Maltese passport: Difference between revisions

| document_name = {{ubl|Maltese passport|{{lang|mt|Passaport Malti}}}}

| image = Malta passport.png

The '''Maltese passport''' ({{lang-mt|passaport Malti}}) is a [[passport]] that is issued to citizens of the [[Republic of Malta]]. Every Maltese citizen is also a [[Commonwealth citizen]] and [[Citizenship of the European Union|citizen of the European Union]] and a [[Commonwealth citizen]]. The [[passport]], along with the [[Maltese identity card|national identity card]], allows for free rights of movement and residence in all member states of the [[European Economic Area]], as well as [[Switzerland]].

Maltese passports share the common design standards of [[Passports of the European Union|European Union passports]]. The cover is burgundy with the [[coat of arms of Malta]] emblazoned in the centre. The words "{{lang|mt|UNJONI EWROPEA|italics=no}}" (English: European Union) and "MALTA" are inscribed above the coat of arms, withand the word "{{lang|mt|PASSAPORT|italics=no}}" (English: Passport) and the international [[biometric passport]] symbol are inscribed below it.

[[Image:Visa requirementsRequirements for Maltese citizensCitizens.pngsvg|650px|thumb|center|Countries[[Visa and territories with visa-free or visa-on-arrival entryrequirements for holders of Maltese passportcitizens]]{{legend|#FDC421002377|Malta}}

{{legend|#042E9B1191E5|Freedom of movement}}
{{legend|#22B14C|Visa not requiredfree}}
{{legend|#B5E61D|Visa onissued upon arrival}}
{{legend|#61c09a61C7A1|eVisa}}
{{legend|#79D343|Visa available both on arrival or online}}
{{legend|#A8ACABABABAB|Visa required prior to arrival}}]]

[[Visa requirements for Maltese citizens]] are administrative entry restrictions imposed by the authorities of otherforeign states placed on citizens of [[Malta]]. {{As of January 8th, 2019|2022|7|19|post=,}} Maltese citizens had visa-free or [[visa on arrival]] access (including [[Electronic Travel Authorisation|eTAs]]) to 182185 countries and territories, ranking the Maltese passport 9th8th in the world in terms of travel freedom (tied with [[Australian passport|Australian]], [[Canadian passport|Canadian]], [[Czech passport|Czech]], and [[Greek passport|Greek]] passports) according to the [[Henley Passport Index]].<ref>{{citeCite web |title=GlobalThe Ranking -Henley Passport Index: Q3 2022 Factsheet 2019|url=https://wwwcdn.henleyglobal.com/filesstorage/downloadapp/HPI2019media/PI%202019%20INFOGRAPHS%20GLOBAL%20190107_1HENLEY_PASSPORT_INDEX_FACTSHEET_2022_Q3_220707_1.pdf|publisher=Henley & Partners|access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref> Additionally, [[Arton Capital]]'s [[The Passport Index|Passport Index]] ranked the Maltese passport 5th in the world in terms of travel freedom, with a visa-freemobility score of 161171 (tied with Australian,[[Singaporean Icelandic, Malaysian,passport|Singaporean]] and New[[Slovak Zealandpassport|Slovak]] passports), as{{As of 20 October 2018|2023|1|6|lc=y|pre=|post=.}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Passport Power Rank 2023 {{!}} Passport Index 2023 |url=https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php |titleaccess-date=Global Passport Power Rank &#124; Passport Index 2020|website=Passport Index - AllGlobal theMobility world'sIntelligence passports in one place.|language=en}}</ref>

Maltese citizens can live and work in any country within the [[European Economic Area]] (including the member states of the EU and the [[European Free Trade Association]]) as a result of the right of free movement and residence granted in Article 21 of the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:115:0047:0199:EN:PDF|format=PDF|title=Treaty on the Function of the European Union (consolidated version)|publisher=Eur-lex.europa.eu|access-date=2015-04-17}}</ref>

Malta began a [[immigrant investor programs|citizenship by investment scheme]] in 2014 known as the Individual Investor Programme (IIP)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iip.gov.mt/|title=Attracting Talent and Trustworthy Investment}}</ref> where non-citizens could apply for Maltese citizenship in exchange for a significant contribution to a national development fund and other Maltese investments, contingent on maintaining residence in Malta and passing criminal background checks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-11/passport-king-christian-kalin-helps-nations-sell-citizenship|title=Passport King Christian Kalin Helps Nations Sell Citizenship – Bloomberg Business|author=Clenfield, Jason |date=11 March 2015|work=Bloomberg.com}}</ref> [[Henley & Partners]] was originally appointed as sole agent to administer the IIP, but the [[Government of Malta|Maltese government]] later opened the scheme to Maltese firms too. The procedure is overseen by the Citizenship Unit of the government's Identity Malta Agency.<ref name=ToM>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/passport-buyers-origins-to-remain-a-secret.659705|title=Passport buyers' origins to remain 'a secret'|website=Times of Malta|date=6 October 2017 }}</ref>

