Malta: Real Estate

When an estate agent facilitates a property sale without a formal agency agreement or fails to document their involvement in the promise of sale, can they still claim compensation for their services? A recent Maltese court ruling clarifies the prescriptive period applicable to such claims and establishes critical precedent for agents seeking payment for undocumented professional services.

Malta's Global Residence Programme (GRP) will be replaced by a new Individual Tax Programme from January 2027, introducing substantially higher entry requirements including increased minimum tax obligations and stricter property thresholds. Eligible applicants who submit applications before December 31, 2026 can secure grandfathered status under the current, more favorable GRP terms until 2031, potentially saving significant costs on application fees, property requirements, and annual tax minimums.

Malta's Permanent Residence Programme offers Asian families a sophisticated pathway to European residency, combining permanent status from day one with Schengen travel rights across 27 countries. How does the MPRP compare against Portugal's reformed Golden Visa and Greece's two-tier system, and what makes Malta's approach uniquely attractive for Chinese and other Asian investors seeking a stable, multi-generational European base?

Promise of sale agreements, or as commonly referred to in Malta, ‘konvenji', have become a staple and autochthonous feature of Malta's real estate market.

The Malta Budget 2026 placed a strong emphasis on supporting families and strengthening the social safety net. A key feature of the budget was the introduction of new "parent...

Non-taxable income thresholds are set to increase, particularly benefiting individuals with two or more children

The case Alexander Vella et al. (the "Plaintiffs") vs. L-Avukat ta L-Istat u Joseph Grima (the "Defendants") was brought before the Constitutional Court (the "Court") on 18th November 2024.

Maltese Law places significant importance on an individual's right to freely develop and manage their property as they wish. Article 320 of Chapter 16 of the Laws of Malta[1] clearly states that "Ownership.

Malta offers 9 residence programmes to meet different individual circumstances. Some are appropriate for non-EU individuals while others provide an incentive for EU residents to move to Malta.