Malta · For your nationality or ancestry
Malta Maltese citizenship by descent
Maltese citizenship by registration for descendants of persons born in Malta (Maltese Citizenship Act Article 5(3))
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Maltese citizenship by descent is a for your nationality or ancestry route for Malta. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €150 ≈ $170
Cost, time and long term
Government fees€150 ≈ $170
- EUR 150 (≈ $170)Application fee for registration by descent (Forms I, K or M); a further EUR 50 (≈ $56) is payable when the certificate is collected.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Aġenzija Komunità Malta in Malta, or through a Maltese embassy or high commission abroad.
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- You were born outside Malta and are a descendant in the direct line of an ascendant born in Malta whose parent was also born in Malta.
- Where your parent is also such a descendant and was alive on 1 August 2028, you can be registered only if that parent has acquired Maltese citizenship under the Act.
- An ascendant or parent in the line who dies before 1 August 2028 and would have been entitled to citizenship is treated as having acquired it.
- Children of a Maltese parent born abroad on or after 1 August 1989 are citizens by birth; those born before then through the mother are entitled to register.
- Registration is refused if the Minister finds it contrary to the public interest.
What you must show1
- The fee is EUR 150 (≈ $170) on application and EUR 50 (≈ $56) on collection of the certificate.
Documents2
- Your full birth certificate showing parents' names, marriage certificate if applicable, current passport and a recent photograph.
- Birth and marriage certificates of your ascendants showing the direct link to two consecutive generations born in Malta.
Steps1
- Apply to Aġenzija Komunità Malta; applicants abroad contact a Maltese embassy or high commission, and foreign birth certificates are registered at the Public Registry.
After you arrive1
- Citizenship is granted on taking the oath of allegiance.
When you become tax resident
How Malta decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
Residence for the ordinary rates and the remittance basis follows residence and domicile in Malta under the Income Tax Act.
- Foreign-source income
Remittance basis (non-dom)
For a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Malta, income arising outside Malta is taxed only on the amount received in Malta and capital gains arising outside Malta are not taxed; Maltese-source income is taxed normally.
- Special regime
Not ordinarily resident or not domiciled · Tax relief
All tax rules for Malta Tax records checked
Full official text
A person born outside Malta who proves direct descent from an ancestor born in Malta whose parent was also born in Malta is entitled to be registered as a Maltese citizen after taking the oath of allegiance. This covers the second and later generations born abroad. The cut-off date in the Act is 1 August 2028: a parent in the line who is alive on that date must acquire citizenship first, while an ascendant or parent who dies before it is treated as having acquired it. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170) · Application fee for registration by descent (Forms I, K or M); a further EUR 50 (≈ $56) is payable when the certificate is collected. 2
Requirements
- You were born outside Malta and are a descendant in the direct line of an ascendant born in Malta whose parent was also born in Malta. 1 2
- Where your parent is also such a descendant and was alive on 1 August 2028, you can be registered only if that parent has acquired Maltese citizenship under the Act. 1
- An ascendant or parent in the line who dies before 1 August 2028 and would have been entitled to citizenship is treated as having acquired it. 1
- Children of a Maltese parent born abroad on or after 1 August 1989 are citizens by birth; those born before then through the mother are entitled to register. 1
- Registration is refused if the Minister finds it contrary to the public interest. 1
- The fee is EUR 150 (≈ $170) on application and EUR 50 (≈ $56) on collection of the certificate. 2
- Your full birth certificate showing parents' names, marriage certificate if applicable, current passport and a recent photograph. 2
- Birth and marriage certificates of your ascendants showing the direct link to two consecutive generations born in Malta. 2
- Apply to Aġenzija Komunità Malta; applicants abroad contact a Maltese embassy or high commission, and foreign birth certificates are registered at the Public Registry. 2
- Citizenship is granted on taking the oath of allegiance. 1
Stay
- Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Nationality
Open to people of any nationality descending in the direct line from an ancestor born in Malta whose parent was also born in Malta.
Work
A Maltese citizen may live and work in Malta and, as an EU citizen, across the EU and EEA.
Family
Minors are registered on application by the person with legal authority over them (Form M).
Official sources
- Maltese Citizenship Act (Chapter 188), Article 5 · Laws of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
- Acquisition of Citizenship – registration by descent · Aġenzija Komunità Malta · checked 2026-10-11
Maltese citizenship by descent and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maltese citizenship by descent | – | – | – |
| CPLP residence Portugal | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Spanish nationality by descent and option Spain | – | – | – |
| Italian citizenship by descent Italy | – | – | Yes |
| Greek citizenship by descent Greece | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Maltese citizenship by descent?
A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170). Application fee for registration by descent (Forms I, K or M); a further EUR 50 (≈ $56) is payable when the certificate is collected.
How long can I stay on the Maltese citizenship by descent?
Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Can I work on the Maltese citizenship by descent?
A Maltese citizen may live and work in Malta and, as an EU citizen, across the EU and EEA.
Can I bring my family on the Maltese citizenship by descent?
Minors are registered on application by the person with legal authority over them (Form M).
Is there a tax break for Maltese citizenship by descent holders in Malta?
Malta: not ordinarily resident or not domiciled - foreign-source income taxed only when received in Malta: For a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Malta, income arising outside Malta is taxed only on the amount received in Malta and capital gains arising outside Malta are not taxed; Maltese-source income is taxed normally. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Malta: not ordinarily resident or not domiciled - foreign-source income taxed only when received in Malta
Tax relief
Details
- On: Income arising outside Malta and received in Malta (remittance basis)
- Who: Not ordinarily resident in Malta, or not domiciled in Malta
For a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Malta, income arising outside Malta is taxed only on the amount received in Malta and capital gains arising outside Malta are not taxed; Maltese-source income is taxed normally.
Taxed on
Income arising outside Malta and received in Malta (remittance basis), plus all Maltese-source income and Maltese capital gains;.
Who it applies to
- Not ordinarily resident in Malta, or not domiciled in Malta (Income Tax Act proviso (i) and (ii)).
- Persons charged at 15 cents in the euro under article 56(11) are taxed only on Maltese-source income and capital gains and on foreign-source income received in Malta.
Exclusions
- Maltese-source income and Maltese capital gains are fully taxable.
- Foreign-source income that is received in Malta (including foreign-source income remitted) is taxed.
Tax residence
Status depends on ordinary residence and domicile as defined for Maltese tax law; visa status is not the test.
Visas
Independent of the immigration permit.
Other taxes
Social security contributions and VAT are separate; Nomad Residence Permit income rules are in a separate record.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Malta
Nationality or ancestry visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Maltese Citizenship Act (Chapter 188), Article 5 · Laws of Malta (legislation.mt) · checked 2026-10-11
- Acquisition of Citizenship – registration by descent · Aġenzija Komunità Malta · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.