RETIRE TO MALTA:
Malta Property Agents are happy to provide a full property service to the many that chose to sell their home in their own country, pack up all and retire in Malta. Whatever the reasons, the Islands of Malta and Gozo often provide a perfect setting in which to retire. With one of the warmest and mildest climates in the world combined with a friendly, English speaking people and low crime rate, Malta is hard to beat!

Ours services begin even before your first property visit, where we correspond with you about the various properties we have on offer as well as any other Malta related questions you may have. Once on the Island we personally accompany you to visit every property within your budget, tour the different locations of Malta, show you the local health services and other specialist help you may require. In fact we are and remain your main point of contact and introduce you to the Maltese way of life.

Once you have chosen your property, purchased and before and after you finally move in, Malta Property Agents will remain at hand to help you. We can offer help to arrange the shipping of your effects, any redecoration or alteration to the property and cleaning. We can offer advice, legal or civil, on any questions that might crop up during the move, like opening bank accounts, pension transfers and even important facts on bringing your pets to Malta.

Even after you have settled into your new home in Malta, we will remain in contact, should you so choose, to offer any tips that may help you to enjoy your new lifestyle.

MOVING YOUR JOB OR BUSINESS TO MALTA:
Whether you are an individual moving to Malta to start a new job or a Company moving a whole division to Malta and looking for office space and rental accommodation for your employees, Malta Property Agents can be your bridge to locating the right property and related services you urgently need. We can guide you through the maze of paper work and contacts you need to get through in a short period of time to get down to business.

Some of the services and information you would need and where we can help would include:

Financial Consultancy – Tax departments and info – Touristic, catering and police licences – Employment and training department and licences – water and electricity connections – telephone and internet connections – short term hotel accommodation – short term office and administration work- car rentals – translation services.

Malta Property Agents can directly help you or point you in the right direction to solve all of the issues mentioned above.

The team at Malta Property Agents have been specifically trained to offer your professional advice and information on all aspects of purchasing a property in Malta.

The buying procedure in Malta is simple and straight forward plus it protects both the vendor and the buyer. Legal and binding documents are drafted and signed in either the Maltese or English language at the initial stages, once all terms are agreed to. This eliminates outbidding by third parties to the detriment of the purchaser, or a change of heart by either party after all has been agreed.

Once the property has been selected, your associate at Malta Property Agents is always on hand to assist you in negotiating the final price and any other terms or special conditions. Our agents can also offer advice and translations in a number of other languages besides Maltese and English.

At the point an appointment is set to sign a preliminary agreement also referred to locally as a Konvenju. This first contract is signed in front of a Notary of the purchaser’s choice. The purchaser will be required to pay 1% provisional stamp duty as part payment of the full 5%. Normally, the purchaser also leaves a deposit of 10% of the selling price as part payment. The signing of the final contract and exchange of keys, normally happens around 3 months later, where the balance of the purchase price together with the remaining 4% stamp duty are paid. The time between Konvenju and final contract can be less than the average 3 months and sometimes considerably longer. This time frame is mutually agreed between the parties and conditional to all legal searches and other terms and conditions, such as bank loans, being satisfied.

POSSIBLE TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN PURCHASING A PROPERTY

Once you have decided on a property and before you sign any contracts, Malta Property Agents will guide you on the following issues: You pay the best price for your chosen property.

You know if the property has a ground rent or is freehold

Any extras included in the price such as furniture or fixtures are duly listed

Payment term and any other conditions are clearly agreed and adhered to

Bank loans and conditions are organized and clearly agreed to as part of the contract

Property surveys if necessary are duly completed or agreed to as part of the contract

Building permits are available and in order

The choosing of a competent Notary and other professional that may be required

The following through of any other terms and conditions agreed to



EXPENSES RELATED TO THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY

Duty on documents, 5% of the purchase price (excluding any furniture and fixtures)

Notarial fees approximately 1% of the purchase price

Searches and registration (varies from about €400) AIP Ministry of Finance Fee € 235 (for foreigner purchasing a holiday home or non EU citizen)

Importation of healthy pets to Malta is permitted after approval from the competent authorities. The pets must however first be kept in quarantine for a short period of time. The pet imported into Malta must have an import permit issued by the Director of Veterinary Service prior to import. It is important to apply some weeks before, to allow for vaccination and resting beforehand.

