A presence in Malta › Setting up in Malta
Setting up in Malta
Someone on the ground from the first day, for companies new to Malta
A new private company in Malta needs a registered office here, at least one director, a company secretary, share capital of at least €1,164.69 and a record of its beneficial owners. A foreign company’s branch names someone resident in Malta to represent it. VAT registration, Jobsplus forms for each hire and single permits for staff from outside the EU follow. BUSINESSLABS gives your first people a desk or an office, with a lease agreement you can use with regulators, and the B2B Malta team prepares business plans.
Reception 08:00–17:00, Monday to Friday
What the rules say
What a new company meets first
- A company in MaltaA private limited company has its registered office in Malta, at least one director, a company secretary, and share capital of at least €1,164.69, with 20% of each share paid up when the memorandum is signed
- Its owners on recordThe company holds up-to-date information on its beneficial owners, the people who ultimately own or control it, and the Business Registry keeps a register of beneficial owners
- Or a branchA foreign company that opens a branch registers it within a month, giving the branch’s address in Malta and one or more people resident in Malta who represent it
- Tax and VATA company incorporated in Malta is resident here for tax, and generally has 30 days from its first supply in Malta to apply for VAT registration; small enterprises have a special scheme
- Your first hiresEmployers need a PE number from the tax authority, and send Jobsplus an engagement form for each new employee on their first day, and no later than four working days after it
- Staff from outside the EUA company registered and operating in Malta, and registered with Jobsplus, can apply online for a single permit for a non-EU national it offers a job, usually after advertising the job on Jobsplus and EURES; highly skilled managerial and technical posts have a fast track
A summary for orientation, not legal advice. Every point carries its source and the date it was last checked.
Sources, and the last review
- LawCompanies Act (Cap. 386), articles 69, 72, 137, 138, 385 and 401 ↗
- LawCompanies Act (Register of Beneficial Owners) Regulations (S.L. 386.19), regulations 3 to 5 ↗
- LawIncome Tax Act (Cap. 123), article 2(1), "resident in Malta" ↗
- LawValue Added Tax Act (Cap. 406), articles 10 and 11 ↗
- JobsplusEngagement and termination forms, under the Employment and Training Services Act (Cap. 594) ↗
- IdentitàSingle Permit – Who is eligible ↗
- IdentitàExpatriates – Non-EU Employment, questions and answers: Single Work Permit, question 4, and Highly Qualified Individuals, questions 10 and 11 (the Key Employee Initiative) ↗
- LawFinal Settlement System (FSS) Rules (S.L. 372.14), rule 4, on registering as an employer ↗
- JobsplusDo I need to submit an Engagement Form? (the PE number comes first) ↗
- LawCompany Service Providers Act (Cap. 529), articles 2(1) and 3(1) ↗
- LawMalta Enterprise Act (Cap. 463), articles 7 and 8 ↗
- ReviewedChecked on 4 November 2026
How BUSINESSLABS covers it
What BUSINESSLABS gives you
- The leaseA lease agreement for the use of space, dedicated or coworking, that you can use with regulators
- Desks and officesHot desks from €200 and dedicated desks from €250 a month on a 12-month plan, and private offices from €650 a month, tailored case by case; all excluding VAT and subject to availability
- Post and a numberWith the lease, reception receives your post and couriers, 08:00–17:00, Monday to Friday, except public holidays, and we can set up a local phone line that rings straight through to you
- The planBusiness plans, funding applications, feasibility studies and market research from the B2B Malta team in the same building
Questions
What people ask
The questions as people ask them, in search and to AI assistants.
What do I need to set up a company in Malta?
A private limited company needs a memorandum stating its registered office in Malta, at least one director, a company secretary, and share capital of at least €1,164.69, with 20% of each share paid up when the memorandum is signed. It must also hold up-to-date information on its beneficial owners. Your advisers handle the filings.
Do I need a Maltese director or company secretary?
The Companies Act asks a private company for at least one director and a company secretary, who cannot also be its sole director unless the company is an exempt company; we found no rule in it on where they live. A foreign company's branch is different: it names one or more people resident in Malta to represent it. Some licences ask for more.
Can I use your address as our registered office?
Your company's registered office must be in Malta, at an address that really exists; the Business Registry can check on site. Providing a registered office or correspondence address to other companies is a company service needing MFSA authorisation, and we do not offer it. We lease desks and offices, with an agreement you can use with regulators. Ask your advisers about yours.
Do I need to register for VAT in Malta?
Generally yes, once you trade. A business established in Malta applies for VAT registration within 30 days of its first supply in Malta, unless its supplies are all exempt without credit; small enterprises may join a special scheme instead. A company incorporated in Malta is also resident here for income tax. Your accountant will say which registration fits.
How do I hire my first employee in Malta?
Register with the tax authority for a PE number, which every employer in Malta needs. Then send Jobsplus an engagement form for each person you hire, on their first day and no later than four working days after it. A non-EU national generally needs a single permit from Identità before starting work; the employer applies for it.
Is there government support for setting up in Malta?
Malta Enterprise, the corporation set up by law to support enterprise in Malta, runs schemes that open and close, and its support is tied to activity here. Ask it or your advisers what is open when you apply. The B2B Malta team in our building prepares business plans and funding applications.
Do you help with company formation?
The B2B Malta team in our building prepares business plans, funding applications, feasibility studies and market research, and we lease the space your team works from. Forming the company is for your advisers: in Malta, forming companies and acting as their directors or secretaries are company services regulated by the MFSA.
The end of the line
Tell us what you need
We reply with the options that fit your plans and your first people, and what they cost.
- Business plan?
- Business support
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