Malta has decided to completely abandon granting citizenship for investment and to introduce a mechanism for granting it based on merit or contribution to the development of the state, Malta Today reports.
Exceptional merit or contribution refers to actions performed by scientists, researchers, athletes, artists, and cultural figures, among others.
In April this year, the European Court ruled that Malta’s citizenship-by-investment scheme violates EU law.
According to the EU’s highest court, a member state does not have the right to grant citizenship in exchange for predetermined payments or investments.
The European Commission initiated the review back in 2023, arguing that the commercialization of passports undermines the “essence of EU citizenship,” which is based on mutual trust between member states.