Maltese Citizenship by Descent - How long have you been waiting?

Hey there, have just found this forum 😊 I originally applied via the London Commission early last year, pre pandemic and have recently heard back with an August appointment date so seems they are back up and running again. Hope you also now have your appointment!

trentmitchell339 wrote:

I actually live in malta already for 7 years but when I go to the police depot in
Floriana....they want me to bring the English conduct however that is quite an impossible task as I would have to be in the UK. They tell me not from here you do it...you have to do it I told them that it is quite impossible but they tell me to find a way...and this is not the first complication I'm finding here

Your message isn't really clear if you're looking for a police conduct report or evidence that you don't have a criminal record, have you looked here - you can do it from anywhere in the world:

https://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

trentmitchell339 wrote:

I actually live in malta already for 7 years but when I go to the police depot in
Floriana....they want me to bring the English conduct however that is quite an impossible task as I would have to be in the UK. They tell me not from here you do it...you have to do it I told them that it is quite impossible but they tell me to find a way...and this is not the first complication I'm finding here

Are you referring to getting work here or citizenship?

The Maltese Embassy in Dublin contacted me this morning to say my citiozenship certificate had arrived.  I applied on 29th January 2020 so all in all the process took 18 months which I don't think is too bad. The embassy were very helpful throughout the process. I'm over the moon !

Congratulations!! How many generations above was your ancestor?

julieta71 wrote:

Congratulations!! How many generations above was your ancestor?

I'm third generation, so I was claiming via descent from my Great Grandparents.

Thank you Eddie! I am applying for fourth generation. Perhaps it takes a little bit longer.

It does seem to be the case that those with fewer generations move through the process more quickly. Hopefully you'll get yours soon.

Hi All,

Can anyone give me an idea of how long it took to create the passport after you received your citizenship certificate ?.

The embassy advised me that they are awaiting registration of birth at the Public Registry to occur, then they can send an instruction to Passport Office to create the passport.

The form fees and biometrics were all completed during my original appointment at the embassy so I'm just wondering if I have to wait much longer for this final piece to arrive.

Thanks.

“
“So after you get your citizenship, you will then need to register your birth and marriage in the Maltese Public Registry. This would take around 8 weeks to complete.

After that you can apply for a  Maltese Passport. For that yes, you will need to come in person to either an Embassy (any around the world) or at the Passport office in Malta.”  This is what the embassy of Malta in Washington told me.

Has anyone  had experience with the embassy in Berlin?  They tell me it will be anywhere been 5 months to 2 years for duel citizenship.

It doesn't matter which embassy you go to all applications are sent to the Citizenship unit in Malta. Mine took 18 months but there others on here who did indeed get it in 5 months.

Thanks for the reply. I have an appointment  Friday  to submit  for duel citizenship by decent.  Both parents, grandparents and great grandparents  are  all Maltese.  So I am praying  it will not take  forever

Hi Marlene

You're  first generation then, it does seem to be the experience of people on this thread that those with fewer generations move through quicker but it's not a definite.

I found the embassy in Dublin very helpful when I went through it, they occasionally asked for clarification on things but basically I just had to wait once I made my submission.

Time and patience are what's required, good luck with your application.

If you pray you are bound to succeed. Only your surname does not sound Maltese. I remember many people with that surname in Germany.

I am not German.  My husband is German . I was born and raised  in  Canada.  My maiden name was Bone  and mother's maiden name  Bonello.

hanselmar wrote:

If you pray you are bound to succeed. Only your surname does not sound Maltese. I remember many people with that surname in Germany.

People do get married and change their name you know?

Not everywhere. I ‘ve been happily married for 22 years but I never used my husband's surname. I never understood why in so many countries the woman looses her maiden name.

julieta71 wrote:

Not everywhere. I ‘ve been happily married for 22 years but I never used my husband's surname. I never understood why in so many countries the woman looses her maiden name.

Thats true, but I find it rude to question someone's name. For all we know it might not be their real name.

I changed my name  2 years ago to my husband's. It was just easier for immigration  if I had the same last name as my son and husband.

The embassy have just written to me to say the Public Registry can't register my certificate showing my current legal name.  I added my mothers surname to my own some years ago creating a double barrelled surname. They suggested that I contact a lawyer in Malta quoting article 257 of the Civil Code.
I've suggested to them that they just go with my original surname for registration.
Anyone got experience of this, surely there must be others acquiring citizenship under a name that they wern't born with.
My citizenship certificate does show both my current name and the name I was born with so surely that's the way around it.

