You can become a Maltese citizen through one of four routes: naturalization after long-term residence, registration based on Maltese descent, registration through marriage to a Maltese citizen, or a discretionary grant for exceptional merit. Malta allows dual citizenship with no restrictions, so you do not have to give up your current nationality to get a Maltese passport, and citizenship in Malta gives you the right to live, work, and study anywhere in the European Union plus visa-free travel to more than 180 countries. Which route fits you decides the form, the fee, the documents, and how long you will wait.
The Four Routes
Malta’s Citizenship Act (Cap. 188) sets out each pathway with its own eligibility rules. Read them side by side before you start collecting paperwork, because the wrong form will send you back to the beginning.
Naturalization by Residence
This is the standard route for foreign nationals who have built a life in Malta. Under Article 10(1) of the Citizenship Act, you must have lived in Malta continuously for the 12 months immediately before your application, and for at least four years during the six years before that.1Global Citizenship Observatory. Malta Code CAP. 188 – Maltese Citizenship Act In practice that is roughly five years of residence inside a seven-year window, with the final year uninterrupted.
You also need to be at least 18, of good character, with adequate knowledge of Maltese or English, and the Minister must be satisfied you would be a suitable citizen.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship Good character is confirmed through police clearances and background checks.
Every naturalization application needs two sponsors, neither of them a relative. The first must come from a specified professional or official class: members of Parliament, judges, magistrates, advocates, notaries, medical practitioners, police inspectors or higher, Armed Forces officers of captain rank or higher, or parish priests. The second can be any Maltese citizen over 18 who was not naturalized themselves.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship Both signatures must be witnessed and countersigned.
You apply on Form E, submitted to the Community Malta Agency. The fee is €450 at submission, with €50 due when you collect your certificate.
Registration by Descent
If you were born abroad and have Maltese ancestry, registration is usually a stronger claim than naturalization because it rests on a legal right, not ministerial discretion. The rules differ by when you were born.
If you were born outside Malta before August 1, 1989, you qualify if your father was a Maltese citizen at the time of your birth, whether by birth, naturalization, or registration. The original law did not let mothers transmit citizenship, but later amendments created registration rights for people born to Maltese mothers.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship
If you were born on or after August 1, 1989, you qualify if either parent was a Maltese citizen by birth, naturalization, or registration when you were born. One limit matters: citizenship does not pass to the child of a parent who acquired Maltese citizenship solely through descent-based registration.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship
Amendments in 2007 opened registration to second and later generations born abroad. If you can trace a direct line to an ancestor born in Malta whose parent was also born in Malta, you can apply on Form K, or Form M for minors. Direct descendants use Form D. The fee is €150 at submission plus €50 on collection.
Registration by Marriage
Marriage to a Maltese citizen opens the door after at least five years of marriage, provided you and your spouse have lived together throughout that period. You do not need to have lived in Malta yourself; the requirement is about living together as a couple, not about where you reside.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship You must still be married to and living with your Maltese spouse when you apply.
The form is Form B. Expect to provide evidence of your shared life: joint lease agreements, joint bank accounts, or a joint affidavit. The fee is €150 plus €50 on collection.
Citizenship by Exceptional Merit
Malta’s former citizenship-by-investment program was struck down in April 2025 by the Court of Justice of the European Union. In July 2025, Parliament replaced it with a merit-based framework under a new Article 10(9) of the Citizenship Act.
The new route grants citizenship to people who render exceptional services or make exceptional contributions to Malta or humanity, including through job creation. It names scientists, researchers, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and technologists among the intended applicants. There is no fixed investment threshold, and money alone is not enough. Applications go to the Community Malta Agency, which conducts due diligence before an independent board evaluates the case and recommends a decision to the Minister of Justice, who has the final say. Applicants must already hold Maltese residency and must take the oath in Malta.3Leġiżlazzjoni Malta. Legal Notice 437 of 2020 – Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations, 2020 The Office of the Regulator oversees the process.4Office of the Regulator. Granting of Citizenship by Exceptional Merit Fee schedules and procedural details under the 2025 amendments are still settling, so check the Community Malta Agency’s site for current regulations before you file.
Documents You Will Need
The exact paperwork varies by route, but every application shares a common core. Get these ready first.
- Valid passport, plus all expired passports covering your period of Maltese residence if you are naturalizing.
- Full birth certificate showing both parents’ names.
- A recent passport-sized photograph.
- Police clearance certificates from every country where you have lived and from every country of your citizenship. The Community Malta Agency also runs its own background checks through international databases.
On top of that, each route has extras. Naturalization applicants need proof of residency (the Agency compiles a residence certificate from your passport history), evidence of English or Maltese language ability, and the sponsor declarations. Descent applicants need the birth and marriage certificates tracing the family line back to the two consecutive Malta-born generations, plus death certificates and registration certificates for deceased ancestors where relevant. Marriage applicants need the marriage certificate, a joint affidavit confirming five years of marriage and cohabitation, and supporting evidence of a shared life.
Any document not in English or Maltese must be officially translated. Depending on the issuing country, you may also need an apostille or consular legalization. Translations typically run €20 to €35 per page, and apostille fees generally fall between €10 and €30 per document.
What the Application Will Cost
- Naturalization by residence (Form E): €450 at submission, €50 on certificate collection.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship
- Registration by descent or marriage (Forms D, B, K, or M): €150 at submission, €50 on collection.
- Oath of allegiance: a nominal €2.33.
Translations, apostilles, and any foreign police-check fees sit on top of these government charges.
How to Apply
All citizenship applications go through the Community Malta Agency (Komunità Malta). Identità is a different agency, handling residence permits and identity documents, and confusing the two is a common early stumble.
For naturalization by residence, start by booking an appointment with the Agency so staff can compile your residence certificate from your passport records. Only once the Agency confirms you meet the residency threshold will it invite you to submit the full Form E application with supporting documents.2Aġenzija Komunità Malta. Acquisition of Citizenship If you were born abroad, the Agency issues a letter to the Director of Public Registry so your birth certificate can be registered in Malta; you present that letter along with your original birth certificate and an official English or Maltese translation.
For registration by descent or marriage, you submit the relevant form and supporting documents directly to the Agency. These routes tend to move faster than naturalization because the Agency is verifying documents rather than exercising judgment.
How Long It Takes
Naturalization by residence can take anywhere from one to seven years from submission to decision. Registration by descent or marriage is generally quicker, though overseas document verification can still stretch the timeline. If the Agency asks for additional documents, replying quickly is the single biggest thing you can do to keep your file moving.
The exceptional merit route involves a multi-tier due diligence review by the Agency, evaluation by an independent board, and a final ministerial decision. Timelines under the 2025 framework are not yet well established.
Oath of Allegiance and Getting Your Passport
Every route ends with the Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of Malta, taken in person at the Community Malta Agency’s offices in Malta.1Global Citizenship Observatory. Malta Code CAP. 188 – Maltese Citizenship Act The Agency will not issue your certificate until the oath is taken, so plan a trip if you are applying from abroad.
After the oath, the Agency issues your Certificate of Naturalization or Registration, and if you were born abroad it can arrange for your birth to be registered in Malta’s Public Registry. With that certificate in hand you apply to Identità for a Maltese passport and national ID card. The passport carries full EU travel rights, and the ID card serves as valid identification across the European Union. Applicants who received citizenship through the exceptional merit route remain subject to Agency monitoring for five years from the date of the oath.