Company Formation in Malta

Last updated: April 2026.

Malta is the only EU member state that runs a full imputation corporate tax system with shareholder refunds. The headline corporate rate is 35% — the highest in the EU — but a 6/7 refund on distributed trading profits leaves foreign-owned trading companies at an effective 5% post-distribution tax burden. From September 2025 an alternative 15% Final Income Tax Without Imputation (FITWI) regime became available for groups that want a simple flat rate without the refund mechanics. Malta is in the Single Market, uses EU VAT at 18%, and imposes zero withholding tax on outbound dividends, interest, and royalties to non-residents. The minimum authorised capital for a private Ltd is €1,164.69, with 20% paid up on incorporation.

We form Maltese limited companies end to end through the Malta Business Registry: name reservation, Memorandum and Articles, company secretary appointment, share-capital deposit, MBR filing, tax and VAT registration, UBO declaration, and bank or EMI introduction. Fixed price, all government fees included, dedicated English-speaking manager.

Quick facts	Value
Corporate Income Tax (headline)	35%
Effective CIT after 6/7 refund (foreign-owned trading company)	~5%
FITWI flat rate (optional from September 2025)	15% (5-year lock-in)
VAT	18% standard / 12% / 7% / 5% / 0%
VAT registration threshold (Article 11, goods)	€35,000
Withholding tax on outbound dividends (non-residents)	0%
Withholding tax on interest / royalties (non-residents)	0%
Minimum authorised share capital (private Ltd)	€1,164.69 (20% paid up = €232.94)
Minimum directors / shareholders (private Ltd)	1 director, 1 shareholder, plus 1 individual company secretary
Residency requirement	None for shareholders or directors
Standard formation time	3–10 working days (24–72h at MBR once filing is complete)
Government fees	Included in our packages
Language of filings	English (and Maltese)
Currency	Euro (EUR)

Why Form a Company in Malta

Malta's corporate tax architecture is unique in the EU. That architecture, plus membership of the bloc and an English-language legal system, explains why roughly a quarter of the island's GDP comes from international financial and corporate services. Four reasons foreign founders pick Malta.

The full imputation system and the 6/7 refund. A Maltese trading company pays 35% corporate tax on profits. When those profits are distributed, a foreign shareholder claims back 6/7 of the Malta tax paid — dropping the effective combined burden to roughly 5%. Passive interest and royalties refund at 5/7 (effective ~10%). Income on which foreign tax credit is claimed refunds at 2/3. The refund flows to the shareholder, not the company, and it is paid in cash by the Malta Tax and Customs Administration, typically within 14 days of a clean refund claim. No other EU jurisdiction delivers a 5% effective rate on active trading income.

The new 15% FITWI option. From September 2025 Malta introduced the Final Income Tax Without Imputation regime. An electing company pays a flat 15% with no refund mechanics. The trade-off: simplicity and Pillar Two alignment versus the 5% effective available under the classical system. FITWI locks the company in for at least five consecutive years. It is designed for multinational groups caught by the OECD global minimum tax and for groups whose shareholders cannot efficiently receive the 6/7 refund.

Participation exemption for holdings. Dividends received by a Maltese company from a qualifying participation are exempt from Maltese tax. Capital gains on the sale of a qualifying participation are exempt. Combined with the zero withholding tax on outbound dividends, Malta is a clean holding-company jurisdiction: profits enter tax-free, leave tax-free. The participation qualification rules — 5% equity threshold, or cost above €1,164,000, or 12-month holding intention — are among the most permissive in the EU.

EU access with English common-law DNA. Malta joined the EU in 2004. English is a co-official language. The Companies Act 1995 is modelled on the UK Companies Act. Court proceedings, contracts, and MBR filings are all in English. Malta is in the euro, in Schengen, and accesses the Parent-Subsidiary Directive, the Interest and Royalties Directive, and 80+ double-tax treaties — including the US, UK, UAE, Germany, Singapore, and India.

