Driving: the bad news first
| Licence from | Exchange for a Maltese licence? | What actually happens |
|---|
| EU/EEA, UK, Switzerland, Australia, UAE | Yes | Straight administrative swap via Transport Malta |
| United States, Canada | No exchange agreement | Drive on your licence for the first 12 months of residence; after that you need a Maltese licence — full theory test plus practical test |
Plan for the test. Booking lessons and tests takes time, and Malta drives on the left in dense traffic on narrow roads. Many American and Canadian movers schedule the theory test in their first months rather than discovering the deadline at month 11. Exchange requires 185 days' residence in the preceding 12 months even for eligible countries — this is a residence-based system throughout.
Do you need a car at all? In the Sliema–Valletta corridor, arguably not: buses are free for residents with a personalised tallinja card, taxis and ride-hailing (Bolt, eCabs) are plentiful, and parking is miserable. In the north, the south, and on Gozo, most households keep a car.
Bringing your pet
- ISO microchip first, then rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel.
- EU animal health certificate endorsed by USDA-APHIS (US) or CFIA (Canada) within 10 days of arrival.
- Dogs only: tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment administered by a vet 24–120 hours before arrival — Malta is one of the EU's tapeworm-free listed territories (with Ireland, Finland, Norway), so this extra step is mandatory.
- Arrive via an approved route and declare the animal — check current entry-point rules with Malta's veterinary services before booking, and note airlines' summer heat embargoes on pet cargo.
Setting up the household
- Utilities (ARMS): transfer the account into your name and register on the Residential tariff (primary home) rather than the dearer Domestic rate — the single most common overpayment by new arrivals. Tariffs are banded: cheap at low usage, steep for heavy A/C use.
- Internet and mobile: Melita, GO, and Epic; fibre widely available; ~€30–40/month for home internet (indicative).
- Plugs: UK-style type G, 230V. North American appliances need adapters, and anything motorised or heat-producing usually needs replacing.
- Water: mostly desalinated and safe, but most residents drink bottled or filtered.
- Shipping your household: returning-resident and transfer-of-residence customs relief can apply to household goods from outside the EU — paperwork through Customs (MTCA) before shipping, not after.
- Time zone: CET — 6 hours ahead of Eastern, 9 ahead of Pacific. Calls home happen in your evening.
- Flights: no direct scheduled service to the US or Canada as of mid-2026 — one stop via London, Frankfurt, Rome, or Istanbul; Malta–London is about 3¼ hours.
Language, honestly. English is an official language; 96% of residents understand it (NSO Skills Survey 2023). Government forms, contracts, courts, medicine — all function in English. Maltese is the national language and learning greetings earns goodwill, but nobody needs Maltese to run their life here. This is Malta's single biggest practical advantage over every other Mediterranean option.