
- An affidavit of support by the main applicant for each dependent who is more than 18 years old.
Should you require any assistance in relation to the above, please contact us on info@camillericassar.com. A copy of the above translated into Mandarin or in Arabic is available upon request.