Why Move to Malta

Moving to Malta? Here are Papilio’s top picks on why you should move, live and work in Malta?

If you’re looking to move to Malta, there are several beneficial and attractive reasons to help you with your decision. The people are friendly, the climate is warm, the food is excellent, and it is convenient for travelling from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. So, let’s go through Papilio’s top picks on why Malta is the number one destination for you to consider moving to.

Where is Malta?

Malta, or the Republic of Malta, is located on the southern tip of Europe. It is located just below Sicily, Italy in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and conveniently just a few hours flight from most major European cities.

The Maltese archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. Malta is the largest island and is home to the majority of the population alongside being the commercial hub of the islands. Gozo is the second-largest island and is mostly characterized for traditional crafts, agriculture and green fields. Comino is the smallest of the islands but is home to the spectacular Blue Lagoon, popular with locals and tourists alike. For those wishing to move to Malta, there is a lot to see.

The capital of Malta is Valletta, and the story behind the name of the city comes from the Order of Saint John back in the 16th century. Valletta was called “Humilissima Civitas Valletta — The Most Humble City of Valletta”. In 1980, the city of Valletta was officially recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

This European island one of the lowest populated countries in the world with a little over 450,000 residents. Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English. Although Italian is also generally understood and spoken well.

Already considering moving to Malta? Let’s have a look at some facts and figures about the beautiful island.

• Location: Mediterranean Sea (60 mi south of Italy)
• Population: 460,000 (2017)
• Capital: Valletta
• Currency: Euro (€)
• Size: 316 km² (122 sq mi)
• Languages: Maltese and English
• Life Expectancy: 82 years old
• GDP: $12.54 billion (2017)
• GDP per capita: $27,250 (2017)
• Timezone: GMT +1/+2 (daylight savings time)
• Climate: Average yearly temperature of 23°C
• Sunshine: 300 days per year (3,000 hours per year)
• Airport: Malta International Airport (MLA)
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 3

Stunning Valletta viewed from Tigne Point

Doing Business in Malta

Malta attracts a significant number of international investors, entrepreneurs and private corporations, mainly due to Malta’s attractive tax system. As a result of this, the financial services industry has seen rapid growth in the last ten years. Since then, Malta has become one of the leading financial services centres in the world and has become a significant contributor to Malta’s GDP.

Malta’s is tied for the14th safest banking system in the world judged by the World Economic Forum in 2018. By comparison, the US is ranked T22nd, Germany is ranked T50th, the UK is ranked T57th, Cyprus is ranked 127th, and Portugal is ranked at 129th.

Malta has a skilled and well-educated workforce, but as the industry is still growing, it offers people looking to move to Malta many employment possibilities.

Recently Malta has seen significant growth in e-commerce activities, entrepreneurs and corporations are relocating their business affairs to Malta. Setting up an online business is a relatively straight forward process and offers many favourable tax advantages by basing the company in Malta. Malta is becoming not only a hotspot but a mecca for the IT and financial services sector.

All language for legislation in Malta is in Maltese and English. All companies in Malta generally conduct their business in English, making doing business in Malta a relatively easy task.

If you’re considering doing business in Malta, contact us today for a discussion on how Papilio Services can help you get set up.

Setting up your business in Malta? Watch Papilio Services video on why should you consider the Maltese islands as your hub for doing business in and what are the residency requirements?

Malta Residency

For those looking to move to Malta, citizens coming from the European Union benefit from freedom of movement, making it easy to relocate to Malta. For Non-European persons wishing to move to Malta, there are various Malta Residence programmes available which offer favourable tax and other incentives for those wishing to move to Malta.

Malta is a popular relocation choice for retired Northern Europeans due to the favourable climate in the winter months, and many take advantage of the Malta Retirement Programme. The programme offers attractive tax advantages for retirees remitting their pension to Malta.

Other residence programmes of interest focus on returning migrants, highly qualified persons and High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) to name a few.

