Malta is an island with narrow streets, no lifts in most older buildings, and a customs border for anything arriving from outside the EU.
None of that makes moving here difficult, but it does reward thinking hard about what is worth shipping.
What to think about before you ship
Is it worth the freight?
Furniture is cheap here and shipping is not. A great deal of what people ship arrives to find it does not fit the room or the wiring.
Measure the staircase as well as the room. In older Maltese buildings, deliveries usually fail on the stairs.
Renting here
Narrow streets and no lift
Many older buildings have no lift and a stairwell built for people rather than sofas. Removal firms here know this; firms quoting from abroad often do not.
Tell them the floor and the stair width when you get the quote, not on the day.
Longer stays
Customs applies
Anything arriving from outside the EU crosses a customs border, with paperwork and potentially duty attached.
Relief schemes exist for people transferring residence. They have conditions and deadlines worth reading in advance.
Your first month
How things arrive
The options
- Sea freight, shared container
- The usual choice for a household move from Europe. Slow, measured in weeks, and much the cheapest per cubic metre.
- Sea freight, full container
- Worth it only for a whole house. Most flats here are smaller than the one you are leaving.
- Road and ferry groupage
- A van or pallet space through Italy and across on the Sicily ferry. Good for part loads and faster than a shared container.
- Air freight
- Expensive, and reserved for what you cannot be without.
- Excess baggage
- For a single person moving light, several extra bags on the flight often beats any freight option once handling is counted.
Maltese townhouses and older blocks have tight stone stairwells, sharp turns and frequently no lift. Wardrobes, sofas and mattresses that fit the flat may not reach it. Ask the removal company about access before you ship anything large, and expect an external hoist charge if it comes through a window.
What not to bring
Most rentals are furnished, which is the single biggest reason people over-ship. Heavy winter clothing gets less use than you expect. Anything bulky and cheap to replace is not worth the freight. And a great deal of European furniture is simply too large for the rooms here.
Electricals are fine if you are coming from the UK or Ireland, since Malta uses the same three-pin plug at 230 volts. From continental Europe everything needs an adapter. It is often easier to replace small appliances than to live with a house full of them.
Customs and vehicles
Goods moving within the EU move freely. From outside the EU, personal effects must be declared. Relief from duty may apply on a transfer of residence, depending on how long you have owned the goods and how soon they arrive.
Bringing a car is a separate decision with its own registration, tax and roadworthiness process, and Malta drives on the left. Transport Malta operates a transfer of residence scheme for vehicles. The arithmetic is worth doing before shipping a car you may not want here anyway.
Customs treatment of personal effects is handled by the Malta Tax and Customs Administration. Vehicle registration and the transfer of residence scheme are handled by Transport Malta.