For decades, British people moved to Malta the easy way: English is an official language, the plugs match, the cars drive on the left, and EU free movement did the rest. Moving to Malta from the UK is still attractive for all of those reasons. What changed on 1 January 2021 is the paperwork, and it matters which side of that date you stand.
What does moving to Malta from the UK involve today?
The short version: it is possible, popular and well worth planning, but it is no longer a matter of turning up and registering. The first question is whether you already have a right to be in Malta. If you have an EU passport as well as a British one, for instance through an Irish parent or grandparent, you can move as an EU citizen and follow our Malta checklist. If you only hold a British passport, you need a permit that matches your reason for coming.
Did you already live in Malta before 2021?
If you were resident in Malta by 31 December 2020, the Withdrawal Agreement protects you. Identità, the national identity agency, has a section for British nationals explaining the document you hold, a ten-year residence document for those covered by the agreement. You keep your right to live, work and receive healthcare under the same rules as before, as long as you remain resident.
If you are reading this because you want to move now, you are in the other group.
What permit do you need if you arrive now?
Since Brexit, British nationals who arrive are third-country nationals. That means you cannot simply register as an EU citizen would. Identità says that new arrivals may opt for a residence permit of up to ten years, with each case reviewed on its merits. The route depends on your reason for coming:
- Working for a Maltese employer: a work authorisation. In principle you need a single permit or an Employment Licence before you start work. Your employer applies through Jobsplus and Identità; check this with them before you sign.
- Working for yourself: an Employment Licence, which Business First says is granted only in exceptional cases for a self-employed activity.
- Working remotely for a foreign employer: the Nomad Residence Permit (see below).
- Retiring or living on your own means: the Malta Retirement Programme or the Global Residence Programme, which include a residence route and a special tax status.
Our fact sheets say these permits go through Identità and the Residency Malta Agency, and the details change; ask for the current list of documents before you commit to a date.
Moving to Malta from the UK with a car or a licence: what applies?
Your UK licence is valid for 12 months from your last entry into Malta. After that you need a Maltese licence, and an arrangement between Malta and the UK allows the exchange without an examination, with all categories valid. It also covers licences from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The practical steps are in our guide on driving in Malta.
A car coming from Great Britain is an import from a third country, with customs and VAT, and it must pass a Maltese roadworthiness test before registration even if it has a valid MOT. Only a car registered in Northern Ireland, with its V5CNI, counts as coming from the EU. The Transfer of Residence exemption from registration tax can also apply to a car imported from a third country, under the same 24-month conditions.
What about healthcare and your State Pension?
Healthcare depends on your route. The Entitlement Unit lists several: Maltese contributions if you work (your residence card is your proof); a UK S1 registered after your residence formalities, normally about three months after arrival, with the original S1, your British passport, your residence document and photocopies; a GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays; and a certificate under the Malta-UK reciprocal health agreement if you have no other entitlement, with sometimes more limited cover. Details and the costs you still pay are in healthcare in Malta for expats.
Your UK State Pension is uprated each year if you live in Malta, as it is in the rest of the EEA, according to GOV.UK. Whether UK and EU insurance periods are added together after Brexit is something to confirm with the International Pension Centre.
How are British people taxed in Malta?
The residence and domicile rules are the same as for everyone: you become a resident when you settle, and a resident who is not domiciled is taxed on Maltese income and on foreign income brought into Malta. A Malta-UK double taxation agreement applies. It treats a public pension and a private pension differently, so have each pension checked.
On special schemes, the Residence Programme is closed to British nationals since Brexit. The Global Residence Programme for non-EU nationals, the Malta Retirement Programme and the Nomad Residence Permit are open. The Nomad permit, for people who work remotely for a foreign employer, asks for a minimum gross income of €42,000 a year (€32,400 for those who applied before 1 April 2024), and for health insurance covering Malta and the UK. The MTCA and the Residency Malta Agency describe the conditions of each one.
A Scottish resident in Malta is not concerned by Scottish tax bands in Malta, but a Scot who keeps income in the UK stays concerned by Scottish income tax on that income.
Can you buy a home, open an account and school your children?
- Property: an AIP permit is required even for a main residence, unless you buy in a Special Designated Area or hold long-term resident status. No reduced stamp duty if you need the permit. See buying property in Malta.
- Bank: as soon as you are legally resident, you have the right to a basic account, but a UK account no longer benefits from EU payment protections. See opening a bank account in Malta.
- School: state school is free for children whose parent holds a single work permit issued in Malta; otherwise fees can apply, with a possible exemption request. See schools in Malta for expats.
What should a British family do before leaving the UK?
Make a short list and start it early, because several items take time.
- Decide your permit route and ask Identità or your employer for the exact list of documents. Do this before you resign or sell.
- Order your documents: birth and marriage certificates, police certificates if the route asks for them, and an English translation of anything not in English or Maltese.
- Check your NHS entitlement and your S1 if you are a pensioner, and ask your pension provider about annual uprating.
- Plan the car: a UK-registered car is a third-country import with customs, VAT and a Maltese test, so compare that with buying locally.
- Tell HMRC that you are leaving, and discuss the UK-Malta treaty with an adviser, pension by pension.
- Think about your children's school: the state system teaches in English and Maltese, and no pupil is exempt from Maltese in state schools.
What makes the move easier for British people?
Language, culture and plugs. English is an official language, you will understand the forms, and the driving habits feel natural. What takes adjusting is the heat, the Maltese language at school and the strength of the village-feast calendar; our guide to daily life in Malta covers it. Permits and tax are the part to plan carefully and to confirm with Identità and a tax adviser before you leave.