FAQ

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Please click here for FAQs regarding the issue of a Maltese Passport

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CITIZENSHIP & EXPATRIATE AFFAIRS

Am I entitled to hold dual citizenship?

You qualify to hold dual citizenship:

A) If you are an adult citizen of Malta and you acquired a foreign citizenship on or after 10th February 2000. You may retain such citizenship together with your Maltese citizenship.

If I do not qualify automatically for dual citizenship can I re-acquire Maltese Citizenship and retain it together with any foreign citizenship?

Yes you can be registered as a citizen of Malta if you became a citizen of Malta on 21st September 1964 or at birth but subsequently lost such citizenship and you do not qualify for the automatic re-acquisition of Maltese citizenship as you did not spend six years abroad or because you were previously a citizen of Malta by Registration or by Naturalization (vide leaflet on ‘Acquisition of Maltese citizenship by Registration’).

If I were to acquire Maltese citizenship by registration or by naturalization, can I retain it together with my foreign citizenship?

If you are entitled to be registered as a citizen of Malta or if you were to be granted a certificate of naturalization as a citizen of Malta (vide leaflet on ‘Acquisition of Maltese citizenship by Naturalization) then, in view of the year 2000 amendments to the Maltese citizenship legislation, it is possible for you to hold your newly-acquired Maltese citizenship together with your foreign citizenship.

If I already qualified for dual citizenship under the 1989 legislation do I need to take any action under the year 2000 legislation?

If the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs has informed you in writing that you qualified to hold dual citizenship under the provisions that were in force from 1st August 1989 to 9th February 2000, you do not need to take any further action.

What documents are required in order that the department may confirm in writing that I qualify automatically to hold dual citizenship?

If you qualify automatically to hold dual citizenship (item (C) above) you are required to produce the following documents:

Your:

(1) Birth certificate;

(2) Father's birth certificate;

(3) Parents' marriage certificate;

(4) A certificate showing the date of acquisition of the citizenship you presently hold, if such citizenship was acquired by Registration or by Naturalization;

(5) Your present passport: Maltese and/or non-Maltese;

(6) Documentary evidence to prove that you have resided abroad for an aggregate period of at least six years. This should primarily consist of your passport or passports for the period/s concerned.

N.B.:

If you are a married woman or a widow, a copy of your marriage certificate will be required. If your husband is/was born in Malta or a former Maltese citizen, his birth certificate, his father's birth certificate and his parents' marriage certificate should also be produced.

If your previous passports have been lost or destroyed, you may produce one of the following documents instead:

A residence certificate normally issued by the Immigration Authorities of the country concerned. Such certificates have been issued in Australia, Canada and Italy;

A statement showing your annual earnings over a number of years. For example, the Canada Pension Plan Contributor statement or the Social Security Earnings statement issued by the United States authorities;

A letter from your previous or present employer/s giving your employment history. This should include the date of engagement and the date of termination of employment;

A confirmation of your annual contributions paid under the National Insurance Scheme of your adoptive country. For example, the statements issued in the United Kingdom by Contributions Agencies;

Confirmation from the authorities of any school or college that you have attended. This applies mainly if you acquired the citizenship of your adoptive country during your minority;

Any other document acceptable to our Department which proves that you have resided outside Malta for an aggregate period of at least six years.

Points to be noted:

In certain cases, you may be asked to provide additional documents to the ones indicated;

Where births, marriages or deaths occurred in Malta or Gozo, you must produce original certificates - photocopies are not accepted.

You may obtain original certificates from the Public Registry at:

26, Old Treasury Street, Valletta CMR 02; or

1, Xaghra Road, Victoria VCT 102, Gozo;

By using the postal service. Application forms may be collected from the Public Registry offices outlined above or from Police Stations, Post Offices or Local Councils. You will receive the relevant certificate within three working days;

Where births, marriages or deaths occurred outside Malta, you must produce original certificates. These will then be photocopied by our Department and returned to you.

CITIZENSHIP

I was born outside Malta of a parent/s born in Malta. My father/mother/parents acquired the citizenship of the country where he/she/they are emigrated. Am I entitled to hold dual citizenship?

If you became a citizen of Malta on 21/09/1964 or, at birth, and you have resided outside Malta for over six years, then you qualify to hold dual citizenship.

If you were born outside Malta during the period 21/09/1964 and 31/07/1989 of a mother, who was a citizen of Malta at the time of your birth, then you may apply to be registered as a citizen of Malta. Under Maltese law you will be able to hold your current citizenship together with Maltese citizenship.

IMMIGRATION MATTERS

I am a citizen of a Member State of the European Union. I would like to settle and work in Malta with my family. Am I allowed to do so?

As you are an EU national, you and your family, that is, your spouse and your children (under twenty-one years of age or who depend on you), have the right to settle and work in Malta.

In order to work here you would require an employment licence (work permit). The said licence would be issued to you automatically enabling you to work with a specific employer and to perform a specific job. Such licences are issued valid for a definite period of time, usually one year.

Please note, however, that for the first seven years after 1 May 2004, if Malta experiences disturbances on its labour market or, if it foresees that it will experience such disturbances, it may impose restrictions on the issue of employment licences.

On the other hand, if you and your family wish to remain in Malta as long term residents and you do not wish to work here, you may do so provided that you:

COURT SERVICES

How can I find whether my case has been registered at the Courts and in front of which Judiciary?

The system has the facility to search for new registered cases. Click on Introdotti and a search screen is displayed. Enter any known criteria in the available fields and click on the Search button. The system will search and display all registered cases according to the criteria entered. The list containing the results shows the Court, Case Reference No., Date of Registration, Judiciary and Litigants. The Status and the Date are also listed in the list, but will appear empty if the registered case has been appointed a sitting yet.

How can I find out when the next sitting of my case is scheduled, and how can I view the Verbal of my previous sitting?

Click on Pendent from the Kawzi Civili main menu and a search screen is displayed. Enter any known criteria in the available fields and click on the Search button. The system will search and display all pending cases according to the criteria entered. The list containing the results shows the Court, Case Reference No., Date of Registration, Judiciary, Litigants, Case Status and Date. Each row shows two icons, one showing the Case Details and the other showing the Sitting List. Click on the Sitting List icon and a page will display all sittings. The first sitting in the list, will be the next sitting. If one wants to view verbali of the previous sittings, click on the pen icon at the end of each row.

How can I find out whether my case is closed and a Judgement decreed?

Click on Maghluqa fl’Ahhar Sena from the Kawzi Civili main menu and a search screen is displayed. Enter any known criteria in the available fields and click on the Search button. The system will search and display all closed cases within the last past year and according to the criteria entered. The list with all the results shows the Court, Case Reference No, Date of Registration, Judiciary, Litigants, Case Status and Date. Each row shows two icons, one showing the Case Details and the other shows the Sitting List. Click on the Case Detail icon and a page will display all case details. If the judgement is available it can be viewed by clicking on Sentenza tal-Kaz at the footer of the page.