Six months since I've sent my paperwork!!! Today I received an email confirming my Maltese citizenship. So grateful to the people in the Washington embassy!!! My Maltese ascendant was my great great grandmother.

I just had my appointment in Berlin August 27 and received a letter dated September 17th that I am a citizen of Malta. That went quick.

Marlene Lindner wrote:

I just had my appointment in Berlin August 27 and received a letter dated September 17th that I am a citizen of Malta. That went quick.

Congratulations and welcome to the EU.

Thank you. When I went to the embassy they told me things are moving faster and fingers crossed I might get it around Christmas.  They could not believe I already got it. Now I just have to register my birth. Does anyone know what ID number I put in? I did not get a number because they consider me a citizen from birth.  So I was not sent a certificate.

Eddie B-A wrote:

The embassy have just written to me to say the Public Registry can't register my certificate showing my current legal name.  I added my mothers surname to my own some years ago creating a double barrelled surname. They suggested that I contact a lawyer in Malta quoting article 257 of the Civil Code.
I've suggested to them that they just go with my original surname for registration.
Anyone got experience of this, surely there must be others acquiring citizenship under a name that they wern't born with.
My citizenship certificate does show both my current name and the name I was born with so surely that's the way around it.

if anyone i is interested in knowing more about this I've posted on the thread Name Change in Malta.

I found this thread helpful when I was applying, so - three applications submitted in late July in person in Valetta, had notification that the first one was approved in mid-October. And that's based on two previous generations dating back to the start of the nineteenth century. So things are moving quickly, less than three months for us.

They are moving very quickly.  My application was sent to Malta from the German embassy on September 1st  2021 and received the letter in just over 2 weeks.

I applied in Malta in June 2021 - was ready in September but only informed me mid October. Took 3 months. Super fast! I have registered my birth so next week I am applying for passport! Does anyone know if the recommender has to be Maltese - or can they be Commonwealth nationals? Thanks

Since they set up the new dedicated agency they seems to be flying through these now.

I'm in Ireland so for my passport recommender I just went to the local Garda (police) station and they did it for me, the embassy in Dublin said this was fine.

Please let me know if that works with the Maltese passport agency.  I moved to Germany  a few months before the pandemic hit so I know no one that fit the recommender  here.

Been keeping an eye on this thread for a while - great to see the process seems to have sped up for some. Anyone know how long the London embassy is taking to give a verdict about citizenship back? Still waiting!
Grazzi

Marlene Lindner wrote:

Please let me know if that works with the Maltese passport agency.  I moved to Germany  a few months before the pandemic hit so I know no one that fit the recommender  here.

You'll have to ask the embassy - it does vary by location. In the UK it needs to be a Commonwealth citizen with a 'professional' background.

JMP66 wrote:

Been keeping an eye on this thread for a while - great to see the process seems to have sped up for some. Anyone know how long the London embassy is taking to give a verdict about citizenship back? Still waiting!
Grazzi

Do you mean you have submitted your application, or that you're waiting for an appointment?

The High Commission in London is still working on issuing appointments to those who requested one in 2020. It's a slow process.

Segunaa wrote:

I applied in Malta in June 2021 - was ready in September but only informed me mid October. Took 3 months. Super fast! I have registered my birth so next week I am applying for passport! Does anyone know if the recommender has to be Maltese - or can they be Commonwealth nationals? Thanks

Are you applying in Malta or somewhere else?

If in Malta, their requirements are clear: they need to be a Maltese resident (as well as knowing you for the requisite period):

"If you intend to apply for your passports in Malta, the recommender has to be a Maltese professional person OR a Commonwealth citizen living and working in Malta in possession of a residence card."

Ok, thank you I will email them. How long did it take to register your birth?

You can register the birth at the same time as submitting your passport application - at least that is the case in London and (judging by Eddie B-A's comments) Dublin.

I did both applications at the same time so that when I received my citizenship they would go through straight away.

The embassy sent my application off without the passport application or birth registration.  They said its quicker.  And true it only took around 2 weeks.  Then they sent my birth certificate and told me I would here from the registry then send the passport application.  But they did take my picture and fingerprints
Although I don't know how someone would sign the back of a picture if they have them?