Malta Golden Visa for Nigerian Nationals: The 2026 Guide
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Malta Golden Visa for Nigerian Nationals: The 2026 Guide
Malta permanent residency for Nigerians is available on standard terms: Nigerian nationals are eligible under the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP), subject to due diligence. Nigeria left the EU high-risk list in January 2026 and is not on the FATF grey list. The Nigeria-specific work is documenting and moving the funds under the Foreign Exchange Act.
On this page
- Can Nigerian nationals get the Malta golden visa?
- What Nigerian investors need to invest
- Moving funds from Nigeria: what the law says
- Family inclusion for Nigerian applicants
- The application process and payment milestones
- Permanent residence, not a passport
- Malta vs other programmes popular with Nigerian investors
- Frequently asked questions
This guide is general information about the Malta Permanent Residence Programme and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Nigerian foreign exchange rules are summarised for context only, and bank practice varies. Obtain independent professional advice, including from your bank and a qualified Nigerian adviser, before making any application or investment decision.
Can Nigerian nationals get the Malta golden visa?
Yes. Nigeria is not on the Residency Malta Agency’s list of ineligible nationalities, so Nigerian nationals apply on the same MPRP terms as other non-EU applicants, subject to due diligence and the qualifying investment. The risk listings older pages still mention no longer apply.
What the MPRP rules say about nationality
The rules are in Subsidiary Legislation 217.26, as amended by Legal Notice 146 of 2025 (no later amendment as of 25 September 2026). The statute excludes EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and anyone named in the sanctions the Agency follows. It has no country list.
The country list is the Agency’s. Its MPRP FAQ (version 2.6.5, September 2024) names ten countries whose nationals, or people with close ties to them, are ineligible, plus Russia and Belarus. The Agency may revise the list. Nigeria is not on it. For the full checklist, see our Malta MPRP requirements guide.
Nigeria’s 2026 status on the EU and FATF lists
The EU removed Nigeria from its list of high-risk third countries with effect from 29 January 2026, under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/83. Nigeria was also absent from the FATF increased-monitoring list published at the 19 June 2026 plenary. Pages still describing Nigeria as EU high-risk or grey-listed are out of date.
What Nigerian investors need to invest
The property or lease route and the fixed government charges
- Qualifying property: buy for at least EUR 375,000, or lease for at least EUR 14,000 a year, anywhere in Malta or Gozo, held for at least five years. There is no longer a cheaper south or Gozo tier.
- Government contribution: EUR 37,000, the same whether you buy or rent.
- Administrative fee: EUR 60,000 for the main applicant.
- Donation: EUR 2,000 to a local non-governmental organisation.
- Dependant fee: EUR 7,500 for each adult dependant who pays it.
A EUR 30,000 or EUR 60,000 contribution, or EUR 10,000 per dependant, are figures superseded by Legal Notice 146 of 2025.
The capital test
The applicant must also show assets of at least EUR 500,000 including EUR 150,000 in financial assets, or at least EUR 650,000 including EUR 75,000 in financial assets. These assets are held, not spent.
Costs in naira
| Item | EUR | NGN (approx.) | Official basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying property purchase | 375,000 | 567 million | S.L. 217.26, reg 3 and reg 14 |
| Or lease, per year | 14,000 | 21 million | S.L. 217.26, reg 3 and reg 14 |
| Or lease, 5-year minimum | 70,000 | 106 million | S.L. 217.26, reg 14 |
| Government contribution | 37,000 | 56 million | First Schedule |
| Administrative fee (main applicant) | 60,000 | 91 million | First Schedule |
| NGO donation | 2,000 | 3 million | S.L. 217.26, reg 3 |
| Each adult dependant, where payable | 7,500 | 11 million | First Schedule |
Converted at 1,511.0575 NGN per EUR, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s published central rate for the euro on 24 September 2026, read from the CBN exchange rates feed at cbn.gov.ng. Naira figures rounded to the nearest million. The naira has moved sharply since the exchange rates were unified on 12 October 2023, so recalculate on the day funds are committed. Excludes stamp duty, legal, due diligence, agent and advisory fees (advisory fees are quoted per engagement).
