Today we are taking a trip to one of the most beautiful European islands, to Malta. However, it is not going to be a common tourism trip as our main travel purpose will be business and investments only. However, before we go any further and explore business opportunities and procedures that you need to go through, let us first of all, learn more about this small yet charming country. Located right between Sicily and the North African coast, beautiful Malta is an archipelago in the central part of the Mediterranean Sea. It's a country recognized for ancient sites dating back to the Romans, French, and British monarchs. Malta is the biggest island in the Mediterranean and serves as a cultural, economic, and organizational hub. Gozo is the second biggest island and is more rural, with fishing, tourism, and main crafts as its main industries. The smallest of the three islands, Comino, is mainly deserted. There is plenty to see and do, with excellent weather, beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and 7,000 years of fascinating history. So, as you can be sure, the country has just incredible tourism potential, but why would someone want to establish a business in Malta, and why is the country slowly becoming a favourite place for entrepreneurs. Malta has developed a perfect business climate conducive to meeting the needs of the global investment market. It has significant and very reliable ties to Europe, North Africa, and other parts of the world and an open foreign direct investment policy. This article will talk about all the Malta investor visa requirements and to answer some very important questions such as "How to get a visa for Malta?" and "What is Malta investor visa?"
In 1974, the nation declared independence from the United Kingdom, and just after a couple of decades, in 2004, it became a member of the European Union. We will not be making any mistakes if we say that the country has definitely gone through several rounds of economic development since then. Given the scarcity of natural resources on the island, it was clear from the start of the country's industrialization that its labor would be the most valuable resource accessible to its expanding economy. To this aim, massive investments in education and training have been made over the previous six decades to assure the most effective outcomes. So, that is why today Malta's major advantage is its adaptable and well professionalized multilingual workforce, which helps to maintain the country's competitive edge by producing high-quality goods at low costs compared to continental Europe. How to invest in Malta? Malta has a strong foundation for economic development and prosperity thanks to extensive infrastructure development and educational investment. To conduct business in Malta, a variety of business structures are available. The liberal legal system allows a foreign business's abroad branches to be included in the definition of a corporation in Malta. Malta's clear, completely onshore, and incredibly competitive tax structure is unquestionably a key component in luring investment. More than 70 Double Taxation Treaties back a fully compliant system with European Union regulations. It is also worth knowing that the Maltese tax system, like that of all European nations, taxes people based on their domicile and residency rather than their citizenship. A stay of at least 183 days in any one year will be required for tax reasons. Non-residents must pay tax only on income and capital gains earned in Malta.
Even though there are endless business opportunities in Malta that you could be engaged in, we believe that two of the spheres attracting rising attention right now in Malta are tourism and real estate. Malta's real estate market has exploded in recent years, providing investors with great investment possibilities and significant profits. There is always a suitable option for you, whether you want to reside in Malta or have a rental property. And meanwhile, when it comes to tourism, Malta is genuinely a Mediterranean jewel and one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions. People worldwide have been drawn to it because of its rich history, culture, and breathtaking beauty. Hotel, guesthouse, restaurant, bar, and tourist investments are particularly profitable. So, it is always worth to make a little research before your Malta investor visa application procedure. The Malta investor visa program permits entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals to live in Malta and establish an enterprise and basically to be part of any business activity. Malta investor visa program also gives foreigners a very valuable chance of actually receiving a permanent residence in Malta with their immediate family. Now that we have already agreed that Malta is one of the best countries in Europe before you pack your business suit you there still is one thing that you need to consider and, yes, you are right, we are talking about Malta investor visa! Who can apply for this visa, and what is a Malta investor visa?
In short, we can say that the Malta Investor Visa and the whole procedure's main goal is to attract reputable persons and businessmen who are not citizens of any European Union countries and are not long-term residents or residents of Malta under another residency program. A primary candidate must be at least 18 years old and fulfill all of the Malta immigration conditions stated below to be deemed eligible for investor citizenship, which a Maltese federal government agency administers. And what are the other Malta investor visa requirements? Applicants must present a police certificate confirming a clean criminal background in addition to the qualifying investment. Malta's government performs thorough criminal background investigations with INTERPOL and other agencies. Before being granted Maltese citizenship, candidates must additionally present a police certificate as part of the due diligence procedure. To be eligible for Malta citizenship through investment, the primary candidate must spend a minimum of €650,000 in a development fund established by the Maltese government. Spouses and children must each contribute €25,000, while unmarried children aged 18 to 25 and their dependant parents must each give €50,000. As an applicant, you should also agree to the term to make a qualifying investment of at least €250,000 that will be kept for at least 5 years. It is also very important that applicants should be able to demonstrate that they are free of infectious illnesses before being granted citizenship by investment in Malta. Until they are awarded citizenship, all candidates must be covered by a global health insurance plan. Although how much is Malta visa fee? Following the acceptance of Maltese residence, a €10,000 payment as a Malta investor visa cost is required for citizenship's extraordinary investment. However, to receive a residence permit that allows you to stay and work in Malta, the primary applicant's Resident Permit charge is €5,000. Each family member's Malta investor visa cost is €1,000. Applicants must also show that they have a so-called genuine relationship with the island. The real link test guarantees that both the primary and dependent candidates may show a true connection to the jurisdiction via their personal, social, charitable, and business activities.
But what are the causes that might, unfortunately, disqualify applicants from considering the Malta investor visa? Firstly, if a person does not have a clean police record, then that automatically makes them completely ineligible to apply for the Malta Residence and Visa Programme. The same applies, as we have mentioned above, to the cases where a foreigner is on Interpol's wanted list or is deemed a possible threat to national security, the public policy of the Maltese government.
And if you are still not sure how influential starting your business in Malta will be for you, let me remind you that the freedom to travel, live, work, and study anywhere in the European Union is one of the EU's fundamental laws. Citizens and holders of Maltese passports are free to move in any of the EU's 28 member states. In short, applicants and their families who get citizenship in Malta enjoy full EU citizenship rights, including the ability to live, work, and study anywhere in the European Union. On top of all these benefits that come with residency, taxation of the income is very pleasant too. The Malta Investor Visa Program beneficiaries who are not domiciled but reside in Malta are taxed on a remittance basis. Non-domiciled inhabitants of Malta are taxed solely on foreign source income sent to Malta, and only to the degree that income is submitted. Individuals are not taxed on capital sent to Malta from abroad. Also, good news for some of our readers: Maltese law does not require individuals who gain second citizenship by investing in Malta to give their first citizenship up. There are no limitations on dual nationality in Malta.