Malta Permanent Residency Programme 2025 (MPRP): Europe’s Strongest Golden Visa | Endevio

Published: July 23, 2025

Malta’s revamped Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) is now the fastest, most permanent, and most transparent route to EU residency, distinctly outperforming competing Golden Visa schemes from Portugal, Hungary, and Greece. With processing times measured in weeks and a certificate valid for life, Malta’s offer redefines what a ‘Golden Visa’ should mean. 

The Malta Permanent Residency Programme 2025 (MPRP) offers one of the fastest and most secure ways to gain permanent residency in the European Union. In a decisive move that has caught the attention of global investors, Malta has updated its Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) for 2025. The overhaul not only simplifies the application process but positions Malta as the most robust and investor-friendly residency offering in Europe. For investors and residency-by-investment advisors, this signals a shift in strategy away from volatile Golden Visa landscapes like Portugal, Hungary, and Greece, and toward Malta’s stability, clarity, and permanence. 

Rapid Temporary Residency: Immediate Access, Simplified Processing 

The standout feature is Malta’s introduction of the Temporary Residence Permit, issued within weeks of application. This offers immediate residency rights and legal presence in Malta while the permanent file is being processed. 

Since Malta forms part of the Schengen Area, this card provides seamless travel access across participating countries, entirely in line with EU law. 

A notable feature borrowed from Malta’s highly successful former Individual Investor Programme (MIIP) and subsequent MEIN initiative is the early issuance of residency cards. Under those previous citizenship-by-investment models, residency was granted immediately upon partial submission of documentation. The revised 2025 MPRP adapts this beneficial feature by requiring upfront submission of the full application but delivering temporary residency cards within weeks. This approach combines thorough documentation with rapid processing, distinctly surpassing delays found in countries such as Portugal, which now reportedly exceed three years, and Greece, where bureaucratic backlogs remain an ongoing challenge. 

Flexible Property Strategy, Zero Front-loaded Pressure 

Applicants can now rent a qualifying property and simultaneously enter a promise of sale agreement for eventual purchase. This removes the burden of immediate capital deployment and allows families to evaluate their long-term living or investment preferences in Malta before committing. 

The property thresholds remain unchanged: €14,000 per year for rental, or a minimum of €375,000 for purchase. This flexible framework ensures liquidity, control, and competitive market entry. 

Unlike fund-based models, the MPRP ties your investment to a tangible, appreciating asset; one you control, live in, or lease. 

Permanent Means Permanent, No Renewal Games 

This is not a two- or five-year renewable visa. Malta grants permanent residency; a certificate for life. There is no risk of shifting renewal criteria or investment obligations after approval. 

The only recurring cost is a €27.50 annual fee, covering the biometric card, which is reissued every five years due to biometric protocol. Additionally, applicants are required to maintain valid EU-compliant medical insurance throughout their residency, typically costing about €400–€600 per adult annually. The permanent certificate itself never expires. 

This predictability stands in stark contrast to the pattern in other countries. Portugal, for example, continues to promote a five-year naturalisation timeline, yet recent political debate and public uncertainty have raised concerns that this may extend to ten years, or be made increasingly difficult in practice. Investors are understandably frustrated by these shifting goalposts and the erosion of trust such ambiguity creates. Malta, by contrast, avoids such games; it plays by clear, consistent, and legally sound rules. 

Malta applies robust EU Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and due diligence checks, aligned with the EU’s Sixth AML Directive and monitored by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU). These standards, shaped by Malta’s regulatory evolution, have earned the country a reputation as a gold-standard jurisdiction in transparency and compliance. 

MPRP 2025 at a Glance 

Unparalleled Multi-Generational Inclusion 

Malta’s programme still accommodates five generations under one application ; The main applicant and their spouse or partner ; Parents and grandparents from both sides ; Children of the applicant and their partner ; Spouses or partners of those children ; Grandchildren. 

While a €7,500 fee applies to each adult dependant aged 18 and over, the value proposition remains unmatched in Europe; no other programme allows so many family members to secure lifetime EU residency through a single, streamlined process.

Property Usage: Investment Meets Lifestyle 

Regulatory changes now permit the Residency Malta Agency to issue guidelines on how applicants may use qualifying properties during periods of absence. This opens the door for policy to support property revenue generation, allowing the qualifying real estate to become an active asset rather than remaining idle throughout the holding period. 

Investors can now unlock real rental yields from their MPRP property; a welcome departure from prior restrictions. 

MPRP 2025 Cost Breakdown and Why It’s Competitive 

Malta has returned to a pricing structure that mirrors its original MPRP offer from 2021; the 2025 framework is only marginally higher and brings the programme much closer to its founding principles in terms of accessibility: €60,000 administrative fee, with €15,000 payable upon submission and the remaining €45,000 due within two months of Approval in Principle ; €37,000 contribution, fixed across property types ; €7,500 per dependant. 

Total base cost: €97,000, excluding property and professional fees. The philanthropic donation remains unchanged at €2,000; this modest contribution supports local causes and has always been part of the original structure. 

Final Word and Next Steps 

To explore how the Malta Permanent Residency Programme can specifically benefit you and your family, or to begin your application journey, contact Endevio directly for a personalised consultation and comprehensive support. 

Book a private consultation 

Agenzija Endevio Ltd is authorized to act as an Accredited Agent by Agenzija Komunita Malta through license number AKM-AGEN