Malta has a health care system that is similar to that of the UK. It is funded through taxation and contributions of the National Insurance (NI). Individuals who do not contribute directly through NI, i.e. when they are not in employment, will still be covered.
The amount of NI contributions depends on the income. However, it is generally very low compared with other countries. For example, a self-occupied person has to contribute €28.38 every week if they make more than €910 a year. An employed person will pay 10% of their income, and the employer will add the other 10%.
This means if you are operating a business in Malta, you will have to contribute part of the National Insurance for your employees, and this will be an extra layer of cost for you. However, compared with many other countries, such as Germany, the amount of contributions is much lower in Malta.
The main hospital in Malta is Mater Dei. There are also 9 polyclinics, the so-called health centres (Ċentru tas-Saħħa) that serve a designated area. There are also a few privately-run hospitals, such as St. James, where you can get treatment if you are paying yourself, or when you have a private health care plan. Having a private insurance in Malta will in many cases eliminate waiting times for non-emergency treatments or consultations.
In case of an emergency you can either go to the hospital (waiting times are usually longer), or the health centre that is serving your area. You will need to be a resident of Malta, and you need to take your ID with you to the health centre. In some cases you will also have to provide proof that you have paid NI, so you might want to take a payslip or a NI contribution slip with you. Waiting times in the health centres can vary, but I can say from my own experience, that it was never very long, and somewhere between 5 and 30 minutes. Also, you will not need an appointment to see a doctor there.
