The Malta Government has officially announced ending of Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services programme for financial investments aligning the Maltese citizenship act bringing in line with the CJEU judgment C-181/23 of 29 April 2025.
The Malta CBI program after running for 11 years being the last remaining EU citizenship by investment scheme, has been discontinued by government and replaced by a merit based system for naturalization for exceptional services or contributions made by scientists, researchers, sports persons, artists, cultural scholars, entrepreneurs, philanthropists who are of special interest to Malta.
“We are reinforcing the part of the law that allows the country to grant citizenship on the basis of merit”
-Minister Byron Camilleri
since its inception in 2015, the CBI legislative framework has directly generated over €1.4 billion in revenue for Malta. These funds have always been divided between the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), through which several beneficial projects and investments were and continue to be carried out, and the Consolidated Fund.
Malta launched the first citizenship by investment scheme in 2014 (under ‘Individual investor programme (IIP)’), and naturalised several thousand investors and their family members aimed at attracting growing number of high-net-worth individuals who are willing to invest and relocate to Malta. At the end of 2020, Malta replaced IIP with a new scheme (the ‘Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment’ scheme), after the original one came close to reaching its limit of 1,800 successful main applicants. The Granting of Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment is regulated by the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations (S.L. 188.06).
The Commission initiated proceedings that the granting of EU citizenship for pre-determined payments or investments without any genuine link with the Member States concerned, undermines the essence of EU citizenship.
For those HNW investors who missed the opportunity applying for Maltese citizenship by investing, there will not be another chance. However doors remain open to apply for Maltese Golden visa (PR) program (donation or real estate route).
