Global

Global for Citizenship and Residency, usually shortened to GICG, is a multinational investment migration firm with its head office in Malta. It works with high-net-worth individuals and families who want a second residence or a second passport, and it has been active in the industry since 1996. The Malta office is in Portomaso Business Tower, one of the best-known business addresses in St Julian's.

For UK clients the draw is range. Rather than promoting a single scheme, the firm covers fifteen programmes and compares them with you, from European residence permits to Caribbean passports. It is listed in our directory of immigration consultants in Malta, and our guide to relocating to Malta from the UK explains daily life if Malta is your preferred base.

Residency and citizenship programmes

On the citizenship side, the firm advises on programmes in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Turkey, Nauru and Vanuatu. Citizenship by investment gives rights similar to those of native citizens, including the right to settle in the issuing country, visa-free travel to certain countries, access to education and healthcare, and the ability to pass citizenship on to dependants. Visa-free destination counts range from 89 to 157 across the programmes, and some require no physical relocation.

On the residency side the firm covers Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Hungary and Greece. A residence permit in a Schengen country also allows free travel inside the Schengen area, and some routes lead to citizenship after set periods, three, seven or ten years depending on the country. Malta is presented as an EU country that needs no physical relocation and offers visa-free travel to more than 190 countries. Our Malta tax guide for UK nationals is a sensible read alongside any residency decision.

Who the firm works with and where

The team comes from eight countries and speaks more than ten languages, and the firm counts more than thirty years of experience in the sector. It is approved and licensed in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda. Besides the Malta head office there are offices in Istanbul, Cairo and New Cairo, Podgorica in Montenegro, Nevis in the Caribbean and Shanghai, so it can meet clients across several regions in person, and clients can ask the team about the language they prefer to use.

Wealth planning is part of the picture. Investors who are also considering company structures can read our overviews of financial services in Malta and the corporate tax structure in Malta, and CLA Malta is our featured partner for company and tax work.

Government advisory work

Unusually, the firm also advises governments that run investment migration programmes. Its services include policy development, due diligence and risk management through third-party vetting partners, investment structuring, marketing, compliance monitoring and training for officials. This is background for individual clients rather than something you buy, but it shows how closely the firm follows programme rules, policy changes and compliance standards. It also means the firm sees both sides of a programme: the applicant's goals and the host country's aims of economic development.

Planning your visit and your enquiry

Anyone visiting Malta to meet advisers can combine the trip with sightseeing; our Valletta guide, things to do in Malta and about Malta pages are good starting points. Its blog and news pages cover retiring in Malta, the cost of living for expats and the Malta Permanent Residence Programme. The website carries a notice that its content is general information and not legal, tax or immigration advice, and that requirements change, so check current rules with the team.

To begin, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Global.