“As much as I love living in Jordan, the rising tensions in the region force me to look for security in a second home. With the restrictions of a Jordanian passport and some family in Europe, I knew I needed a passport with the freedom to travel comfortably.”
Mr Ibrahim
Mr. and Mrs. Ibrahim are a newlywed couple from Jordan who had to address the rising tensions building up in the region. They knew not to take the calm before the storm for granted and had to start working on a plan b quickly.
As Jordanian citizens, they have limited options for travel and their future children will have limited access to great healthcare or education. The Ibrahim family did their research and figured that they should reach out to an agency to get an expert opinion.
“With Mirabello Consultancy as our partner, we got right into work. They were very understanding of our situation and walked us through the entire process. We were very confident that we were making the right decision.”
Why Malta?
The primary options for European Union citizenship by investment are Malta, Portugal, and Greece. Each requires prior residency, but Malta offers a faster path, with eligibility for citizenship in as little as one year. In contrast, Portugal and Greece require over five years of residency before one can apply.
With time being crucial, the Ibrahim family chose to fast-track their EU citizenship journey and begin the process immediately.
Acquiring Residency in Malta
Getting residency in Malta is the first step towards citizenship. We gave the Ibrahim family the rundown of what documents were to be prepared and submitted, the costs of residency, and the time it would take. The process started with due diligence, checking their backgrounds to ensure they would qualify to apply for a Malta Residency Visa. With no criminal record or suspicious activity, we started gathering all the needed paperwork to begin the formal application.
Initial Investment for Malta Residency
With the Malta residency pre-approval on its way, we needed to find a long term rental property to show that the family was ready to reside in Malta. The Ibrahim family was informed that they would have to spent consecutive days in Malta to fulfill the residency requirement to which they replied, “sounds like a good time for a vacation.”
Finding a Long Term Rental Property
The requirements for renting a property for residency in Malta are straightforward. Properties in the north of Malta must be rented for at least EUR 16,000 per year while properties in the south and on the island of Gozo can be rented for at least EUR 12,000 annually.
Since they were planning on getting citizenship as well, the place they were going to rent was to serve as a second home. Working with our local realtor agency partner, we managed to find an apartment in Sliema which is one of the more popular parts of Malta for expats. They were happy to be somewhere where they wouldn’t mind living for extended periods of time and was within their budget.
Obtaining Their Residence Permit
As soon as they got their residency approval, they got their mandatory health insurance and paid for all fees. After their biometric tests, they were handed their Malta Residency Card and could move on to preparing for their citizenship application. Now being a Maltese residence, the family can enjoy visa free travel to any Schengen Country for the validity of their residency card.
Benefits of Residency for the Ibrahim Family
“We couldn’t believe how rich Malta’s culture was, and how familiar it seemed.” Not only does Malta have some loan words from Arabic, but it also has a Middle Eastern influence in its architecture, being geographically close to the Middle East.
The Ibrahim family enjoyed residing in Malta for pleasure and returned back to Jordan for business when necessary. When receiving a residency visa, it automatically allowed the family to travel to the Schengen region with no issues.
From Resident to Citizen
With a year of residency, Malta residents can apply for citizenship. We got started gathering all the necessary documents and filling out applications to have everything as soon as residency was received. Malta citizenship requires applicants to build a strong connection to the country, visit and get accustomed to society and the life in Malta. The Applicant is well aware that should they be approved for Maltese Citizenship by the Governments immigration agency, Aġenzija Komunità Malta, a non refundable contribution of min. EUR 750,000 is due as well as a five year residency commitment and an investment into a qualified charity of no less than EUR 10,000.
“We were happy that we chose Mirabello Consultancy. They were always available to answer questions and were crystal clear on how long the process would take and what costs to expect. We felt like we were being listened to and always in good hands.”
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Acquiring Malta Citizenship
With full residency acquired, the Ibrahim family was ready to move onto their path toward citizenship. Their next step was to apply for pre-approval, which would require more documents, due diligence, and an entire four months of waiting for an answer. Not mandatory by the government, but rather of interest to the client, was a suitable property to live and use when in Malta.
Finding Their Second Dream Home
With our realtor agency partner, we found a suitable luxury apartment in Sliema where they already felt at home with the large expat community there. The apartment was located on the shoreside of Malta city center and had lots of other rentals and expats living in the same building. It cost just over EUR 700,000. With a large demand for rental properties, the Ibrahim family could also use it as they pleased when they were staying in Malta. Malta has a restriction on renting out properties from applicants during the citizenship process.
Next Stage: Making Investments
With Preapproval granted by the governmental agency, the investment part of the citizenship process was due, Contribution, Charity Donation, Government fees and extension of the rental property, or move to their purchases home for a five year resident commitment to be satisfied.
Naturalization and Passports
With all the difficult work out of the way, all that was left was to wait for final confirmation and approval by the government and plan their next family trip to Malta after the 12-month residency has reached. We arranged the naturalization ceremony and passport collection appointments prior to their arrival for an efficient stay. The couple traveled to Malta with all of their appointments made, paperwork complete, and joy that the finish line was in sight. They finally attended their naturalization ceremony and received their official Malta passports as Malta Citizens.
A Safer Future
Both Mr. and Mrs. Ibrahim are now citizens of Malta and can feel at ease about expanding their family, knowing they have a plan b in case of rising tensions. Mirabello Consultancy guided the Ibrahim family through every step of their Malta citizenship journey, answering any questions and ensuring that everything was in order to prevent any delays.