The number and background of persons granted Maltese citizenship based on investment is unknown, as the [[Government of Malta|Maltese government]] does not publish such data. Malta's Data Protection Commissioner confirmed that the publication of the number of passport buyers and their country of origin “may prejudice relations with a number of the countries of origin” and that revealing the agencies that handled their application “could reasonably be expected to prejudice commercial interests and, ultimately, the competitiveness of approved agents as it would reveal commercially-sensitive information”.<ref name=ToM/>

The list of persons who were naturalised Maltese in the year 2015<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gov.mt/en/Government/Government%20Gazette/Government%20Notices/Documents/naturalised%20persons.pdf|title=Sorry. The page you are looking for does not exist}}</ref> includes over 900 names (listed by first name) without indication of previous/second citizenships and of reasons for naturalisation. Maltese Thispoliticians wasand criticised{{bycommentators whom?|date=Augustoutside 2020}}of asthe notcountry transparentviewed enough.this Most investors are understood{{byprocess whom?|date=Augustnegatively, 2020}}due to beits interestedpotential infor acquiringabuse Maltese citizenshipby onlyrich asindividuals awho toolwished to useacquire EU citizenship. rightsThe andMaltese residegovernment, elsewherehowever, instated thethat these applications underwent careful Unionscrutiny.<ref name=politico>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/malta-cash-for-passports-program-individual-investor-programme/ |website=Politico|title=Malta slammed for cash-for-passport program|date=17 August 2018|first=Harry|last=Cooper|access-date=10 December 2019}}</ref> The [[European Parliament]] had objected to the programme as a sell-out of [[EU citizenship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20140110IPR32392/eu-citizenship-should-not-be-for-sale-at-any-price-says-european-parliament|title=EU citizenship should not be for sale at any price, says European Parliament &#124; News &#124; European Parliament|date=January 16, 2014|website=www.europarl.europa.eu}}</ref>

The income from Malta's passport sale amounted to €163.5 million in 2016. Of this, 70% is deposited in the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), which was set up in July 2016. The use of the fund by the government is not regulated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/Passports-without-a-soul-Michael-Briguglio.662386|title=Passports without a soul - Michael Briguglio|website=Times of Malta|date=6 November 2017 }}</ref>

The scheme has often come under fire{{by whom?|date=August 2020}} for being a fraudulent scheme where the [[Maltese Government]] sells [[EU citizenship]] to anyone willing to pay the price, legitimately or illegally, to the detriment of the Maltese people and the [[European Union]] as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://euobserver.com/opinion/146385|title=[Opinion] Time to end EU golden visas for corrupt elites|website=EUobserver|date=24 October 2019 }}</ref> Many who were granted a GoldenMaltese Passportpassport were found to be large-scale international criminals with ties to [[money laundering]] in multiple countries. The background checks performed on those willing to pay for citizenship have been criticized as being almost non-existent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theshiftnews.com/2019/10/18/fifth-malta-cash-for-passports-client-charged-with-financial-crime-this-year/|title=Fifth Malta cash-for-passports client charged with financial crime this year|date=October 18, 2019}}</ref>

Although the scheme is leaving money in the Maltese economy, it is doing so at the expense of the average Maltese citizen, as the Golden Passport scheme is partly responsible for the enormous inflation of the Maltese Housing Index since its introduction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.centralbankmalta.org/site/Subscriber%20Categories/Real%20Economy%20Indicators/house_prices.xls|title=Central Bank Housing Index}}</ref> This phenomenon occurs because passport applicants are required to purchase or rent a property in Malta in order for the passport to be granted. Many of these properties have been found to left vacant with the owner in manysome occasions never even stepping foot in Malta.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-08-06/blogs-opinions/When-a-Russian-billionaire-is-registered-to-half-a-basement-flat-something-has-got-to-give-6736177475|title=When a Russian billionaire is registered to half a basement flat, something has got to give - The Malta Independent|website=www.independent.com.mt}}</ref>