Access USA and Canada with Malta Citizenship

Malta’s Citizenship by Investment Programme is one of the quickest ways of gaining direct EU citizenship through investment. Established in 2014, the programme has raised almost $1 billion in revenue so far and has many benefits. A Maltese passport gives applicants the ability to live, work and study in any EU country, as well as visa-free and visa on arrival access to over 180 countries.

There are a number of Citizenship by Investment programmes available which grant visa-free travel worldwide, so what is so special about Malta?

Malta’s IIP programme has the added benefit of travel to the USA and Canada, which many of the alternative programmes do not offer. Malta is one of just 38 countries worldwide which are privileged to be included in the USA’s visa waiver programme. This means citizens of any of these 38 countries can travel to the USA for business or pleasure and spend up to 90 days at a time without having to apply for a visa. All that is needed is an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) which is a simple online automated system which should be completed no less than 72 hours before travel. A similar process is required for Canada. As well as the benefits mentioned above, Malta also has some favourable tax laws.

The Citizenship by Investment programmes (IIP) requires an investment between €880,000 – $1,150,000 + costs. Investment into three areas must be made. A Government contribution of €650,000,  an investment of €150,000 into Government bonds and a real estate transaction. The real estate requirement can be fulfilled via a five-year rental lease at €16,000 p.a, or an outright property purchase for a minimum of €350,000. Processing time is around 12 months, making it one of the quicker options available in Europe. This is an ideal solution for High Net Worth Investors looking for a European passport in a short space of time that will allow them to also gain better access to the USA and Canada. For more details on the programme, please contact our team.