New amendments to the cash for citizenship scheme are expected to be announced today as the legal notice published last month needs some more tweaking following the agreement reached with the European Commission.

The amendments to be published in the Government Gazette will include technical changes related to the residency clause inserted in the scheme at the insistence of the EU.

“Effectively, the new application forms will contain an undertaking on the part of the applicant to provide proof of residence in Malta prior to being granted a certificate of naturalisation as a citizen of Malta in accordance with the IIP regulations,” a government spokesman told Times of Malta yesterday.

The new application forms will contain an undertaking to provide proof of residence

The latest changes in the legal notice should be the last, after last week the government had to make further changes to the Maltese version of the legal notice.

Following a motion by the European Parliament calling on Malta to amend its citizenship scheme, the government agreed to insert new rules introducing the need of an effective link with the country for those wanting to acquire Maltese citizenship.

According to the new rules, new Maltese citizens have to provide proof that they have lived on the island for 12 months prior to acquiring their Maltese passport.

Meanwhile, the government is still refusing to publish the contract signed with international firm Henley & Partners to market and sell Malta’s programme.

Asked in Parliament by the Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to publish the contents of the contract, National Security Minister Manuel Mallia turned down the request on the grounds it was a confidential contract.

So far, the government has only published a few clauses of the contract showing that Henley & Partners will be paid a commission of four per cent for each citizenship sold.