Malta’s Citizenship Plan Rejected by EU’s Top Court

Malta's golden passport plan, which includes citizenship, has been rejected by the EU's top court.

The controversial system, which allowed foreigners to effectively purchase European Union citizenship in exchange for a $690,000 investment, increased security concerns and was found to be unlawful by the EU's highest court.

This program offered people the opportunity to obtain Maltese citizenship — and therefore the right to work across the EU — even if they had no family ties or home in the country.

The court rejected the golden passport practice by stating:

“It cannot be considered that actual residence in the territory of the Republic of Malta is a fundamental criterion for the granting of citizenship under this scheme.”

Malta’s golden passport practice was the last one remaining within the bloc, following the discontinuation of similar schemes in Southern Cyprus in 2020 and Bulgaria in 2022.

Portugal narrowed its golden visa program in 2023 by removing the real estate investment requirement in an effort to prevent property speculation. The Netherlands followed suit by ending its golden visa practice in January 2024, and Spain has also pledged to remove the golden visa option for real estate investors.

Other countries still offer “golden visas,” a narrower system that grants residence permits to those willing to pay, but these are also under scrutiny.

Source: Euronews Türkçe Photo: AP