The World Awaits: 190 Countries and Counting with a Malta Passport

Malta joined the Schengen Area in 2007, along with 25 other countries. The Schengen Acquis (a set of rules and regulations) regulates the internal border, controls abolishment and strengthens the external border controls. The Acquis holds the Schengen Agreement, Convention and Accession Agreements, Treaties, Regulations, Directives, Decisions, Delegated Acts, Implementing Acts, and the Court of Justice case law.    

The Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985, is the treaty that built a borderless Europe, now known as the “Schengen Area.” It is the region’s most crucial borderless zone, including 22 European Union member countries and four non-EU countries.    

Out of the 26 Schengen Area nations, two EU member countries have opted not to apply or fully apply the Schengen rules. These countries are Cyprus and Ireland.

Here is a list of countries belonging to the Schengen Area:  

Through the Malta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment programme, applicants who contribute to Malta’s economic growth can obtain Maltese citizenship. The programme is limited to 400 highly talented, high-net-worth individuals per year, with a total cap of 1,500 under the complete regulations.