A family of four, worked through
Main applicant, spouse and two children under 18. The spouse and minors pay no dependant fee.
| Route | EUR | NGN (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase: property 375,000 + contribution 37,000 + fee 60,000 + donation 2,000 | 474,000 | 716 million |
| of which non-recoverable government charges | 99,000 | 150 million |
| Lease, year one: 99,000 in charges + 14,000 rent | 113,000 | 171 million |
| Lease, across the 5-year minimum | 169,000 | 255 million |
Many Nigerian households ask about parents. Each parent or grandparent who is not in full-time employment and is principally dependent on the main applicant adds EUR 7,500 (about NGN 11 million), as does an unmarried, principally dependent child aged 18 to 28. We make no promise on how a particular dependency case will be assessed. The capital test applies on top. Same rate and exclusions as the cost table. For the itemised figures, see Malta permanent residency cost.
Moving funds from Nigeria: what the law says
Here is what the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No. 17 of 1995 and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) documents say, and where they are silent.
Domiciliary accounts and the right to hold foreign currency
Under section 17 of the Act, any person may open and operate a domiciliary account in any internationally convertible currency with an Authorised Dealer, and may hold several. Under this Act, a person opening a domiciliary account is not obliged to disclose the source of the foreign currency to be deposited, except as provided under any other law.
That is a Nigerian banking rule, not a Malta rule. Malta’s due diligence requires a documented, lawful source of funds and source of wealth regardless, so money in a domiciliary account still needs a clear history.
Foreign currency bought in the market may leave Nigeria
Section 13 states: “Any foreign currency purchased from the Market may be repatriated from Nigeria and shall not be subject to any further approval”. Under sections 10 and 11(b), a transaction adequately supported by appropriate documentation is an eligible transaction for buying foreign currency in the market, unless the law prohibits it.
Form A and bank reporting
The CBN Foreign Exchange Manual (revised 2018) describes Form A, in Memorandum 4, as the application to pay for service (invisible) transactions. Under Memorandum 19, outward investment in foreign-currency securities needs Form A, a broker confirmation, a custodian, bank KYC and monthly bank returns to the CBN. Separately, section 25 of the Act requires Authorised Dealers to notify the CBN of any cash transfer to or from a foreign country above USD 10,000.
What the rules do not say: foreign property purchases
No FX Manual memorandum expressly covers a resident individual buying property or fund units abroad, and we found no CBN approval requirement for it in the Act or the Manual. Silence is not a permission, and bank practice varies, so confirm the documentation your bank will want before you sign. The CBN circular index from 2025 to September 2026 shows no new circular on the subject.
Money transfer operators are inbound only
Under the CBN’s revised guidelines of 31 January 2024 (circular TED/FEM/FPC/GEN/001/002), International Money Transfer Operators may handle inbound international transfers only, may not carry out outbound transactions, and pay out inbound transfers in naira. They are not a route for funding a Malta investment.
Declaring currency at the border
Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 requires foreign currency above USD 5,000 to be declared “for reasons of statistics only”. Other statutes may set their own rules. A Malta file is built on documented bank transfers, not cash.
What Malta will ask to see
The Residency Malta Agency looks at where the money was earned, where it has been held and how it reaches the paying accounts. Keep the paper trail from the start, including your bank’s documentation for each outward transfer.
Family inclusion for Nigerian applicants
One MPRP application can include:
- your spouse, with no dependant fee;
- children under 18, with no dependant fee;
- children aged 18 to 28 (under 29 when the application is filed) who are unmarried and principally dependent on the main applicant, at EUR 7,500 each;
- parents and grandparents of the main applicant or of the spouse who are not in full-time employment and are principally dependent on the main applicant, at EUR 7,500 each;
- adult children with a certified disability, with no dependant fee.
The application process and payment milestones
- Submission to the Residency Malta Agency through a licensed agent. Evidence of the capital test is presented with the application, and EUR 15,000 of the administrative fee is due within one month of submission.
- Due diligence on the main applicant and every dependant.
- Letter of Approval in Principle. The remaining EUR 45,000 of the fee is due within two months of it.
- Government contribution. EUR 37,000 within eight months of the Letter of Approval in Principle.
