Agents

Alerts and Important Notifications

This is a list of entities who are either not Licensed Agents as per the Agents (Licences) Regulations (S.L. 188.05) or do not adhere to the License Agreement and Code of Conduct and Ethics for Agents as required by Community Malta Agency (the Agency).

For the purposes of the Granting of Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment, the Agency only recognises Licensed Agents under the Agents (Licences) Regulations (S.L. 188.05). All other licences, including those for the Malta Individual Investor Programme, are no longer valid or recognised.  

Licensed Agents

Potential applicants need to make use of the services of Licensed Agents who are approved and licensed under the Agents (Licences) Regulations (S.L. 188.05) by Community Malta Agency (the Agency), thereby authorising them to guide them through the whole application process and submit prospective applications under the Granting of Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations (S.L. 188.06).

These Agents may be public accountants or auditors, lawyers, or financial advisors duly licensed by a competent Authority, after attending training organised by the Agency and satisfying such other conditions and requirements as may be set out in the guidelines issued by the Agency from time to time.

These Agents may have applied to act either in their personal capacity or on behalf of an audit firm, a law firm, or a financial advisory firm, being a body duly registered in accordance with the applicable law and having separate legal personality; provided that such firm, a representative by the Agent, is also authorised by the Agency to act as an Agent for the purposes of S.L. 188.06. For the avoidance of doubt, such firms shall always be represented by a duly licensed Agent.

Requirements and Conditions

In order to become Licensed Agents, applicants must fulfil the following requirements and conditions:

1. have a clean police conduct certificate issued by the Commissioner of Police in accordance with the Conduct Certificates Ordinance in the thereunder prescribed Form A or its equivalent;
2. satisfies the due diligence process carried out in respect of such person by the Agency;
3. completes the training programme mentioned in these Regulations;
4. is a resident of Malta;
5. be certified, or in the case of a legal person have a representative thereof who is certified, as an Authorised Registered Mandatory (ARM) by the International Tax Unit at the Malta Financial Services Authority. The ARM certificate is needed for both the individual applying to become an Agent and also for the office/entity/law firm in case here applications are submitted on behalf of an office/entity/law firm.
6. hold a Professional Indemnity Insurance policy with a reputable insurance company acceptable to the Agency, with a cover of not less than one million euro (€1,000,000) or such higher figure as the Agency may determine from time to time;
7. be able to demonstrate to the Agency that he, or in the case of a legal person, that the group of which it forms part, has unrestricted access to a recognised, reputable due diligence database, and in either case, be able to provide the Agency, upon request, with the results of their due diligence procedures;
8. submit Form M7 together with all requested documentation and information that the Agency may request;
9. undertake to provide any documentation or information as may be requested by the Agency from time to time; and
10. provide the Agency with a fixed address and an email address where any notifications under these Regulations shall be sent, and update them in case of any change thereto; a notification by the Agency to such fixed address or the email address so provided shall be deemed to have been validly effected.

All applications go through a systematic review and evaluation process, with no exceptions or a fast-track option. Agents shall not promote or mislead prospective applicants that the process may be facilitated and such practice may lead the Agency to take appropriate action, including sanctions and revocation of licence.

Download Form M7

Licence Agreement and Code of Conduct and Ethics for Agents

The Licence Agreement and Code of Conduct and Ethics for Agents addresses operational aspects and provide for due interpretation and guidance with respect to the conduct required of Agents in light of Article 11 of S.L. 188.05 which empowers the Agency to suspend or revoke a licence issued to an Agent if, after due investigation, it is satisfied that the Agent:

1. has acted in an unethical or an unprofessional manner and has substantially prejudiced the Regulations; or
2. the Agent has committed a serious breach of guidelines, codes of conduct or codes of ethics issued by the Agency from time to time and made specifically applicable to Agents.

Download Code of Conduct

The ESDI Handbook

The Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (ESDI) Handbook will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of how to complete in detail any application form and the supporting documentation required for the acquisition of Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment.

The ESDI Handbook is subject to updates according to necessities.

Download Handbook