Which residency offers easiest access to the EU?

Do you find yourself looking overseas for a new place to call home?

Well, in today’s post we’ll explore 2 countries offering residency by investment in the EU, and by the end hopefully we can help make your decision on which country you’ll soon be calling home that little bit easier.

To make the most of this opportunity, we’ll look at two principal choices in terms of the countries you have to decide between. Let's see what they are all about in some more depth.

Malta

In the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta is a world of its own. Many miles from Italy’s Sardinia, the island of Malta has a large tourism economy, it is home to fantastic sailing conditions, and perfect beaches.

It’s a small but absolutely charming island that offers people an opportunity to travel the world and operate under financially liberal laws. If this all sounds good to you and you are considering or making applications for residency or citizenship in different countries, maybe you should give Malta’s residency by investment program a chance.

One of the best ways to gain citizenship to Malta is via their citizenship or residency by investment program. The process is simple, although it’s not very cheap. But, if you’re willing to pay the fees necessary for this process, Malta could soon be your next home.

The Maltese program has quickly become the most exclusive CBI programs in the world. It offers advantageous economic policies that you are free to enjoy by obtaining citizenship via investment.

You’ll also have to demonstrate “genuine links” to the country to get a passport, and that generally means actually becoming a resident of Malta.

The residency by investment process of Malta is expensive due to a variety of factors, with two main ones being the lack of space on the island and the need for shipping materials to the island from Europe, Africa, etc.

For the process, you need to

- Be at least 18 years of age

- And Have at least €500.000 of income

Luxembourg

With one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is the ideal destination for investors and entrepreneurs seeking a rich business landscape and an attractive alternative location for private residence. The founding EU member state offers an excellent quality of life and advanced infrastructure.

In order to get into this program, you’ll need to complete one of the following three investment ventures:

1. You would have to make a minimum investment of EUR 500,000 into an existing or new Luxembourg company and commit to maintain the existing employment for five years

2. Another option is to make a minimum investment of EUR 3 million into an existing or new investment with a registered office in Luxembourg, which must have appropriate substance

3. The last option would be to make a minimum investment of EUR 20 million by deposit into a financial institution established in Luxembourg, which must be maintained for at least five years

So, which program is for me?

Now that we’ve looked at both programs, we can see which benefits are offered by each one, hopefully helping you see which program is better suited to you.

Let’s start with Malta, where the advantages include:

1. European Union residency

2. Ability to travel freely in the European Union

3. Ability to give family members Maltese residency

4. Ability to live in Malta indefinitely

5. The culture, history, and Maltese lifestyle

6. No minimum residence requirement

With this covered, we can now look a bit at Luxembourg:

1. Visa free access to the EU

2. Economic security

3. Fast processing, within six months the residency will be in your hands.

4. A favourable tax environment: No wealth tax and favourable inheritance and capital gains taxation regime

5. No need to come to apply and there is also no physical presence requirement for the program

So, having now seen what distinguishes one program from the other, aside from the cost difference, which is heavily in Malta’s favour, and both being great pathways into the EU through investment, there are a few other factors to consider.

Initially, Luxembourg presents you with a number of tax breaks, suiting itself towards investors looking to pursue professional ventures once relocating, whereas Malta signals itself as an ideal location for families and investors looking for tourism and adventure from their relocation.

So, if you are interested in finding out more about the pathway to the EU through investment in residency in Malta or Luxembourg, as well as other opportunities to develop your business, contact us today! Below this article, you will find a link to set up a free fifteen-minute consultation with us to discuss your options further.

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