11 answers for owners and founders of a Malta company, from ordering to banking, annual compliance and what happens after incorporation. General information, not legal or tax advice; your specialist confirms how it applies to you.
Yes. The Malta Business Registry lets you reserve a name for up to three months, which gives time to collect KYC documents and pay in the share capital. We check your three name choices against the register first and reserve the one that is free.
Source: Change in company details, Malta Business Registry (MBR)
A certified passport copy and a recent proof of address for each director, shareholder and beneficial owner, plus a CV or bank reference and a short note on the source of funds. These anti-money-laundering checks are completed before the memorandum is signed. Send clear, complete scans and the review usually needs only one round.
It depends on the authorised share capital. For capital up to €1,500, which covers most new private companies, the fee is €85 filed electronically or €100 on paper, rising to €1,400 for the largest capital. The annual beneficial owner confirmation filed alongside it is free.
The registry fee is €50. You also need a shareholders' resolution and an updated memorandum and articles, which we prepare. Reserving the new name first avoids a clash while the documents are signed.
Source: Change in company details, Malta Business Registry (MBR)
Show a real business: a business plan, contracts or letters of intent, expected monthly volumes and the countries you deal with. Add evidence of where the share capital and your wealth come from. Maltese banks often want to understand any link to Malta, so explain who manages the company and from where.
Often, yes. Many owners open an account with an EU payment or e-money institution first, because onboarding tends to be faster, and add a Maltese bank once the business has a track record. Each institution decides on its own terms, and we tell you which fit your activity.
The accounts must be approved within 10 months of the financial year end and filed with the MBR within 42 days after that 10-month period. That gives roughly 11 and a half months in total. Book the audit early, because most Maltese companies need audited accounts.
Within 42 days of the date it is made up to, which follows the company's registration anniversary. The annual beneficial owner confirmation goes in at the same time, and a director or the company secretary signs both. Penalties start to run once the 42 days pass.
Within 14 days of the change being recorded with the company, on the prescribed beneficial owner form (confirm with your specialist). Late notices attract penalties for the company and its officers. Tell us about a share sale or new investor before it happens so the forms are ready.
Source: Companies Act (Register of Beneficial Owners) Regulations (S.L. 386.19), Legislation Malta
File Form K with the Registrar within 14 days of the change. The same form covers new appointments, resignations, removals and changes in who legally represents the company. Every officer in default is liable to a penalty, plus a further amount for each day the default continues.
Source: Form K: changes among directors, company secretary or representation, Malta Business Registry (MBR)
A transfer of shares must be notified to the Registrar within 14 days, and a transmission, for example on death, within one month. A change of shareholder usually means a beneficial owner update too. We prepare the transfer form and the related filings together.
Source: Change in company details, Malta Business Registry (MBR)
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