Malta golden visa (MPRP permanent residence programme) by buying a home: total cost
Updated
How much does the Malta golden visa (MPRP) cost in 2026?
Malta's MPRP costs €99,000 in programme fees you never get back — €60,000 administration, €37,000 contribution and a €2,000 donation — plus a home of at least €375,000 or rent of €14,000 a year: about €500,646 all in for one person buying at the minimum. The fees are those of Legal Notice 146 of 2025 (22 July 2025), the minimums those of LN 310/2024; the €350,000 / €300,000 minimums and €28,000 / €58,000 contributions still quoted online are the 2021 rules. It gives permanent residence, not citizenship.
| 2021 (LN 121/2021) | From 1 Jan 2025 (LN 310/2024) | Now (LN 146/2025) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property minimum | €350,000 Malta; €300,000 south of Malta or Gozo | €375,000 | €375,000 |
| Rent minimum, a year | €12,000; €10,000 | €14,000 | €14,000 |
| Administration fee | €40,000 | €50,000 | €60,000 |
| Contribution — you buy | €28,000 | €30,000 | €37,000 |
| Contribution — you rent | €58,000 | €60,000 | €37,000 |
| Donation | €2,000 | €2,000 | €2,000 |
LN 146/2025 also applies to applications filed after 1 January 2025 and not yet decided when it came in.
Official rule: Malta: non-refundable administration fee EUR 60,000 for the main applicant (EUR 15,000 within a month of applying, EUR 45,000 within two months of approval in principle) (LN 146/2025). (source, checked 2026-10-12)
A €375,000 home in Malta costs a family of four about €500,646 all in — of which €99,000 are programme fees you never get back, plus 5% stamp duty. In return you get permanent residence in a Schengen country with no minimum stay. Spouse and children under 18 add no fee.
Not a valid document. Estimate for information only — not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change often and errors are possible. Confirm every figure with a licensed lawyer in the country before you pay anything.
Malta MPRP total, one person or a family of four: what the €500,646 is made of
The total is the same for one person and for a couple with children under 18: a spouse and minor children add no programme fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Property price (minimum) | €375,000 |
| Programme fees: administration €60,000, contribution €37,000, NGO donation €2,000 | €99,000 |
| Stamp duty 5% (buyer) | €18,750 |
| Notary, about 1.75% (estimate verify) | €6,562 |
| Searches and registration (estimate verify) | €600 |
| Architect's survey (estimate verify) | €500 |
| AIP permit (outside a Special Designated Area) | €233 |
| Total, all in | €500,646 |
Each dependant other than a spouse and children under 18 adds €7,500. Not included: the licensed agent's fee and health insurance.
The rules at a glance
| Minimum price | €375,000 anywhere in Malta or Gozo since 1 January 2025 (before: €350,000 / €300,000). Or rent for at least €14,000 a year. |
|---|---|
| Programme fees | Administration fee €60,000, government contribution €37,000, donation to a Maltese NGO €2,000 = €99,000; €7,500 for each other dependant. Non-refundable. |
| Capital test | Main applicant only: assets of at least €500,000 including €150,000 financial, or €650,000 including €75,000 financial (crypto excluded per law firms). |
| Minimum stay | None, apart from a visit for biometrics verify. |
| Permit | Permanent residence certificate, no end date; five years of yearly compliance declarations verify. The card renewal cycle is not stated in any source we read. |
| Family | Spouse, children under 18, dependent unmarried adult children (law firms say up to 28), disabled adult children, and dependent parents and grandparents of either spouse. |
| Renting the home out | Two law firms read the 2025 rules as allowing letting while you are not in Malta verify; an older source says no. Property bought with an AIP permit may not be rented out — so outside a Special Designated Area, plan not to let it. |
| Holding period | At least 5 years; after that you must still own or rent a home in Malta. |
| Citizenship | Not part of the programme: discretionary under the Citizenship Act — 12 months' residence before applying plus four years in the previous six, and Maltese or English. |
| Schengen | Yes — Malta is in Schengen. |
| Processing | Residency Malta's target is 4 to 6 months, currently slower; practitioners report 8–14 months for the whole journey verify. Applications go through a licensed agent to Residency Malta; refusals are final. |
| Last change | Legal Notice 146 of 2025, published 22 July 2025: current fees, for applications filed from 1 January 2025. |
| Not open to | Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Venezuela and some other countries (per law firms). |
Every cost, and who sets it
- Stamp duty 5%, paid by the buyer: 1% at the promise of sale, the rest on the deed.
- Notary about 1–2.5%; searches and registration about €600; architect's survey €400–600 verify.
- AIP permit €233 for a non-resident buying outside a Special Designated Area; issued within 35 days; one property only; minimum €174,274 for a flat or maisonette, €300,619 for anything else (reviewed every year).
- Administration fee €60,000: €15,000 within a month of applying, €45,000 within two months of approval in principle.
- Government contribution €37,000 within eight months of approval in principle — the same if you rent.
