Maltese citizenship for exceptional services
The investment scheme was closed by the Court of Justice of the EU in 2025. What remains is discretionary naturalisation for exceptional services — we assess the chances of your case individually.
The Court of Justice of the EU judgment in Case C-181/23 of 29 April 2025 held the MEIN scheme to be in breach of EU law (confirmed on curia.europa.eu and eur-lex.europa.eu). On 24 July 2025 the Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act XXI of 2025) was published in Malta Government Gazette No. 21,474 — the former investment scheme has been repealed, confirmed independently via komunita.gov.mt and via the law firms Chetcuti Cauchi and Mondaq.
The new discretionary route has only been in force for a few months (since July 2025) — no official statistics on processing times have accumulated yet. The 12–18 months shown on the site is a guide figure from the old scheme, not a guarantee for the new format.
Why Maltese citizenship by investment can no longer be bought
On 29 April 2025 the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the EU handed down its judgment in Case C-181/23 “Commission v Malta”: the scheme granting Maltese citizenship in exchange for predetermined payments or investments was held to be contrary to EU law.
The Court's reasoning was that citizenship of the Union rests on mutual trust between member states, and that trading in national citizenship undermines that trust. On 24 July 2025 Malta published amendments to its citizenship act — the former investment scheme has been repealed.
Passports already issued are not being revoked. The judgment has no retroactive effect: those who already obtained Maltese citizenship under the old scheme keep it.
What naturalisation for exceptional services is
The route in force is discretionary naturalisation for exceptional services to Malta. “Discretionary” is the key word here: the decision is taken by the Maltese authorities at their own discretion, assessing the profile of the particular person.
This route has no fixed investment threshold and no set processing time. Naming a sum and a date in advance is impossible — anyone who names them is passing their own assumptions off as fact.
The format has been running since July 2025 and no official statistics on timelines have accumulated yet. So the only honest first step is to go through the profile and assess the chances, not to promise an outcome.
Who this route is worth considering for
Worth looking into
This option- A recognised contribution to science, culture, sport or the economy
- A public reputation that independent sources confirm
- Readiness for a long process with unpredictable timings
Not worth it
- Counting on a fixed sum and a guaranteed timeline
- Needing an EU passport quickly
- No verifiable merits beyond the size of the investment
If what you need is an EU passport specifically, it makes more sense to compare naturalisation routes through residence permits in other Union countries — that takes longer, but it is predictable.
What the service includes
| Assessment of the case's chances | |
| Strategy and documents | |
| Support throughout | |
| A guarantee of approval (the route is discretionary)— billed separately |
How the process runs
12–18 months- Шаг 1Разбираем профиль: чем подтверждаются заслуги и как они выглядят со стороны мальтийских властей.
- Шаг 2Честная оценка шансов. Если профиль не проходит — говорим об этом сразу и предлагаем альтернативы.
- Шаг 3Стратегия и сбор доказательной базы по заслугам.
- Шаг 4Проверка биографии и происхождения средств.
- Шаг 5Подача и сопровождение.
What we need from you
- 1An exceptional contribution or service (assessed at the authorities' discretion)
- 2A clean background, due diligence
Frequently asked questions
Can Maltese citizenship by investment still be obtained in 2026?
If an application was filed under the old scheme before April 2025 — what happens to it?
What are the chances on the “exceptional services” route?
Citizenship by investment: other options
Compare terms in other countries and delivery formats.
Ready to start?
Send an enquiry — we will check your case and help you arrange “Maltese citizenship for exceptional services” in Malta. No markup on top.