Maltese nationality law
| Maltese Citizenship Act Att dwar iċ-Ċittadinanza Maltija | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of Malta | |
| |
| Citation | No. 30 of 1965 |
| Territorial extent | Malta |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Malta |
| Enacted | 1965 |
| Commenced | 21 September 1964 |
| Status: Amended | |
legislature, enacted_by.The primary law governing nationality of Malta is the Maltese Citizenship Act (Maltese: Att dwar iċ-Ċittadinanza Maltija), which came into force on 21 September 1964. Malta is a member state of the European Union (EU), and all Maltese nationals are EU citizens. They are entitled to free movement rights in EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, and may vote in elections to the European Parliament for the Malta constituency.
All persons born in Malta between 21 September 1964 and 1 August 1989 automatically received citizenship at birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. Individuals born in the country since that date receive Maltese citizenship at birth if at least one of their parents is a Maltese citizen or was born in Malta. Foreign nationals may become Maltese citizens by naturalisation after meeting a minimum residence requirement (usually five years).
Malta was a colony of the British Empire until 1964 and local residents were British subjects. Although Maltese citizens no longer hold British nationality, they remain Commonwealth citizens under British law. When residing in the United Kingdom, Maltese citizens are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there.