Malta information hub
Government and public services
How Malta is governed: Parliament, President, Prime Minister and Cabinet, the courts, local and regional councils, public administration, digital government services and the main official portals.
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Structure
Malta is a parliamentary republic. The President is head of state, elected by the House of Representatives for five years. The House of Representatives is the single-chamber Parliament, elected for five years by proportional representation (single transferable vote) in multi-member districts. The Prime Minister leads the Government and is the leader of the party commanding a majority; the Cabinet is drawn from the House. The judiciary is independent, with the Constitutional Court at its apex.
Key figures
Form of state
Democratic republic (neutral state)
Constitution, art. 1
Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · verified 01 Oct 2026
Every figure shows the reference period and the publishing authority. Statistics are refreshed when the source publishes a new release; see the source register for document details.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital city | Valletta | Constitution, art. 5A | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · Article 5A · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Official languages | Maltese and English | Constitution, art. 5 | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · Article 5(1)–(2): Maltese is the national language; Maltese and English are official languages · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Form of state | Democratic republic (neutral state) | Constitution, art. 1 | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · Article 1(1) and 1(3) · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Independence | 21 September 1964 | 1964 | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · Date of the Maltese Citizenship Act and of independence · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Republic declared | 13 December 1974 | 1974 | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · Act LVIII of 1974 amending the Constitution · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| EU member state since | 1 May 2004 | 2004 | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · European Union Act, in force 1 May 2004; confirmed by the EU country profile · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Currency | Euro (€) | since 1 January 2008 | European Union (european-union.europa.eu) · EU country profile: euro area member · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Schengen area | Member | since 21 December 2007 | European Union (european-union.europa.eu) · EU country profile: Schengen area member · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
| Religion named in the Constitution | Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion (freedom of conscience and worship guaranteed, art. 40) | Constitution, art. 2 | Government of Malta — Laws of Malta · verified 01 Oct 2026 |
Government offices
Full directory →- Msida
Identità — Expatriates Unit
Valley Road, Msida
Issues residence documents to EU nationals and residence permits to third-country nationals; identity cards and passports are handled by the agency's other uni…
The Government agency that receives and decides Malta Permanent Residence Programme applications through licensed agents.
- Floriana
Income tax, VAT, social security contributions and property transfer taxes; online services via the CFR portal.
- Birżebbuġa
Jobsplus
Head Office, Ħal Far
Job vacancies, employment licences for third-country nationals, training schemes and employer services.
- Lija
Transport Malta
Triq Pantar, Lija
Driving licences, vehicle registration and licensing, maritime and aviation regulation.
Oversees the local councils and regional councils that deliver street-level services in every locality.
- Birkirkara
Malta Financial Services Authority
Triq l-Imdina, Zone 1, Central Business District, Birkirkara
Licenses and supervises banks, insurers, investment firms and company service providers.
- Valletta
Central Bank of Malta
Castille Place, Valletta
Member of the Eurosystem; publishes economic projections and financial stability reports.
Local government
Sixty-eight local councils (54 in Malta, 14 in Gozo) and regional councils, established under the Local Government Act, handle local roads, waste collection, parks, libraries, local enforcement and community services. Councils are elected every five years; EU citizens resident in Malta may vote and stand in local elections.
Public administration
Ministries and government agencies deliver services; servizz.gov hubs in several localities act as one-stop shops for many government services. Key agencies for residents are Identità (identity cards, residence documents), the Commissioner for Revenue (tax), the Department of Social Security, Jobsplus (employment), Transport Malta, the Planning Authority and the Health Department.
Digital government
Most services are available online with an e-ID account: tax returns, social security, vehicle licensing, planning applications, school admissions and more. The e-ID is issued by Identità to Maltese and resident ID-card holders.
Important portals
The official addresses of the main services are recorded in the Malta directory. Informational summaries on this platform are not official services: use the official portal for applications and payments.
EU relationship
Malta is a member state of the European Union with six Members of the European Parliament; EU law applies directly or through transposition, and the euro is the currency.
Sources & Verification
Verified 1 October 2026 against the sources below- Legislation
Constitution of Malta (consolidated)
Government of Malta — Laws of Malta
Constitution of Malta, consolidated text (legislation.mt)
- Published
- 21 Sept 1964
- Effective
- —
- Last checked
- 01 Oct 2026
- Status
- Active
Reference: MT-CONSTITUTIONOfficial requirement - Legislation
Local Government Act (Cap. 363), consolidated
Government of Malta — Laws of Malta
Chapter 363 of the Laws of Malta, consolidated as at 22 December 2023
- Published
- —
- Effective
- —
- Last checked
- 01 Oct 2026
- Status
- Active
Reference: CAP-363Official requirement - Legislation
European Union Act (Cap. 460)
Government of Malta — Laws of Malta
Chapter 460 — Act V of 2003 providing for Malta's accession to the European Union (in force 1 May 2004)
- Published
- 16 Jul 2003
- Effective
- 01 May 2004
- Last checked
- 01 Oct 2026
- Status
- Active
Reference: CAP-460Official requirement - Official Authority
Identità — Identity, residence and passports agency
Identità (Government of Malta)
Identity Cards Unit; Expatriates Unit (residence documents for EU nationals and residence permits for third-country nationals); Passport Office
- Published
- —
- Effective
- —
- Last checked
- 01 Oct 2026
- Status
- Active
Reference: IDENTITAOfficial requirement - Local Council
Local Government Division — localgovernment.gov.mt
Government of Malta — Local Government Division
Local councils, regional councils and their services
- Published
- —
- Effective
- —
- Last checked
- 01 Oct 2026
- Status
- Active
Reference: LOCALGOV-MTOfficial requirement
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Written by
Malta MPRP Guide Editorial Team
Research & editorial
The editorial team researches the Malta Permanent Residence Programme directly from the consolidated regulations (S.L. 217.26), the Legal Notices that amend them and the Residency Malta Agency's published material. Ever…
Reviewed by
Fact-check & source review
Responsible for reviewing published pages against the current text of S.L. 217.26 and the Agency's official pages, recording the verification date and flagging any page that needs an update after a legislative change. R…