The Government publishes amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act

The Government has published amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act, Chapter 188.

These amendments have three main objectives:

1. Our country will be brought in line with the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (C-181/23) by removing from its legislation those aspects that were not in conformity. At the same time, the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services programme has been discontinued, and all references to the programme, the transaction itself, and the agents involved have been removed.
2. The amendments strengthen the existing laws related to merit-based citizenship. They are also consistent with Malta Vision 2050, with an emphasis on the need for added value and job creation.
3. They uphold the principle that the granting of citizenship is a national competence, a principle the Maltese Government has always supported, and which was also confirmed in the CJEU ruling C-181/23 of 29 April 2025.

In a media briefing in Parliament, the Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment, Byron Camilleri, explained that “following extensive consultation and Cabinet approval, the Government has presented amendments to the Maltese Citizenship Act in Parliament. Malta will continue to uphold its sovereign right to grant citizenship in the national interest, a principle we have always defended and which was reaffirmed by the European Court in the same ruling. While we are reinforcing the part of the law that allows the country to grant citizenship on the basis of merit, which is not a new concept, we are removing references to all references to the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services programme, the associated transactions, and the programme’s agents have been removed. Anyone who can offer an exceptional service or contribution to our country may submit a proposal to be considered through a rigorous process that evaluates the added value Malta needs, in line with the Malta Vision 2050 we are working toward.”

Lawyer Dr Andre Zerafa, from Ganado Advocates, who was part of the legal team that worked on the amendments, explained that the amendments being introduced address the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered on 29 April.

The details of the amendments, together with the amended Maltese Citizenship Act, Chapter 188, which will be discussed in Parliament, are being published along with this Press Release.

Photo: DOI/MHSE