The Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalisation (MEIN) is technically a *residency-then-naturalisation* programme — you become a resident first and are granted citizenship after the qualifying period.
The two routes differ in qualifying period, not in physical-presence requirement:
• 36-month route: €600,000 contribution
• 12-month route: €750,000 contribution
In both cases, the official requirement is to *establish genuine ties* with Malta — not a strict day-count. In practice, Community Malta Agency expects you to maintain an active residential address (the property you bought or leased), pay residency-related fees, hold valid health insurance, and have demonstrable links such as bank accounts and a tax-number. Most successful applicants visit several times during the qualifying period rather than living in Malta full-time.
The practical minimum I see clients spend is roughly 4–6 weeks across the qualifying period, distributed across several visits. Anyone treating it as a pure paperwork exercise without any physical presence risks an enhanced-eligibility review at the citizenship stage.
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