Buying property in Malta

Who can buy

• Maltese and EU citizens resident in Malta for at least five years buy freely.
• Other EU citizens may buy a primary residence freely; a second property requires an Acquisition of Immovable Property (AIP) permit unless it is in a Special Designated Area.
• Non-EU citizens need an AIP permit to buy one residential property (minimum value thresholds apply), or may buy without a permit in a Special Designated Area, where there is no limit on the number of units.

Step by step

1. Offer and promise of sale (konvenju). Signed before a notary; the buyer pays a deposit (customarily 10%) held by the notary, and provisional duty of 1% is paid to the Commissioner for Revenue. The konvenju sets conditions (permits, bank loan, searches) and a date for the final deed, usually within three to six months.
2. Searches and due diligence. The notary verifies title, ground rent (ċens), planning permits and compliance, servitudes and bank consents; an architect's report checks the building and permits.
3. AIP permit where required, applied for through the Capital Transfer Duty department.
4. Financing. The bank's sanction letter and insurance requirements.
5. Final deed. Signed before the notary; the balance of the price, the duty (5% less the 1% provisional; first-time buyers of a home are exempt on the first €200,000), notarial fees (typically 1–2% including searches and registration) and agency fees (normally paid by the seller) are settled.
6. Registration. The notary registers the deed with the Public Registry and Land Registry.

Costs

See Property costs for the full list with sources.

What to check

Planning permits for every alteration; whether the property is subject to ground rent and on what terms; the energy performance certificate; service charges in apartment blocks; and, for MPRP buyers, that the price meets the €375,000 minimum and the property will be held for five years.

Current listings

Browse the marketplace to see asking prices by locality; use the MPRP screening filter to see which listings meet the threshold.