EU Top Court Rules 'golden Passport' Schemes Are Illegal

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published April 29, 2025 | 07:20 PM

Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2025) "Golden passport" schemes for deep-pocketed foreign investors violate European Union law, the bloc's highest court ruled on Tuesday, after a legal challenge against Malta by Brussels.

The European Commission had taken Malta to the top court in 2022 over its programme, which allows non-Europeans to effectively buy Maltese -- and therefore EU -- citizenship through defined payments or investments.

"The acquisition of Union citizenship cannot result from a commercial transaction," the EU's Court of Justice said, ruling that Malta had infringed EU law.

Tuesday's decision is binding, and Malta must stop the scheme or risk hefty fines.

The Maltese government said it respects the court's decisions.

"The legal implications of this judgement are being studied in detail, so that the regulatory framework on citizenship can then be brought in line with the principles outlined in the judgement," it said in a statement.

Malta regards past "golden passports" it handed out to be unaffected, saying that "decisions taken under both the current and the previous legislative framework remain valid".

The commission welcomed Tuesday's judgement. "It's now for Malta to implement the court's judgement," EU spokesman Markus Lammert told reporters.