Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) vs Portugal Golden Visa
🇲🇹 Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) (Malta) compared with 🇵🇹 Portugal Golden Visa (Portugal) — across cost, timeline, residency, tax and the path to citizenship.
The verdict
- →Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) has the lower financial bar to entry.
- →Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) is usually faster to process.
- →Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) requires less time in the country each year.
There's no single winner — the right choice depends on your budget, how much time you can spend on the ground, and whether a passport is the goal. Use the table below to weigh what matters to you.
| Feature | 🇲🇹Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) | 🇵🇹Portugal Golden Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Malta | Portugal |
| Type | Golden Visa | Golden Visa |
| Headline cost | From €150,000 contribution | €500k fund investment (real estate route closed) |
| Minimum investment | $150,000 | $500,000 |
| Minimum income | — | — |
| Processing time | 4 months | 8 months |
| Min stay per year | 0 days | 7 days |
| Tax rate | 0% | Minimal stay required (7 days/yr). Separate NHR 2.0 if …% |
| Leads to PR | No | Yes |
| PR after | — | 5.0 years |
| Citizenship after | 5 years | 5 years |
| Dual citizenship | No | — |
| Visa-free countries | 183 | — |
| Remote work | Yes | — |
| Healthcare | No | — |
| Data confidence | high | medium |
Frequently asked
Which is cheaper, Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) or Portugal Golden Visa?
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) has the lower financial requirement (Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): $150,000, Portugal Golden Visa: $500,000).
Which is faster to get, Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) or Portugal Golden Visa?
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) is faster (Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): 4 months, Portugal Golden Visa: 8 months).
Do Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) or Portugal Golden Visa lead to citizenship?
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): citizenship possible after about 5 years. Portugal Golden Visa: citizenship possible after about 5 years.
Can I hold dual citizenship with Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) or Portugal Golden Visa?
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP): No. Portugal Golden Visa: —.