Malta and Cyprus provide an investment route to individuals wishing to move personal and buisness affairs into Europe.
The investment programmes of the two Island States have received over 400 and 700 applications respectively.
Both citizenship programmes are aimed at high net worth individuals, as well as families and entrapreneurs. Cyprus has an entry level of €1.5m, while the Malta citizenship programme requires a mixed contribution-investment ranging from €880k to €1.1m depending on the applicant's choice between property rental and ownership in Malta. Comparing the two investment programmes, it's easy to jump to conclusions and to side with one or the other. However, having advised a number of clients who have gone either way, I quite disagree that there is a straight winner or that this is a race at all. From my experience, each client has his own preferences, personal circumstances and comfort zones and therefore each citizenship programme has its merits, addressing different aspirations of different investor profiles.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
