Malta permanent residence for a Nigerian entrepreneur: running a business in Europe without intermediaries

Ngozi is a businessperson from Lagos, Nigeria. He owns an agricultural company that produces and exports cocoa beans, nuts, coconuts and other foods.

The entrepreneur had a partner in Germany, with whose help he conducted all payments and settlements with European clients. However, Ngozi had some misunderstandings with the partner about the commission amount. Moreover, the partner had already let him down several times, leading to a loss of profits.

Ngozi began looking for ways to work without intermediaries. For that, he decided to open a branch of his company in one of the EU countries. But it was a challenging task for a citizen of Nigeria, so Ngozi thought of obtaining European residency and turned to Immigrant Invest.

At the consultation with the investment programs expert, Ngozi formulated his goals as the following:

1. Register a subsidiary in Europe.

2. Open a business account in a European bank.

Ngozi could acquire a residence in any European country to achieve his goals. Among the EU countries that offer residence by investment and do not require relocation are Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta — and the investor chose the latter.

Ngozi opted for the Maltese program as it could help him solve his tasks and provide the most benefits.

Malta Permanent Residence Programme

Lifelong status. In Malta, investors can get permanent residence permits at once, skipping the stage of temporary residence.

Besides, the status of a temporary Maltese resident and the residence card must be renewed every year. In comparison, a permanent residence status is lifelong, with the card replacement once in 5 years.

Ngozi was attracted by the opportunity to obtain termless residency in Europe.

Low costs. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme requires the least investment. The expenses under the program can be as little as €150,000, while under other investment programs, applicants spend more than €250,000.

Visa-free access to Schengen. Maltese residents can enter 27 Schengen countries without visas and spend up to 90 days per half a year in the Area. This fact can help Ngozi hold business meetings with European customers.

Tax benefits. Maltese standard corporate income tax rate is 35%, but most companies are subject to tax refunds, after which the effective tax rate becomes 0—10%.

Individual income is taxed at a progressive scale of 0—35%, with tax refunds also applicable.

The value-added tax standard rate is 18%, the 2nd lowest rate among the EU countries.

Convenience. Nigeria and Malta are located in the same time zone, and English is recognised as an official language in both countries.

To apply for permanent residence and conduct business in Malta, Ngozi does not have to bother translating and certifying documentation.

Investors are obliged to make several non-refundable contributions:

• pay the administration fee of €40,000;

• the contribution fee of €58,000 if renting or €28,000 if buying real estate;

• and donate €2,000 to charity.

Another requirement is financial solvency. Candidates must prove ownership of €500,000 capital, of which €150,000 are liquid financial assets.

All applicants for Maltese permanent residency must also have a registration address in the country. For that, investors buy residential properties or rent them for five years.

In the south of Malta or Gozo, the minimum rent is €10,000 per annum, and the minimum purchase amount is €300,000.

In the north of the centre of Malta, the minimum rent is €12,000 per annum, and the minimum purchase amount is €350,000.

Vladlena Baranova,

Head of Legal & AML Compliance Department, CAMS, IMCM

A distinctive feature of the Maltese program is that investing can be distributed in time. Those investors who choose to rent properties are not obliged to pay the rent for 5 years at once: they can do it monthly.

Ngozi opted for renting, so he would need to invest only about €100,000 when obtaining the status in Malta.

Ngozi has already rented an office and applied for registration of his company. This process usually takes up to 2 weeks.

After that, the investor will turn to one of the Maltese banks to open a corporate account. Depending on the bank, this procedure will take several days to several months.

When everything is ready, Ngozi will get all the freedom of work with European customers and currency.

Besides opportunities, Ngozi has acquired several obligations. For the first five years after obtaining permanent residence in Malta, the investor will have to undergo an annual review of compliance with the programme terms.

The Residency Malta Agency checks whether the investor rents or owns a residential property in Malta and has assets of €500,000 in the disposal. Immigrant Invest lawyers will remind Ngozi of the upcoming check and help prepare the package of documents.

After five years, Ngozi will need to renew his permanent residence card. Since that moment, he will still have to rent or own housing in Malta, but the minimum price conditions cease to apply. For the 5-year rent of the apartment in Birzebbuga, Ngozi will have spent €51,000.

Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for government programs in the European Union and the Caribbean.