Community Malta Citizenship Agency

September 08 00:00 2020 by The Editor Print This Article

The Community Malta Agency was established in 2020 as an independent governmental citizenship agency tasked with processing and reviewing Maltese citizenship applications submitted under various routes. Malta Citizenship by Investment applications will be regulated by this citizenship agency, which will also be responsible for accepting and reviewing applications submitted for nationality through birth,  naturalisation, descent, adoption, marriage and merit. 

Establishment of Community Malta Agency

Before its establishment of Community Malta Agency, two separate citizenship agencies were tasked with the administration and review of Maltese citizenship applications. The Malta Individual Investor Programme Agency was set in May 2018  to administer Malta's Individual Investor Programme whilst the Citizenship Unit was responsible for the administration of the provision of Malta Citizenship legislation. The Citizenship Unit confirmed the national status of a person and processed applications of individuals seeking to apply for Maltese citizenship through naturalisation, registration, descent, marriage and adoption.

The newly set up Community Malta Agency will fall within the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement and more specifically the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Citizenship and Communities. 

Responsibilities of Community Malta Agency

Community Malta is responsible for the processing of applications, the carrying out of enhanced due diligence and putting forward recommendations to the Minister responsible for citizenship in relation to the granting of citizenship or otherwise. Malta conducts gold standard due diligence process and goes into a serious level of detail to ensure that only high quality and reputable applicants are accepted and granted with Maltese citizenship. 

The Agency will also have an obligation to keep monitoring applicants who submit a citizenship application through investment for the first five years after being granted citizenship.

Supervision of Community Malta Agency

The Community Malta Agency is subject to the supervision and unfettered access of the Office of the Citizenship Regulator in relation to applications submitted under the investment route. The Citizenship Regulator is empowered to investigate complaints and shall in the discharge of his duties act in his individual judgement.