Maltese Citizenship by Decent

Hi all,

I am trying to work out if I qualify to get Maltese Citizenship by decent.

My situation is:

My great-grandmother (and her accendants for several generations) were Maltese, she was born in Malta 1906.

Her son, my maternal grandfather, was born in Malta in 1929.  He has citzenship and a Maltese passport.

His daughter, my mother, was born in Sri Lanka in 1956 and is automatically a Maltese citizen via the rule:

You acquired Maltese citizenship with Malta's Independence only if:

    you were born in Malta before 21st September 1964 and at least one of your parents was also born in Malta;

OR

    you were born abroad but your father and a paternal grandparent were both born in Malta;

AND

    until 20th September 1964 you were still a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.


specified here: ([link under review] ).  She has never registered or held a passport, however I believe under the 2000 amendments to the citizenship rules, she is automatically a Dual National citizen and simply needs to apply for a passport to prove this.  Is this correct?

I was born in the United Kingdom in 1985.  This is where things get a bit confusing, because it appears I cannot claim citzenship by birth because I fall into the period "after 21st September 1964 but before 1st August 1989" where you could only claim citizenship by birth through your father, not your mother. 

Which would appear to suggest my birth claim to citizenship is cut off, however I read on a couple of sources that Mothers could pass on their Maltese Citizenship between 1964 and 1989 if they were unmarriedhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_n … by_descent

My mother was indeed unmarried when I was born during this period, so I think I might automatically be a Dual National Maltese Citizen by birth.  However there is nothing on the official Identity Malta sources I can find which refers to this very specific case.

Does anyone have knowledge or experience of this? Is the best course of action to email the High Commission and enquire?

Otherwise I think I can still apply for Citizenship through Regisitration, but I have heard this can take several years.

Thanks!!!

Welcome to the forum :)

Your other post has been removed.

SimCityAT
Expat Team

I think the criteria are clearer and simpler than you suggest.

You are eligible to apply for registration as a Maltese citizen by descent if you are:

"The direct descendant, second or subsequent generation, born abroad of an ascendant who was born in Malta of a parent who was also born in Malta."

See:  https://identitymalta.com/acquisition-o … istration/

Of course you have prove your descent with all the relevant birth, marriage and death certificates.  I believe any certificates that are not Maltese need an apostille.

Hi there

Contact Evans Building to be sure, here is the details below;

Address:
Identity Malta (Citizenship)
Evans Building,
St Elmo's Square,
Valletta

Telephone:
(+356) 2590 4600

Email:
[email protected]

I hope this helps.

Identity Malta used to be in the Evans Building in Valletta, but it moved to Marsa a few months ago.

You can find the up-to-date address and contact details on the Identity Malta Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/IdentityMaltaAgency/

Identity Malta Head Office
Onda Building
Aldo Moro Road
Marsa
Malta

Call: +356 2590 4000
[email protected]

Strange because on Identity Malta's web site rather than Facebook it shows they are still at the Evans Building for both Expats and Citizenship!
Link:-https://identitymalta.com/citizenships-expatriates-menu/

Ray