Malta Dual Citizenship
According to the Global Edition of the Dual Citizenship Report, issued by Maltese law firm Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates, Maltese citizenship law allows Maltese dual citizenship. In other words, Maltese citizens acquiring another citizenship are not required to renounce their Maltese citizenship. Foreign citizens acquiring Maltese dual citizenship are allowed to keep their original citizenship and actually hold multiple citizenships alongside Maltese citizenship.
Dual Citizenship in Malta
Speaking to Legal-Malta, senior partner Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti of Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates explains the findings of the firm's latest Dual Citizenship Report in respect of Maltese dual citizenship. "Malta allows Dual Citizenship since 2000, when legislative changes introduced the concept of double or multiple citizenship in Maltese citizenship law.
The 2000 Maltese dual citizenship law amendments made it possible to hold Maltese citizenship concurrently with one or more other citizenships. The previous requirement was that persons entitled to dual citizenship had to make a choice between the ages of 18 and 19. This no longer applies; they can hold both citizenships.
Maltese Dual Citizenship in the 3rd Dual Citizenship Report
With the success of the first two editions of the Dual Citizenship Report, Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates launched the third report on Dual Citizenship, the Global Edition. While the first two editions, the European Edition and the Dual Citizenship in Russia & CIS, this first global edition analyses the dual citizenship laws of over 100 countries worldwide.
Over the years, the Dual Citizenship Report has become a respected point of reference with regards to various issues relating to dual citizenship. The Dual Citizenship Report series delves into the fact whether a particular jurisdiction disallows, restricts or permits, its citizens from possessing dual and multiple citizenship. Every country chapter in the report has been founded on feedback provided by law firms on the legislation regulating citizenship in their respective countries.
The Global Edition report is an important supplement to the series as it expands research of dual citizenship legislation in more than 100 jurisdictions globally. Moreover, previous country chapters from the regional editions were also incorporated in the Global Edition Report. However, they were updated and reviewed in accordance with any recent amendments to the law. Since the Global Edition includes countries from all over the world, the reader can easily contrast and compare the status of dual citizenship. Research for the 3rd edition of the Dual Citizenship Report was mainly carried out between January and March 2019.
Acquiring Maltese Dual Citizenship
Malta allows holders of other nationalities to acquire Maltese dual citizenship under the Malta Individual Investor Programme of the Republic of Malta. Malta's citizenship by investment programme, the IIP allows investors who have passed an enhanced due diligence assessment to make a significant contribution to Malta and to receive citizenship after one year as a resident of Malta.
Dual Citizenship in International Law
Although every country has its own background and culture, the Global Dual Citizenship Report enables few generalisations to be made. Currently, dual citizenship is commonly acknowledged by most countries and only a few suppress citizenship rights. In fact, it is only 20% of the jurisdictions which completely disallow dual citizenship, whilst 60% of the countries unrestrictedly permit dual citizenship. The practice under which naturalisation in another jurisdiction automatically outcomes in withdrawal or loss of citizenship, has been discarded by many and has lost its importance. Moreover, very few countries require those individuals who were born with dual citizenship to renounce one of their citizenship’s upon attaining the age of majority.
Most of the countries situated in the European Union, and those in the Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean and America permit dual citizenship. Dual citizenship legislation throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region and Africa are more diverse, while Southeast Asia emerges as the most restrictive region with regards to dual citizenship.
Dual citizenship countries, that is countries that allow dual citizenship with no limitations include, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Malta, Cyprus, the United States, Canada and Saint Lucia. Countries which refrain from making any references to dual citizenship in their legislation, are also abstaining from imposing any repercussions which might arise upon the obtainment of a second citizenship.
As observed in the Global Edition report, there are some regions which although they permit citizens to posses a dual citizenship, they might still impose other limitations, such as when it come to public office. For instance, Russia does not permit dual citizens to constitute/participate in the editorial office of either a broadcasting entity or a mass media or else to be designated as a member of the Federation Council. Countries such as South Africa, permit dual citizenship, on the condition that such citizen informs the authorities.
To learn more about Maltese Dual Citizenship and about the Dual Citizenship Report click here!