Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public places, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Around 450,000 British tourists visit Malta every year (Source: Ministry of Tourism). Most visits are trouble-free. See General - Consular Assistance Statistics. If you need to contact the emergency services in Malta call 112. Should you require urgent consular advice or assistance while in Malta out of office hours please telephone (00356) 2323 2292.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public places, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. See our Terrorism Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Crime
Crime against tourists is rare although robberies, handbag snatching, pickpocketing and theft from parked cars can occur. Visitors should safeguard passports, money and other valuables; for example by using hotel safety deposit boxes.

Safety and Security - Crime - Scams
Foreign visitors and residents can be targeted by scam artists. These scams can pose great financial loss to victims. If you receive an e-mail purporting to be from HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) offering a tax refund on provision of your bank details you should make absolutely sure that it is not part of a scam.

See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
You can drive in Malta on your UK driving licence.

Caution should be exercised whilst driving as some roads are in a poor state of repair. Main arterial roads are in reasonable condition. You should keep to the speed limits. Local standards of driving are poor.

In 2010 there were 15 road deaths in Malta (source: DfT). This equates to 3.6 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 3.1 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2010. See our Driving Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel
The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in Malta.  For more details about this see Airline Security.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Malta Country Profile

Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Malta are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines.  See our Your trip page.

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Malta. For stays of up to three months your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. For stays of longer than three months, contact the Embassy of the country to which you are travelling.

Entry Requirements - Visas
British nationals do not require a visa to visit Malta.
If you intend to work in Malta then you must apply for a work permit.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. This does not apply to Malta.

Hospital treatment, in-patient or out-patient, at the public (Government) facility of Mater Dei Hospital is free to British nationals and is of an acceptable standard. Alternative (private) treatment may incur considerable expense, which you may be unable to claim back from your insurance company.

You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Malta nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature. See our EHIC page.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that less than 500 adults aged 15 or over in Malta were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at less than 0.1% of the adult population compared to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

Seek medical advice before travelling to Malta and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention visit the websites of the NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our Travel Health page.

General - Insurance
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  See our Travel Insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Registration
Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

General - Money
Legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU apply in all Member States. Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc. This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU nor to those travelling within the EU. Malta adopted the Euro currency on 1 January 2008.

General - Consular Assistance
128 British nationals required consular assistance in Malta in the period 01 April 2010 – 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident: 44 deaths; 34 hospitalisations; and 14 arrests, for a variety of offences.