The trade-offs are real. Malta banking is difficult. Opening a Maltese corporate bank account as a non-resident with no local substance takes 4 to 12 weeks, and rejection is common. Malta is on the EU's regular enhanced-scrutiny radar for AML. And the 6/7 refund, while well established, sits in a political environment where OECD pressure on preferential regimes is ongoing — the FITWI alternative exists precisely because that pressure is not expected to ease.

For comparable jurisdictions in the region, see Cyprus, Italy, and Gibraltar.

Company Types Available in Malta

Maltese corporate law recognises four main forms. The private limited liability company accounts for the overwhelming majority of cf24 client incorporations.

Private Limited Liability Company (Ltd)

The default vehicle. The name must end in "Limited" or "Ltd.". Minimum authorised share capital is €1,164.69, of which at least 20% must be paid up at incorporation — so €232.94 in cash on day one is the effective minimum. Up to 50 shareholders. One director is enough. One shareholder is enough (single-member private company). An individual company secretary is mandatory and, if the company has only one director, that person cannot also act as secretary. A registered office in Malta is required. Annual audited financial statements are mandatory — Malta has no small-company audit exemption, which is unusual for an EU state.

Public Limited Liability Company (plc)

For larger businesses and groups that may list securities publicly. Minimum authorised capital €46,587.47, with 25% paid up at incorporation. Minimum two directors. The "p.l.c." suffix is mandatory. Required for admission to the Malta Stock Exchange or a regulated market.

Partnerships (en nom collectif and en commandite)

En nom collectif is a general partnership with unlimited liability shared by all partners. En commandite is a limited partnership with general partners (unlimited liability) and limited partners (capped at their capital contribution). No minimum capital. Tax transparency at partner level unless the partnership opts into company tax treatment — an option some structuring lawyers use to combine limited-partnership flexibility with the 6/7 refund.

Branch of an Overseas Company

A foreign company's Maltese branch. Registered with the MBR under Part XI of the Companies Act. Not a separate legal entity — the parent's balance sheet and liability extend to the branch. Used when a foreign group wants Malta nexus without a separate subsidiary.

Form	Min authorised capital	Paid-up at incorporation	Tax regime	Common use
Private Ltd	€1,164.69	20% (€232.94)	35% CIT with 6/7 refund, or 15% FITWI	Default — SMEs, holdings, IP cos
Public plc	€46,587.47	25% (€11,646.87)	Same as Ltd	Listed companies, large unlisted
Partnership en nom collectif	None	n/a	Transparent (or opt-in to CIT)	Professional partnerships
Partnership en commandite	None	n/a	Transparent (or opt-in to CIT)	Funds, holding with hybrid liability
Branch	n/a	n/a	CIT on Malta-source income	Foreign group presence

For groups that need to launch faster than a fresh MBR filing allows, our sister brand offers ready-made Maltese limited company options — pre-incorporated and transferable in days.

Step-by-Step Formation Process

A typical private Ltd formation through the Malta Business Registry follows these steps.

1. Name reservation. We submit the proposed name to the MBR for clearance. Approval takes 1 to 2 working days. Restricted words — "bank", "insurance", "trust", "Malta" — need additional licensing or MFSA sign-off. Once approved, the name is reserved for 3 months.

1. Memorandum and Articles of Association. We draft the M&A, specifying objects, share capital, share classes, and whether the company opts for "model" articles or custom provisions. Single-member companies use a simplified M&A template; multi-shareholder companies often benefit from bespoke articles with pre-emption rights and drag/tag clauses.

1. KYC, directors, shareholders, and company secretary. Each shareholder and director provides a passport, proof of address, and a signed UBO declaration. The individual company secretary — separate from a sole director — is appointed. For non-resident directors we coordinate remote KYC and certified document translation where needed.

