Malta: Marine/ Shipping

The International Maritime Organization has confirmed that the HNS Convention, governing liability and compensation for damage from hazardous cargo transport by sea, will enter force on 29 November 2027. After nearly three decades of delays, this creates immediate compliance obligations for Malta's ship registry and the global maritime industry, requiring new insurance certificates, reporting systems, and a two-tier compensation framework backed by both shipowners and cargo receivers.

Malta's Commercial Court has been re-established as a superior court with extensive jurisdiction over commercial disputes, maritime matters, aviation claims, and intellectual property cases. The reform introduces significant changes to how commercial litigation will be handled, though certain aspects of the Court's scope remain subject to interpretation. Practitioners must carefully navigate the new jurisdictional framework to ensure cases are filed in the appropriate forum.

Malta Code of Standards for the Appointment and Responsibilities of Resident Agents marks a significant step in formalising regulatory oversight of international shipowners operating under the Maltese flag. The framework was issued by Transport Malta’s Merchant Shipping Directorate through Merchant Shipping Notice 203. The Code is issued in the context of the Ships Eligible for Registration Regulations (S.L. 234.23), which require international owners to appoint a resident agent in Malta.

By virtue of Act I of 2025 and Legal Notice 26 of 2025, significant amendments were introduced to the Merchant Shipping Act (MSA) Chapter 234 of the Laws of Malta and to the Merchant Shipping...

Transport Malta's Merchant Shipping Directorate has issued Commercial Yachting Notice 15, establishing clear protocols for Certificate of Competency endorsements on Malta-flagged commercial yachts.

Since February 2026, the situation in Iran and the wider region has escalated. The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already led to significant increases...

The Merchant Shipping Directorate has announced that the Malta Ship Registry will begin issuing electronic certificates as of the 01st of June 2025, in line with IMO guidelines on the use of electronic certificates.

The Merchant Shipping Directorate has issued a revised Commercial Yacht Code ("CYC") 2025, which will replace the current CYC 2020.

The Merchant Shipping Directorate has issued a notice to inform all stakeholders of the publication of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Amendment) Rules, 2025 (Legal Notice 26 of 2025), which was issued on 04th of February 2025.