Malta ‘golden passport’ scheme breaks law, EU’s top court rules

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The European Court of Justice has ruled that the Maltese “Golden Passport” violation violates the EU’s decision, which must force the island to break the commercialization of EU citizenship.

“The Member State cannot give its nationality and truly European citizenship, pre-determined payments or investment, as it becomes the money for a purely commercial transaction.

The European Commission referred to Malta In 2023, the Supreme Court of the Alliance insisted on his citizenship-investment scheme, claiming that the sale of EU passports undermined the “nature of EU citizenship”, which relies on mutual trust between the Member States.

Malta’s scheme has consequences for the entire alliance, as people who acquire Maltese citizenship are the right to live and work in any place of the alliance.

Cyprus and Bulgaria have eliminated their paid citizenship schemes under Brussels, which claims that such schemes are causing risks of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

Malta renovated its scheme in 2020, and Maltese government says it has tightened the requirements of proper diligence of applicants. People who acquire a Maltese passport must be implemented at least 600,000 euros, purchase or rent property, donate 10,000 euros to the country and live in the country for three years.

The residence requirement may decrease for those investing 750,000 euros in one year.

Financial times analysis has been revealed Which 16 people who received Maltese passports were politically exposed individuals, or later subjected to sanctions or convicted crimes.

The commission claimed that the fact that only a “legal residence” requires a preliminary opinion on the case, according to the initial opinion of the case.

The court ruled that “the creation of an institutionalized citizenship investment scheme”, Malta “was unable to fulfill its responsibilities.”