Maltese Citizenship By Marriage
The foreign spouse of a Maltese citizen may acquire Maltese citizenship by marriage after 5 years of marriage. Residence in Malta is not required.
- Widows and widowers of a Maltese citizen (where the spouse died within the first 5 years of marriage) may apply for Maltese citizenship by marriage 5 years after the date of the marriage to their deceased spouse.
- Persons separated from a Maltese spouse may still apply for Maltese citizenship by marriage provided they lived together for 5 years
- Prior to 10 February 2000 the 5 year period of marriage did not apply, while before 1 August 1989 only the foreign wife of a Maltese man was eligible for citizenship by marriage
Despite such measures, marriages of convenience between Maltese nationals and women from Eastern Europe or Arab/Maghreb men continue to take place.
Read more about this topic: Maltese Nationality Law
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