Specific question on moving to malta

tin180 wrote:

8. i have read that after 5 yrs of residing in malta, you can apply for naturalization, is this correct?

not naturalization/citizenship, but permanent residency status

thank you! is the application fairly easy and straightforward?

Hi tin,

the application process for permanent residency s not easy and many third-country nationals are not even allowed to stay in Malta for 5 years because work permits are not extended after 3-4 years stay in Malta and residency is connected to the work permit.


Your main concern will be getting and renewing the work permit on a yearly basis. This has to be applied for and done by the employer. Auditing/Accounting jobs for you will probably be limited to international companies and organizations unless you can speak Maltese. Salaries will depend on the job role and your experience in international accounting and could be around 2000 €/month or a lot more if you are employed in a senior role.

Your second concern will be securing residency for the whole family. In some cases there can be problems!

From what you quote (saving 1000 €/month and still having 2 cars and private school for daughter) my guess is that your living standard here in Malta will be much lower due to the higher costs of living.

You should look at salaries of more than 3500 €/month to achieve a similar standard of living here in Malta or forget about the 2 cars and the 1000 € /month savings.

Cheers
Ricky

thank you, that was very helpful. I think we are better off where we are right now..

Hi tin,

why are you thinking of relocating to Malta?

There are many Phillipinos here in Malta. But the jobs covered are usually nurses/live-in carers and room maids in hotels and hotel staff in general although I'm sure that there are other highly qualified people from the Phillipines residing in Malta.

There may well be other reasons to make the move !

Cheers
Ricky

hi ricky, a friend of mine got a job there and urging me and my husband to apply, before we do so, i would like to be certain of things, as it is we are very comfortable where we are. I am also looking into changing/ adding (as we are allowed to hold dual citizenship) our citizenship status.. (believe me,it is very challenging coming from a third world country),  thanks again for your comments... appreciate it very much!

Hi tin,

in a situation like your's where you are very comfortable and doing well in your homeland it is a difficult decision to leave for something that will be uncertain and a constant battle with authorities about work permits and residency. The grass is not greener in Malta than elsewhere !

If you are also looking for a second citizenship Malta might not be best choice as it is very difficult to gain the Maltese citizenship unless you have family ties or marry a Maltese citizen ( or buy citizenship if you have about 1 Mill. € savings).

What kind of job did your friend get here in Malta? I know there are agencies in the Phillipines that process work permits and visas. Your friend seems to be happy in Malta if he/she is urging you to apply but maybe you are not in the same situation.

Cheers
Ricky

Auditor as well Ricky. From my readings i thought that citizenship in Malta is fairly easy..

we are currently overseas, and we usually just find jobs directly hired by international companies (audit firms), never used agencies.

tin180 wrote:

From my readings i thought that citizenship in Malta is fairly easy..

it is if you pay for it under the new scheme, or if you are married to Maltese or have Maltese relatives, otherwise its very difficult as Ricky said

could you post a link to where you read it was fairly easy, so we can see what they are referring to, as it might not be citizenship

Hi tin,

that your friend is also an auditor is perfect. So you obviously know what salaries are possible as an auditor in Malta. I'm not sure about the possible salaries as they are usually not published and I would have to ask friends here in Malta.

Of course I don't know the personal circumstances of your friend. How long has your friend been in Malta? The problems for non-EU citizens with the residency issue usually increase after a few years. Then you get to hear things like ' your work permit application is denied as there are enough EU and Maltese auditors in Malta' Even if your company wants you and nobody else it does not help. That happend to a several non -EU friends of mine after getting work permits renewed a few times. That is because the authorities know that if you make the 5 years you have a good chance of staying permanently. So they avoid that in their way -)))

As George already said the sayings you quote would be interesting to see.

Cheers
Ricky

here is the link

http://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Information/ … nship.aspx

then i downloaded the leaflet.

"Acquisition of Maltese citizenship by NATURALIZATION. (See explanatory leaflet CEA/L/3)

Persons would be eligible to apply after having resided in Malta for 5 years"

ie you can apply. However, you will firstly probably not be allowed to stay for 5 years as a you are non-EU, and even if you were, it only says you can apply. Reality is that they will say no

even if you have complied or even exceeded the requirements, they will deny your application? that is quite interesting.

the trick i think is that you have to be in Malta for 5 years which is dependent on your work permit, whereas in other countries like Canada and Australia you can lodge an offshore application via Skilled Migration.

In the leaflet it makes it clear that unless blood ties, then will only consider favourably if humanitarian grounds

i see...

thanks guys.. not moving then.

Hi tin,

it is a typical Maltese 'can' regulation - can but not must.

I do know a few non-EU foreigners who gained citizenship but not after 5 years but many more . In one case I'm thinking of it was after 15 years and the person was in Malta as a child.

So it is certainly not the rule that you will be granted Maltese citizenship , even after many more years than the minimum of 5 years quoted. It is really only the minimum !

If that was your main reason to consider Malta I would recommend looking at other countries!

Cheers
Ricky