The animal must also have a veterinary health certificate issued by a recognised veterinarian, just before travelling to Malta, stating that the animal is healthy and shows no evidence of clinical disease or parasitic infection, and that it has been vaccinated against rabies by an inactivated vaccine not less than 30 days and no more than six months before export. The animal has to be consigned to Malta directly from the country of origin either by air or ship securely crated as freight so that it appears on the cargo manifest.

No Pit Bull Terriers or crosses may be imported into Malta, otherwise a cat or dog must have a certificate issued by the government veterinary service, declaring that the country of origin has been free of rabies for six months before the departure of the pet. The certificate must also declare that the country of origin has an official policy for the strict control of animal importation. Furthermore, if a cat or dog originates from a non-free rabies country, it has to be certified that it originates from an area free of rabies.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Veterinary Service (Telephone: +356 2123 9968 or +356 2122 593 ) in Malta must be notified of the exact date of the animal's arrival at least one week before and also whether the animal will be accompanied or not. Call the Quarantine Station on +356 2124 4236 with flight or vessel details.

The importation of animals is only allowed during office hours - 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Animals will not be accepted on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.

Cats and dogs imported from the United Kingdom and some other European countries are quarantined at the Small Animal Quarantine Section at Luqa for three weeks, from other countries the quarantine period can be up to six months. An import licence, from the Department of Trade, and an entry form (Number 2) from the Customs Department must be completed before the release of the cat or dog from quarantine.Make sure one gets all information and that correct papers and tests (blood) are prepared before arrival in Malta to avoid any disappointment.

You may call the Director of Veterinary Service for further information:

Director of Veterinary Service, Albertown, Marsa Tel: (+356) 2122 5638

Location:
Malta is located in the center of the Mediterranean sea. Made up of three Islands, the mainland, Malta, sister Island, Gozo and tiny Comino, the Maltese Islands are located just 100km south of Sicily and about 300km north of the African Coast. The size of Malta is just 27km long and 14km wide and enjoys a long coastline made up mostly of flat rocky bays and coves and a few charming sandy beaches. Malta also has some excellent natural ports and harbours and three main Yacht Marinas.
Travelling around Malta is simple and no destination normally takes you longer than 30 minutes by car. Malta has recently acquired a new bus system and driving is, like the British, on the left.
Malta forms part of the European Schengen Area, therefore EU passport holders can freely travel here without any Visa requirements or border controls. Visa requirements for other countries follow the same Schengen Rules. More details can be found at http://www.mfa.gov.mt/Default.aspx?MDIS=530
The Maltese Islands are easy to travel to from most major European countries and cities. Flight times vary from 3 to 4 hours from the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, two to three hours from central European cities like Paris and Frankfurt and less than an hour from Rome. Direct flights can also be found from Dubai, Cyprus and Cairo among others. Major Air Carriers operating direct flights to Malta include Lufthansa, Air Malta, British Airways and the low cost airlines like Ryan Air, Vueling and Easy Jet. Transport from the airport to your home in Malta never takes longer than 30 minutes!
(links to airlines)

Climate:
A major reason why many people choose to purchase a holiday property or main residence in Malta is the climate. Having been voted as the best climate in the world, Malta is mainly warm and sunny from March to November, with temperatures rising to 30 Celsius in the peak summer months of July and August. The sea temperature in summer also reaches around 26C and the weather, even in the evenings remains warm and dry. Malta also enjoys mild autumn and spring months with temperatures fluctuating between 18C and 25C. The winter months are short, between December and March. Don’t expect any frost or snow as there is none. Do expect some balmy sunny and pleasant days to break the greyness of winter however. Nothing beats a bright and sunny winter day when the countryside is a sharp and clean colour of green when the rest of Europe is covered in snow!

