Can I apply for Maltese citizenship after living there for several years?
- 19.06.2026
I’m an EU citizen and I’ve been living in Malta for a while now. My spouse is a non-EU national and I’d like them to join me here. Does the fact that I’m an EU citizen exercising my free movement rights make this process easier compared to if I were a non-EU national myself?
Yes, generally, EU citizens exercising their free movement rights, such as by residing and working in another EU member state like Malta, benefit from more favourable family reunification rules for their non-EU family members, including a spouse, under EU free movement principles as implemented in Maltese law, compared to the process that would apply if you were yourself a non-EU national sponsoring family reunification, since EU law specifically protects the ability of EU citizens to be joined by their close family members when exercising free movement rights. Your spouse would generally still need to apply for a residence document confirming their status as the family member of an EU citizen exercising treaty rights in Malta, and this typically requires evidence of your relationship, such as your marriage certificate, along with proof of your own qualifying status in Malta, such as employment or sufficient means, but the process and requirements are generally structured somewhat differently, and often more straightforwardly, than the Single Permit route applicable to non-EU sponsors. Given that the specific procedure for family members of EU citizens differs from standard non-EU immigration routes, it would be worth confirming the exact current requirements and documentation directly with Identità, given the specific facts of your own residence status in Malta.
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