- NGO donation €2,000; €7,500 for each dependant other than spouse and minor children.
- No VAT is charged on residential sales (no source addresses new-build vs resale).
- Health insurance covering all risks in Malta/EU, and the licensed agent's fee — not in the total.
Older articles quote earlier fees: see the table at the top of this page for which figures belong to 2021, to January 2025 and to now.
What takes longer than expected
Malta's programme runs on a checked file: the agency's own target is 4 to 6 months, and it says it is currently slower than that. The papers, the due diligence and the property step after approval add the rest.
Family paperwork
Each married couple in the application needs a marriage certificate and each person a birth certificate; every dependant over 18 — adult children, parents or grandparents — signs a dated declaration that they depend on you. Anything not in English is translated into English, and a translation made outside Malta should itself be apostilled or legalised. Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when the file is submitted, so order them last.
Where are your documents from? Documents from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, India, Pakistan, China, Russia, the UK, the US, Canada, South Africa, the Philippines and the other countries in the Apostille Convention need an Apostille from the issuing country. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon and Nigeria are not in the Convention: their documents need full legalisation — first the issuing country's foreign ministry, then the Maltese consulate or embassy. Allow weeks for each stamp, per document and per family member. Pakistan joined the Convention in 2023 and Malta has not objected, so an Apostille from Pakistan works here (Greece is different — see its page).
The whole timeline, not just the decision
| Step | What the rules say | What people report |
|---|---|---|
| Documents and due diligence | Police certificates less than 6 months old when the file goes in | Gathering and certifying papers often takes a few months |
| Decision on the application | Residency Malta's target: 4 to 6 months from a complete and correct file — the agency says rising numbers are currently affecting that promise | No current official figure |
| After the approval in principle | 8 months to buy or rent the home and pay the contribution, then biometrics in Malta | — |
| The whole journey | No official figure | About 8–14 months for a clean application verify |
The bank account
The programme texts we read do not ask for a Maltese bank account: fees are paid by direct debit from the account you declare in the application. If you want a local account anyway, expect an appointment in person and extra checks for a non-EU citizen.
Advice from someone who is not selling you the home
In Malta you cannot apply on your own: every application goes through an agent licensed by Residency Malta — an accountant, auditor, lawyer or financial adviser with indemnity insurance and a licence renewed every year. The agent handles the file, not the property: the home is bought or rented separately, often through an estate agent or developer paid by the seller. Check the agent's licence, ask how they are paid, and have the property contract checked by someone you pay yourself.
How to apply, step by step
- Choose a licensed agent registered with Residency Malta — applications can only be filed through one.
- Check the capital test (€500,000 incl. €150,000 financial, or €650,000 incl. €75,000) and gather proof of where the money came from.
- File the application; pay €15,000 of the administration fee within a month.
- After due diligence you receive a Letter of Approval in Principle: pay the remaining €45,000 within two months.
- Within eight months buy (at least €375,000) or rent (at least €14,000 a year) a home, pay the €37,000 contribution and the €2,000 donation, and arrange health insurance. Outside a Special Designated Area apply for the AIP permit first.
- Travel to Malta for biometrics; receive the residence certificate and cards.
- Keep the property at least five years and file the yearly compliance declarations.
Official sources
- Legal Notice 146 of 2025 — current MPRP fees (legislation.mt)
- Legal Notice 310 of 2024 — €375,000 property, €14,000 rent, capital test
- Legal Notice 121 of 2021 — the MPRP regulations (donation, five-year holding, agents, dependants)
- Malta Tax and Customs Administration — AIP permit for non-resident buyers (FAQ)
Other countries: all four countries compared · can a non-EU citizen buy a home in each EU country? · routes that need no property
Before you rely on this: what to confirm
These points rest on a law firm, a commercial source or a single source, or the official page could not be read. Ask a licensed lawyer to confirm them against the official tariff or law before you pay anything.
- Every fee against residencymalta.gov.mt (the agency's site could not be read; figures are from the legal notices and three law firms).
- Whether you may let the home — and that AIP property may not be let.
- The 5% stamp-duty rate and notary fees for your price.
- The card renewal cycle and the €30,000 minimum health cover cited by one source.
- This year's AIP minimum values.
Questions people ask
Can I rent instead of buying in Malta?
Yes — in Malta, a rental of at least €14,000 a year qualifies. The programme fees are the same.
Do I have to live in Malta?
In Malta, no minimum stay is required apart from a visit for biometrics. You must keep the property for at least five years.
Can I rent out the property?
In Malta, law firms read the 2025 rules as allowing letting while you are away, but a property bought with an AIP permit (outside Special Designated Areas) may not be rented out.
How to get Malta passport?
Not by investing: Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme was ruled contrary to EU law by the EU Court of Justice on 29 April 2025 and abolished. A passport now comes only through discretionary naturalisation under the Maltese Citizenship Act: 12 months' residence before applying plus four years in the previous six, and adequate Maltese or English. The MPRP gives permanent residence, not citizenship.