The Locals:
The Maltese people are curious and peace loving people, with a strong sense of hospitality. The national language is Maltese, however English is also an official language and is widely spoken. The Maltese language sounds rather rough to the visitor. Do not be alarmed, what might seem to be a vociferous argument to the untrained ear is only a lively exchange of opinion and always ends with a friendly pint of the local inexpensive and excellent beer at the local Tavern!
The local food is equally based on fish and meat specialities, the fruit and vegetables taste wonderful and much of it is locally grown. Once in Malta, one has to try the local pastries, a delicacy to some, and knows as ‘pastizzi’.
The country enjoys political stability and is a full member of the European Union. The current population stands at around 400,000

Cost and standard of living:
The cost of living in Malta is extremely reasonable with groceries, textiles and toiletries competitively priced and freely available. Most retailers stock both local and international products, and there are branches and franchises of international retailers in the major shopping areas.
The currency in Malta is the Euro. Banks have seasonal opening hours but can always be found open between 8.30am and 12.30pm.
Services and businesses such as hair salons, cafes, hotels and restaurants are also extremely reasonable and of a high standard compared with many other countries. Property related services such as house builders and renovators, carpenters, housekeepers, cleaners and gardeners are especially noted for their craftsmanship and work ethic.
There is a fantastic range of bars, cafes and restaurants all over Malta and Gozo. Eating out is both excellent value for money and very much a part of the social scene here. The main areas for night life and eating out are Sliema, Paceville, Bugibba and Valletta.
The transport links in Malta are good. A new and modern bus service was launched in July 2011. Ferry links to Gozo and Sicily are efficient and frequent, car hire services are amongst the best value in Europe and taxis are easily available. The roads are in fairly good condition and well sign posted.

Religion:
The majority of Maltese people are practising Catholics, the village festivals or festas that take place around Malta and Gozo, especially in the summer months, are ample proof of this. The Maltese people are however very tolerant to other religions and places of worship of other religious denominations can be found here. In fact, freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution of Malta and some of the Religious denominations represented in Malta include Anglican, Church of Scotland, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Methodists and Muslims.
One can observe that the typical village in Malta or Gozo has a Church that dominates the square. In some of the larger villages one can even find 2 or more main churches with their typical village squares. Each church is dedicated to a patron saint and some rivalry or competitive spirit can be seen between the villagers as to which church and patron saint and hence festive celebration is the best.
Even in this modern age the church is still the heart and social soul of the village.

History:
MALTA once known as the island of MELITA derives its name from 'honey' (MEL) for which the islands were once famous for. This small island has had a long history, often as a central point for trade routes between Europe and Africa.

Malta has been inhabited for over 7,000 years, has been occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, the Knights of St John, the French and the British. The Islands finally gained independence in 1964. Despite this colourful history, the Maltese retained a strong sense of identity and culture, present in many of the customs still practised today.
For the past twenty years, Malta has been regarded as a popular holiday destination for Europeans, as well as an attractive place to retire or buy a second home. Malta's entry into the EU in 2004 enhanced its place as an international destination for tourists, as well as business.

About Gozo:
Gozo, provides a more tranquil setting and a welcome change from the more bustling and heavier populated Malta. The local name is 'Ghawdex' (pronounced: Awdesh). Gozo’s mystic and charm is apparent the moment you arrive there. Greener, more rural and smaller than Malta, life on Gozo moves at a leisurely pace. The island is just 14.5 km long and 8km wide and is dotted with tiny charming villages, each with its own Baroque church. Just over 27,000 people live on the island. This
translates into a greener and more peaceful place to be.
The Island of Gozo can be reached by a regular ferry service as well as by sea plane, private or tourist boats.

Hotel Accommodation:
Malta is well served by hundreds of hotels, self-catering accommodation and guest houses, as well as rental accommodation for short term lets. Choose from a luxury 5 star hotel to cosy and welcoming local guest houses. Malta Property Agents can recommend a place to stay while you are looking to buy a property in Malta.
(links to holiday accommodation)

Car Rental:
Car rental is a cost effective way of getting around Malta. Local rates compare very favourably to other European destinations. A European driving licence is all you need to drive here. There are the usual international car rental companies at the airport or you can arrange locally with some of the less well known Maltese companies, where the rates are normally more favourable. Malta Property Agents can also sort out these arrangements. Please advise us in good time.
(links to car rentals)

Taxis:
Taxis can be expensive in Malta, and although the White taxis, found on the streets, are metered, it is always best to negotiate the price before you get in. There are also various companies that operate the Black Taxis where you often get a better deal. Malta Property Agents are able to arrange transfers from the airport and provide details of the best value taxi services.
(links to taxi services)