1. Share capital deposit. At least 20% of the authorised share capital is deposited into a Malta escrow or holding account. For a minimum-capital €1,164.69 Ltd, that's €232.94 in cash. A bank confirmation letter evidencing the deposit is required by the MBR.

1. MBR online filing. Since March 2025 the Malta Business Registry processes all incorporations 100% online — no original paper documents. We file the M&A, the directors' consent to act, the secretary's consent, the registered office declaration, and the UBO register. The Registrar issues the Certificate of Registration and a company registration number typically within 24 to 72 hours of a complete filing.

1. Tax, VAT, UBO, and employer registrations. The Malta Tax and Customs Administration issues the income tax number automatically once the MBR file is complete. VAT registration is separate: Article 10 (full VAT) or Article 11 (exempt small undertaking) depending on projected turnover. The UBO declaration is filed with the MBR's beneficial owners register. If the company hires staff, a PE (employer) number is registered with Jobsplus and the CFR.

End-to-end timeline from KYC clearance to an operating Maltese company with income tax number and VAT registration is typically 7 to 10 business days. The corporate bank account usually takes longer — 4 to 12 weeks for a non-resident-controlled company with no Maltese substance — so most clients start operating through a Maltese-domiciled EMI while the bank onboarding runs in parallel.

Required Documents

For each shareholder, director, and company secretary:

• Passport or EU national ID card
• Proof of residential address dated within three months (utility bill, bank statement, government letter)
• Signed UBO declaration (natural persons owning >25% or otherwise controlling the company)
• CV or professional profile for directors — MBR reviews director suitability for regulated-sector companies
• Bank reference letter (often requested by MBR for non-EU shareholders, and by Maltese banks during account opening)

For corporate shareholders:

• Apostilled certificate of incorporation
• Apostilled Memorandum and Articles or equivalent constitutional documents
• Apostilled certificate of incumbency or current register of directors
• UBO declaration tracing to the natural person owners
• Board resolution authorising the investment in the Maltese company
• Audited accounts where the corporate shareholder is itself a regulated entity

Foreign-language documents must be accompanied by certified English translations. We arrange translation through Malta-registered translators. You also confirm the registered office address (we provide a Valletta or Sliema address if you do not have your own Malta location), the initial share capital allocation, and the NACE/primary activity codes for the MBR filing.

Costs and Timeline

Maltese formation costs depend on whether you use our standard Valletta registered-office package, whether bespoke M&A drafting is required, whether the company elects FITWI or the classical 6/7 refund regime, and whether a full audit engagement is needed for year one (Malta has no small-company audit exemption, so every Ltd requires an external audit from day one).

Our fixed-price packages include MBR filing, all government fees, the €1,164.69 share-capital coordination, registered office in Malta for year one, the individual company secretary for year one, UBO filing, tax number and VAT registration, and a bank or EMI account introduction. Contact us for a fixed-price quote — there are no hourly bills and no surprise invoices.

Typical timeline from KYC clearance:

Day	Milestone
0	Engagement, KYC submitted
1–2	KYC cleared, M&A drafted, name reserved, share capital deposited
3	MBR online filing submitted
4–5	Certificate of Registration issued (24–72h after complete filing)
5–7	Income tax number issued, VAT registration, UBO filed
10–60	Corporate bank account opened (timeline depends on bank and substance)

Tax Overview for Maltese Companies

Maltese corporate taxation is two-track. Pick the track that suits your shareholder base.

Track 1: Classical 35% with 6/7 refund. The Maltese company pays 35% corporate income tax on its profits at year-end. When dividends are distributed to shareholders, the shareholder claims a refund of Malta tax paid at the company level:

• 6/7 refund on distributions of active trading profits → effective combined tax ~5%
• 5/7 refund on passive interest and royalties → effective combined tax ~10%
• 2/3 refund where the Maltese company has claimed double-tax relief on the underlying income
• 100% refund (full refund) for distributions out of profits benefiting from the participation exemption

The refund is paid by the MTCA in cash within approximately 14 days of a clean refund claim, to the shareholder directly — individual or corporate, resident or non-resident.

