Malta residency for Chinese citizens.

From
$421k
Permit in
—
Passport in
No
Index score
58

Chinese passport Today: visa required. Residency changes that.

For Chinese citizens

What is different for Chinese citizens.

2 open routes

The routes to living in Malta.

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

Changed58

changed 2025: Legal Notice 146 of 2025 set one €37,000 contribution for buy or rent

Minimum
€375,000 · about $421k
What counts
Buy a qualifying home for €375,000+ or rent for €14,000+/yr (Malta or Gozo), held 5 years and a home kept after that; plus €37,000 government contribution, €60,000 non-refundable administrative fee and €2,000 donation to a registered local NGO; capital assets of €500,000 (€150,000 financial) or €650,000 (€75,000 financial); €500 residence card fee per person
Processing
Not published
Permit
5 years, permanent residence; residence card covers 5 years
Time you must spend there
none listed by Residency Malta
Path to a passport
The permit is permanent residence from the start; the route itself sets no timetable for citizenship.
Family
up to four generations: spouse, children, parents and grandparents; €7,500 fee per adult dependant (spouse excluded)
Tax
Residents who are not domiciled in Malta pay tax on foreign income only when it is brought into Malta; foreign capital gains are not taxed

Official source · Second source · checked 2026-10-20

Global Resident Status (tax status; formerly the Global Residence Programme)

Changed53

changed on 1 Jan 2027: the Global Residence Programme became Global Resident Status under the Individual Tax Programme Rules 2026 (Legal Notice 195 of 2026), with higher property, rent and minimum-tax thresholds; status granted or applied for by 31 Dec 2026 keeps the old terms until 31 Dec 2031

Minimum
€700,000 · about $785k
What counts
Own a qualifying home in Malta or Gozo bought for €700,000+, or rent one for €14,000+ a year; €8,500 application fee; stable and regular resources, sickness insurance valid across the EU and an authorised registered mandatary; for nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland
Processing
Not published
Permit
5 years, renewable: for further 5-year periods (€2,500 renewal fee)
Time you must spend there
no fixed days in Malta, but must not stay in any other country for more than 183 days in a calendar year
Path to a passport
No set path to permanent residence or citizenship through this route.
Family
spouse or partner, minor children, children under 25 who are not economically independent, and adult children who cannot support themselves because of serious illness or disability
Tax
15% on foreign income remitted to Malta, with a minimum tax of €35,000 a year

Official source · Second source · checked 2026-10-20

Citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment

Closed

closed 2025-07-24 (Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Act XXI of 2025, after the EU Court of Justice ruling of 29 Apr 2025 in case C-181/23); replaced by a discretionary citizenship-by-merit route with no fixed investment

Minimum
No minimum
What counts
Former route: contribution plus property and donation, with 1-3 years' residence
Processing
Not published
Permit
Not published
Time you must spend there
No rule published
Path to a passport
No set path to permanent residence or citizenship through this route.
Family
Not published
Tax
Not published

Official source · Second source · checked 2026-10-20

Residency rules, thresholds and fees change often, sometimes without notice. Everything here is general information, checked on the date shown, not legal, tax or immigration advice: confirm with the official source and a licensed adviser before you act. Continental sells property; we don’t arrange visas or residency.

Short answers

What people ask.

Can Chinese citizens get residency in Malta by buying property?
Yes. Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): from €375,000 (about $421k). Buy a qualifying home for €375,000+ or rent for €14,000+/yr (Malta or Gozo), held 5 years and a home kept after that; plus €37,000 government contribution, €60,000 non-refundable administrative fee and €2,000 donation to a registered local NGO; capital assets of €500,000 (€150,000 financial) or €650,000 (€75,000 financial); €500 residence card fee per person Global Resident Status (tax status; formerly the Global Residence Programme): from €700,000 (about $785k). Own a qualifying home in Malta or Gozo bought for €700,000+, or rent one for €14,000+ a year; €8,500 application fee; stable and regular resources, sickness insurance valid across the EU and an authorised registered mandatary; for nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland
Is the Malta golden visa still available?
Citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment is closed (closed 2025-07-24 (Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Act XXI of 2025, after the EU Court of Justice ruling of 29 Apr 2025 in case C-181/23); replaced by a discretionary citizenship-by-merit route with no fixed investment). Open today: Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP); Global Resident Status (tax status; formerly the Global Residence Programme).
How long does it take?
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): the authorities publish no processing time. The permit runs 5 years, permanent residence; residence card covers 5 years.
Does it lead to citizenship?
The permit is permanent residence from the start; the route itself sets no timetable for citizenship.

Read it for your passport

Malta residency, passport by passport.

Where we can help

Our markets, where a home can count.

We don’t sell homes in Malta. These are the countries where we do, and where buying one can count towards residency.

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