When you are relocating to Malta for business or personal reasons, you might also be thinking about taking your car to Malta, and that might raise a lot of questions, for example what it costs, how it is to drive in the country, and how the parking situation is. Even though Malta is one of the smallest countries in the EU, with only 420,000 people living on the islands, and yet there are over 300,000 cars registered. This means that congested roads are a daily problem, and finding parking in busy places is even more difficult. But there is one aspect that is often not considered when people think about taking their car to Malta, and that is the registration tax on imported vehicles.
Probably the most important cost to consider when taking a car to Malta is the registration tax. This can be a significant amount, and it is important to consider this before taking the car here. Especially new cars under 2 years of age are subject to a higher tax. The registration tax depends mostly on the age, mileage, CO2 emission and length of the vehicle, and the amount of registration tax can be as high as 60% of the value of the car. You can use this calculator to find out how much you would have to pay.
If you are staying less than 6 months you can get a visitors permit and will not have to pay the registration tax. If you decide to keep the vehicle in Malta after this period has passed, then you will have to pay the registration tax, or remove the car from the islands. If the registration tax is too high, you might want to consider buying a car in Malta, or even a long term rental, it can be cheaper than owning a car, especially if you are only staying here for a short while.
Aside form registration tax you will also have to pay road tax (annual circulation tax), that depends on the age and engine size of the car. The registration costs €15 and the inspection €50.
Personally, I do not recommend owning a car in Malta. You will have to pay a lot for it, and you might not even need it. It is often possible to live in walking distance to your office, and the public transport is reasonably priced (€1,50 for a day ticket). It is often much wiser to just rent a car when you need it.
