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Comparison · SPAIN ↔ MALTA
Head-to-head dossier
Spain vs MaltaGolden Visa, side by side — 2026
🇪🇸Spain Golden Visa
Spain
Closing April 3, 2025 — what comes next.
From
€500,000
Time
20 days
Citizenship
10 years
Stay
1 day/year
🇲🇹Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)
Malta
EU permanent residency, but citizenship is now off the table.
From
€182,000
Time
4–6 months
Citizenship
Not available since 2025
Stay
0 days
The short verdict
It depends. Spain and Malta solve different problems — neither program "wins" in the abstract.
The full picture is below — by the numbers, then category by category.
By the numbers
Headline metrics
| Metric | 🇪🇸 Spain | 🇲🇹 Malta |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Closed | Active |
| Headline minimum | €500,000 | €182,000 |
| Processing time | 20 days | 4–6 months |
| Path to citizenship | 10 years | Not available since 2025 |
| Physical presence | 1 day/year | 0 days |
| Tax overlay | Beckham Law (24% flat for 6 years) | Non-dom remittance basis |
| Best for | If you already hold the visa, this is your renewal guide. If you're new — read the Digital Nomad and Non-Lucrative sections. | Families wanting permanent EU status without the relocation, language or citizenship-track requirements. |
Category by category
- 01
Lower entry price
Edge: MaltaSpain starts at €500,000, Malta at €182,000.
- 02
Faster path to citizenship
Edge: SpainSpain: 10 years. Malta: Not available since 2025.
Who each one is for
🇪🇸 Spain — best for
If you already hold the visa, this is your renewal guide. If you're new — read the Digital Nomad and Non-Lucrative sections.
- +Existing holders keep their residency and renewals
- +Digital Nomad Visa fills much of the gap for active professionals
- +Beckham Law tax regime still available
🇲🇹 Malta — best for
Families wanting permanent EU status without the relocation, language or citizenship-track requirements.
- +EU permanent residency — no expiry
- +Visa-free Schengen travel
- +English is an official language
- +Family included: spouse, children, parents, grandparents
The honest tradeoffs
🇪🇸 Spain — working against you
- − Program permanently closed to new investors
- − Citizenship still requires 10 years (2 for Latin Americans)
- − Bureaucracy heavier than Portugal or Greece
🇲🇹 Malta — working against you
- − Citizenship-by-investment ended after April 2025 ECJ ruling
- − Mandatory non-refundable government contribution + donation
- − Tiny country — limited business ecosystem
Read the full dossier