Before you land
Non-EU citizens wait for permit approval before travelling. EU citizens can arrive with a signed contract and start immediately. Either way, ask the employer what relocation support is included: iGaming and tech employers commonly cover flights and two to four weeks of temporary accommodation, hospitality employers often provide staff housing, and that temporary base is what gives you time to find a flat without panic.
Bring originals and apostilled copies of your degree, birth certificate and police conduct certificate, a few passport photos, and proof of health insurance. Scan everything; you will upload the same documents several times.
Finding a flat
Sliema, St Julian's and Gżira are where most office jobs are, and the most expensive: expect €1,000 to €1,400 a month for a one-bedroom flat in 2025. Msida, Birkirkara, Swieqi and Mosta are ten to twenty minutes away by bus and cost €750 to €1,000. A room in a shared flat runs €450 to €650 and is how most newcomers start. Gozo is far cheaper but only practical if you work there.
Landlords ask for one month's deposit and agents charge about half a month's rent plus VAT. Long lets are a minimum of one year by law, the contract must be registered with the Housing Authority, and the deposit has to be returned within a defined period unless there is documented damage. Viewings go quickly in spring and early autumn, so line them up before you arrive.
- Check the water and electricity meter readings and who holds the ARMS account.
- Ask whether the flat is on the residential tariff, which is far cheaper than the domestic one.
- Confirm the contract is registered with the Housing Authority and keep the receipt.
Registrations in the right order
Start with the social security number from the Department of Social Security and the tax number from the Commissioner for Revenue, which your employer needs to run payroll. Then, for EU citizens, apply to Identità for the residence document within three months; non-EU citizens collect their residence card after biometrics. Your employer files the Jobsplus engagement form on day one.
Bank accounts are the slow part: Maltese banks (BOV, HSBC Malta, APS, Lombard, MeDirect) ask for a residence address, a contract and sometimes a reference, and can take weeks. Most newcomers open a digital account first and receive salary there, then move to a local bank once the residence document arrives.
Getting around and getting connected
Buses cover the whole island and are inexpensive with a Tallinja card; residents who register the card travel free on most routes. The Sliema to Valletta ferry and the Gozo channel ferry are part of daily life. Most newcomers do not buy a car in the first year: parking in Sliema and St Julian's is the island's favourite complaint. EU driving licences are valid; many other licences can be exchanged within a year.
Fibre and 5G are widely available from GO, Melita and Epic; a SIM takes minutes with a passport. Electricity and water come through ARMS and are billed by consumption, with air conditioning the main summer cost.
Healthcare and the monthly budget
Once you pay social security you are covered by the public health system, centred on Mater Dei Hospital and the local health centres. EU citizens use the European Health Insurance Card in the meantime; many employers add private insurance that gets you faster access to private clinics.
Outside rent, Malta is cheaper than most of Western Europe. A realistic single budget in 2025 is €250 to €350 for groceries, €30 to €50 for transport, €60 to €120 for utilities, and whatever you spend on eating out, which is moderate. Add rent and a single person living alone in Sliema needs around €2,000 net a month to be comfortable; sharing brings that to €1,400 or less.