For more information regarding the attractive Maltese residency programmes, contact us for a free consultation and we will find out what programme is best suited for you.

The Weather

The glorious weather is one of the primary attractions for those looking to move to Malta, offering mild winters and hot summers. The climate begins to warm up in March, reaching a peak in the summer months of July and August and only starts to cool down noticeably in November. The months of January and February are traditionally the rainy season, and while cooler, it is still relatively warmer than its more Northern neighbours.

Looking up to Mdina. Mdina, also known as the ‘Silent City’ and ‘the Nobel City’.The former capital of Malta dates back approximately 4,000 years and used to house the countries Nobility.

Education in Malta

Education is an essential element for those looking to move to Malta. The education system is a milestone in Maltese society and is of an outstanding level. Due to Malta’s British influence and heritage, the Maltese public-school system models its inspiration from the British educational system.

In Malta, all children between 4-16 years old have the right to free education that includes books, school materials and transportation. Malta has a good standard of public schools, but there are also options for sending children to church or private schools.

The University of Malta is publicly founded and is also free for Maltese citizens. It is the oldest University in Europe being over 400 years old. As English is an official language of Malta, it is taught in all schools and universities alongside Maltese and other languages.

For more information about Maltese Education, follow this link to the government services and information.

Travelling to and from Malta

Malta, part of the European Union, is in the Schengen area which allows for softer passport and immigration controls at their borders from travel within the EU borders. Therefore, travelling to and from Schengen regions do not require passports having to be checked.

Another great benefit for people looking to move to Malta is the visa waiver agreements set up with 182 countries. This makes Malta’s passport the 9th strongest passport in the world according to the Henley Passport Index. For example, Maltese citizens currently are eligible to travel to the United States of America and Canada without a visa.

Malta is also well situated for international flights. Malta mostly has direct flights to all major European airports. See below flight times to some popular destinations around the world:

• London = 3 hours 10 minutes
• Paris = 2 hours 40 minutes
• Frankfurt = 2 hours 40 minutes
• Moscow = 4 hours
• Dubai = 7 hours 30 minutes
• Shanghai = 15 hours
• Singapore = 16 hours 15 minutes
• Cape Town = 16 hours 25 minutes
• New York = 12 hours 25 minutes
• Los Angeles = 15 hours 10 minutes

In short some of the top reasons to move to Malta:

• Climate and the Stunning Sea
  Sunshine throughout most of the calendar year with long hot summers and mild winters. Diving in the Mediterranean is a melting pot of opportunity for many owing to the many coral reefs and mesmerizing explorations. For all you divers out there, Malta is rated second best place in the world to dive and the top spot in Europe. Egypt came in first and the Maldives came in third;
• Language
  Official languages are Maltese and English where almost everyone speaks English fluently. Check out Air Malta’s page that lists few phases and pronunciations in Maltese ready for your arrival;
• Food
  An abundance of seafood and a strong influence of Italian and North African cuisine contributing to an exciting gastronomic destination;
• Currency
  Since Malta is a member of the EU, the United Nations and the Council of Europe, the official currency is Euro;
• Healthcare
  Hospitals are well equipped and well-funded setting a very high standard;
• Tourism
  Malta is a trendy tourism destination with millions of visitors every year. Luxury hotels, skilled multilingual staff, excellent high-tech events being held in superb facilities, charming architecture with colourful windows dating back centuries ago and unique cultural monuments;
• Art
  Strong artistic heritage which dates from the 16th century. A myriad of museums, palazzos and churches on the Maltese islands offering a cultural delight and historical journey.

Contact Papilio Services

If you are considering relocating to Malta, Papilio Services offer a variety of services for business and individuals from residency programmes, company formation, tax advice and much more. We pride ourselves on client retention and quality service, offering bespoke and tax-efficient solutions for international companies and individuals.

If you would like any more information on how we can help you, contact us through email enquiries@papilioservices.com or call us directly +356 2258 2000. We look forward to hearing from you.