Track 2: 15% FITWI. From September 2025, a Maltese company can elect the Final Income Tax Without Imputation regime: a flat 15% with no refund mechanics. Once elected, the company is locked in for a minimum of five consecutive years. A subsequent reversion to the classical system also requires a five-year lock-in. FITWI is designed for groups caught by the OECD Pillar Two global minimum tax and for groups whose shareholder structure makes the 6/7 refund impractical.

Participation exemption. Dividends and capital gains from qualifying participations are exempt from Maltese tax. A participation qualifies if the Maltese company holds at least 5% of the equity, or the acquisition cost exceeds €1,164,000, or the participation represents a 12-month holding intention and one of several alternative tests is met. Anti-abuse rules apply.

Pillar Two. Malta transposed the EU Directive on global minimum taxation on 20 February 2024, but exercised the Article 50 deferral — the Income Inclusion Rule and Undertaxed Profits Rule are deferred until 31 December 2029. Only MNE groups with annual consolidated revenues exceeding €750 million fall within Pillar Two scope; below that threshold the classical 6/7 refund remains fully operative.

VAT. Standard rate 18%. Reduced rates of 12% (short-term accommodation, certain leisure craft charters), 7% (tourist accommodation, sport), 5% (printed matter, confectionery, medical equipment). Article 10 (full VAT registration) is required where taxable turnover exceeds the threshold or where the business needs to reclaim input VAT. Article 11 (exempt small undertaking) applies below €35,000 for goods and €14,000–€24,000 for services, depending on activity. Non-resident businesses have no threshold — any taxable activity in Malta triggers immediate VAT registration.

E-invoicing. Following the EU VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package approved in March 2025, Malta is scheduled to transpose mandatory e-invoicing and real-time digital reporting provisions into local law over the next 12 to 24 months. Timelines and technical specifications are expected to be published by the MTCA during 2026.

Withholding tax. Malta imposes zero withholding tax on outbound dividends, interest, and royalties paid to non-residents, subject to standard conditions (no Maltese permanent establishment of the recipient, no distribution of untaxed income to specific connected persons). This is one of the most favourable outbound WHT regimes in the EU.

Capital gains. Taxed as ordinary income at 35%, subject to the participation exemption for qualifying holdings and to the domestic exemption for certain long-held securities.

Banking for Maltese Companies

Malta has six systemically important banks. Opening a corporate account as a non-resident-controlled company without local substance is the single hardest part of Maltese company formation.

Bank of Valletta (BOV) is Malta's largest bank and the default corporate choice. Comprehensive corporate services, full domestic coverage, multi-currency accounts. Non-resident onboarding requires a bank reference letter from the applicant's existing bank, proof of address, evidence of a connection to Malta (Maltese director, real operations, property, or professional engagement), and — for companies — audited accounts of the shareholder group or equivalent financial substantiation. BOV onboarding for a newly formed non-resident-controlled Ltd typically takes 6 to 12 weeks.

HSBC Bank Malta brings the global HSBC footprint. In practice HSBC Malta has tightened its non-resident corporate onboarding materially since 2022 and often declines applications from companies without existing HSBC group relationships. When HSBC does open, the relationship is strong — cross-border treasury, FX, trade finance.

APS Bank is the domestic bank with the longest ethical-banking tradition and growing SME focus. More accessible than BOV or HSBC for smaller Maltese businesses with domestic operations. Less suitable for large international holding structures.

BNF Bank and Lombard Bank Malta are mid-size commercial banks with practical SME corporate offerings. Both are more open to SME onboarding than BOV or HSBC and often faster to make a decision — though substance requirements remain.

