Hi,
This post it's just to show how different branches from the same bank have different rules/criteria for someone who needs to open a bank account. Everyday I convince myself more that to opening a bank account in Malta, doesn't depend only for its bank requirements but mostly from whom you deal with at the bank.
Just an example, my sister has been in Malta for about 2 months now and she went to a BOV branch in Mellieha with a reference letter from her employer and they told her she could only open an account with that letter, if she had the Maltese e-Residence card...well, fair enough!
Couple of weeks later after she got her EID card, she went back to the same branch and they told her that unfortunately, she also needed a bank reference from her previous bank. As you can imagine, she was a bit pist off.
But anyway, today she went to register at the health center in Mosta and afterwards, she went to try the BOV branch over there. And guess what? with the same employer's reference letter and her EID card, she managed to open a bank account within few mins.
There you go, that's how things here work, sometimes!
Cheerio,
Antonio