Travel and Leisure

If you are searching for a long term life experience on a beautiful island where it's practically summer all year round, then you might consider moving to Malta. And you wouldn't be the only one wanting to do that - in the past few years; the island has seen a huge influx of foreigners moving to Malta for a variety of reasons.

In terms of location, Malta is a gem of an island - it is situated in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and it's part of an archipelago some 93kms south of Sicily.

What makes it even more reachable is the excellent intercontinental relationship it has with North Africa, Asia and the rest of the European Continent. It comes as no surprise then, that Malta has a very favourable business climate and an irreplaceable workforce that earn it a lot of respect when compared to other countries.

All in all, however, what gives Malta its unique character is the tribes and groups of people making up its 400,000 wide demographic - returned Maltese migrants, online gaming executives, tax mitigators, bankers, hotel and catering staff, retirees from all over the globe and entertainers are but a few.

A few tips to those who chose yay over nay would be to (a) prepare the move months in advance and use that time well to obtain the necessary permits such, (b) sort through their belongings and make a distinction between those they want to carry around and those they want to leave behind, and (c) choose a handful of companies they can trust to help them along the way.

The most decisive factor in the moving experience is how plain sailing it is to actually go over the formalities of relocating - and in Malta, this task is facilitated by the Maltese Legal System.

In Malta, it is possible to rent property, as well as to find a job or alternatively study at the University of Malta. One can then move onto more long-standing things like getting a loan from a bank, obtaining a drivers' license and buying property.

Citizens of the European Union who have not resided in Malta for a minimum of 5 years would need to obtain a permit for immovable property as a secondary residence.

EU residents are also entitled to free health services - a travelling insurance will cover that as well as civil liability.

For those wanting to set up business in Malta, the Business Promotion Act will give them a good indication of the incentives they would benefit from: reduced rates of income tax, investment tax credits, VAT schemes and investment allowances are but a few.

Last but certainly not least as it is one of the primary reasons people move to Malta in the first place other than the beautiful weather, Malta offers a wide range of leisure activities all year round. From sports to culture-related events, to nightlife and organisations dealing with everything under the sun, Malta has it all and more.