- Property, donation and health cover. Within the same eight months, title to the qualifying purchase or lease is presented, the EUR 2,000 donation is made and health insurance is in place. The capital must then be held for five years.
We do not quote a processing time. Plan transfers around the payment deadlines.
Permanent residence, not a passport: Nigeria’s dual citizenship rules
The MPRP gives permanent residence in Malta, not Maltese citizenship or a second passport. Malta’s investor citizenship route closed after the EU Court of Justice ruling in case C-181/23 of 29 April 2025. See our Malta golden visa vs citizenship comparison.
For context on any later step, the 1999 Constitution treats citizens differently depending on how they became Nigerian. Under section 28(1), loss of citizenship for holding another applies only to people who are not citizens by birth, so Nigerians by birth may hold a second citizenship. Citizens by registration or naturalisation face a condition to renounce the other citizenship within five months (section 28(2)). Section 29 allows a citizen of full age to renounce by declaration. Confirm your own position with a Nigerian adviser.
Malta vs other programmes popular with Nigerian investors
| Programme | Entry route | What it gives | Note for Nigerian applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta MPRP | Property from EUR 375,000 or lease from EUR 14,000 a year, plus EUR 99,000 in charges | Permanent residence | Standard terms |
| Hungary Guest Investor | Units in an MNB-registered real estate fund from EUR 250,000, or a EUR 1,000,000 donation | Residence permit | Nigerians need a Schengen visa, so the route runs through the guest investor visa, and the permit is filed within 30 days of first entry |
| Portugal ARI, fund route | EUR 500,000 in Portuguese non-real-estate funds, at least 60% in companies seated in Portugal, maturity of at least five years | Residence permit | Fund investment rather than property |
| Cyprus, Regulation 6(2) | Property of at least EUR 300,000 plus VAT, and income of EUR 50,000 plus EUR 15,000 for a spouse and EUR 10,000 per dependent minor child | Permanent residence permit | Official estimate of about two months to examine a complete application |
Malta puts the family on permanent residence through a property you buy or lease directly. For a wider view of entry costs, see how much a golden visa costs, and for the programme overview, the Malta golden visa guide. For the same rules applied to another nationality, see the Malta golden visa for Indian nationals.
Frequently asked questions
Can Nigerians get Malta permanent residency?
Yes. Nigeria is not on Residency Malta’s list of ineligible nationalities, so Nigerian nationals apply on the standard MPRP terms, subject to due diligence and the qualifying investment.
Is Nigeria still on the EU high-risk or FATF grey list?
No. The EU removed Nigeria from its high-risk third countries list with effect from 29 January 2026, and Nigeria was not on the FATF increased-monitoring list published in June 2026.
Can I pay for a Malta property from my domiciliary account?
Nigerian law lets anyone hold domiciliary accounts, and foreign currency bought in the market may be taken out of Nigeria without further approval. The rules do not expressly address a foreign property purchase, and bank practice varies, so confirm the documentation with your bank and adviser first. Malta will still ask for a documented source of funds.
How much does Malta PR cost a Nigerian family of four?
From EUR 474,000 (about NGN 716 million at the 24 September 2026 CBN rate) on the purchase route, or EUR 99,000 in government charges plus at least EUR 14,000 a year in rent on the lease route. The household must also meet the capital test.
Can I use a money transfer operator to send the funds?
No. Under CBN guidelines of January 2024, International Money Transfer Operators handle inbound transfers only and may not carry out outbound transactions.
Will I lose my Nigerian citizenship?
Malta PR is residence, not citizenship. On citizenship generally, Nigerians by birth may hold a second citizenship under section 28 of the 1999 Constitution. Different rules apply to citizens by registration or naturalisation.
The bottom line
For Nigerian nationals, the Malta golden visa means the MPRP on standard terms: permanent residence for the family through a property bought or leased anywhere in Malta or Gozo, plus EUR 99,000 in fixed government charges. The listings that used to complicate Nigerian files are gone. The real work is the money trail: domiciliary accounts are lawful and market-bought currency may leave Nigeria, but the rules are silent on foreign property, and Malta wants every naira and dollar accounted for. For the full programme, see the Malta Permanent Residence Programme. For a family-specific assessment, the Aegir Global team can help, and advisory fees are quoted per engagement.
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