MeDirect Bank is Malta's digital-first bank. Fully online account opening for EU/EEA/UK/Swiss residents on the personal side. MeDirect's commercial offering is more limited, but the bank is a strong option for Maltese companies with European shareholders seeking an online-first account.

For clients needing immediate operating capability while traditional bank onboarding runs, we coordinate parallel accounts with Wise Business and Revolut Business — both offer multi-currency IBANs, SEPA and SWIFT, and fully remote onboarding typically within 5 working days. EMIs work well for cross-border e-commerce, SaaS, and consulting. They are not a substitute for a Maltese bank where the business needs lending, overdraft, or integration with local direct-debit infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the corporate tax rate in Malta?

Malta's headline corporate income tax rate is 35%. A foreign-owned trading company typically recovers 6/7 of that tax through shareholder refunds, leaving an effective post-distribution rate of about 5%. From September 2025, companies may instead elect the Final Income Tax Without Imputation (FITWI) regime — a flat 15% with no refund mechanics and a five-year lock-in.

What is the 6/7 tax refund in Malta?

Malta operates a full imputation tax system. A trading company pays 35% Maltese corporate tax on its profits. When those profits are distributed as dividends, the shareholder — individual or corporate, resident or non-resident — claims a cash refund from the Malta Tax and Customs Administration equal to 6/7 of the Malta tax paid. The effective combined tax on active trading income is therefore approximately 5%.

What is the minimum share capital for a Maltese private limited company?

The minimum authorised share capital for a private Ltd in Malta is €1,164.69. At least 20% must be paid up at incorporation — €232.94 in cash deposited with a Maltese bank before the Malta Business Registry issues the Certificate of Registration. A public limited company (plc) requires €46,587.47 authorised capital, with 25% paid up at incorporation.

How long does it take to register a Maltese company?

Once the MBR has a complete filing, the Certificate of Registration is issued within 24 to 72 hours — all filings are 100% online since March 2025. Including name reservation, drafting the Memorandum and Articles, KYC, and the share-capital deposit, our typical end-to-end timeline from first contact to an operating company with an income tax number and VAT registration is 7 to 10 business days.

Can a foreigner form a company in Malta?

Yes. Malta imposes no residency, citizenship, or work-permit requirement on shareholders or directors of a private Ltd. A non-resident foreigner can be the sole shareholder and sole director. A Maltese registered office is mandatory (we provide one), and an individual company secretary must be appointed — separate from a sole director. Non-resident founders face longer bank onboarding but otherwise no structural barrier.

Is Malta inside the EU VAT system?

Yes. Malta joined the EU in 2004 and applies the full EU VAT directive. The standard rate is 18% — the second-lowest in the EU after Luxembourg. Reduced rates of 12%, 7%, and 5% apply to specific categories. Intra-EU supplies use the reverse-charge mechanism. Maltese VAT-registered companies can reclaim input VAT and participate in the One-Stop-Shop for cross-border B2C sales.

Do I need a Maltese bank account to operate a Maltese company?

Maltese law does not strictly require a local bank account to operate. In practice the Malta Business Registry requires evidence of the share-capital deposit, which most banks will only facilitate if the company opens an account with them. Tax refunds from the MTCA and VAT reclaim flow more smoothly through a Maltese bank. Many non-resident-controlled companies use a Maltese-domiciled EMI (MeDirect, Wise) while traditional bank onboarding runs in parallel.

Get Started — Form Your Maltese Company

A fixed-price quote in 60 seconds. MBR registration within 24 to 72 hours of a complete filing. 6/7 refund structuring and FITWI election assessed during onboarding. Bank and EMI introductions coordinated from day one.

Call +48 2222 5 2222 or email [email protected] to start. Most Maltese formations are operating with a tax number and VAT registration within 10 business days; a corporate bank account follows within 6 to 12 weeks depending on shareholder structure.

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Content prepared by Piotr Walter, In-house Counsel. Approved by Tomasz Bielski, Managing Director.