Registering my vehicle in Malta

Hi I'm currently going through this myself. I'm in contact with a Mr Attard at the Dept of Transport who has been very helpful.  I've been able to email documents ect to him direct on [email protected].  I have completed the paperwork and am applying for tax exemption due to the fact I've owned the car more than two years but until I have my ID card it won't be processed.  It's worth sending everything through and have them check the paperwork then send a copy of your ID through when you have it.  Good luck 😃

Thanks Aly,
For that speedy reply I will do what you have suggested and see how I go on Mr. Attard when I send my documents over to him. Cheers Terry

You're very welcome! Good luck 

If you have owned the vehicle for more that two years and can prove it, then there is no registration tax.

The yearly circulation or road tax will depend on the vehicle, this link tells you how to proceed.
http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transp … individual

And this...

http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transp … al-license

Terry

Many Thanks for the information tearnet

Dear Teanet,

Even though I have only just shipped my car over from the UK as mentioned in my earlier post and because there is no registration tax because my car is over 2 years old. Have you any idea what i would have to do and what the procedure is if I decided to sell my car now because my wife rather travel by public transport if and when we receive our e residency ID Cards because she doesn't like the idea of me driving on the Maltese roads after seeing how the Maltese drive .

Terry4646 wrote:

Dear Teanet,

Even though I have only just shipped my car over from the UK as mentioned in my earlier post and because there is no registration tax because my car is over 2 years old. Have you any idea what i would have to do and what the procedure is if I decided to sell my car now because my wife rather travel by public transport if and when we receive our e residency ID Cards because she doesn't like the idea of me driving on the Maltese roads after seeing how the Maltese drive .

Are you talking about registering it first then  selling it or selling it on UK registration plates ?

Could you explain to me both ways please and which way do you think is the best way to go about it. I would really appreciate your knowledge please on both ways and would any fees or monies be forthcoming to the authorities.
Thank You for your Help on This Issue

If you register it before selling it then you would have to pay the registration and road tax but you will get more for it when you sell it.

If you sell it on English plates then you will get less money for it.

You will need to work out the best deal for you using the links I gave.

Remember that as a resident you cannot drive the vehicle in Malta on English plates without starting the registration process.
You risk  having the vehicle seized !

Don't forget to notify the DVLA  that the vehicle has been permanently exported.

Terry

Thank you for the information and your help

Hi Terry, I'm new to this forum but not car registration! My advice is contact Transport Malta ASAP. When we arrived last year, we were given conflicting advice about having up to twelve months, needing ID cards etc. it then transpired that we had to register within 30 days (ID card appts were 9 mths at this point) and we were told we had to pay €33k tax as didn't register it. We ended up taking TM to court (we won but it cost us €5k!) - a few other UK expats in court on the same day with same issues too! So contact them ASAP, I suggest registering it without your ID card, as we did.

I think you can only sell it here on UK plates of you haven't registered it here, as you'll need to do transfer via DVLA. If you register it here first, without paying tax, you'll then have to pay the tax once the vehicle is sold.

Charlotte1500 wrote:

Hi Terry, I'm new to this forum but not car registration! My advice is contact Transport Malta ASAP. When we arrived last year, we were given conflicting advice about having up to twelve months, needing ID cards etc. it then transpired that we had to register within 30 days (ID card appts were 9 mths at this point) and we were told we had to pay €33k tax as didn't register it. We ended up taking TM to court (we won but it cost us €5k!) - a few other UK expats in court on the same day with same issues too! So contact them ASAP, I suggest registering it without your ID card, as we did.

I think you can only sell it here on UK plates of you haven't registered it here, as you'll need to do transfer via DVLA. If you register it here first, without paying tax, you'll then have to pay the tax once the vehicle is sold.

When you say you took TM to court do you mean that you instigated the court case?
Or was it that TM started the case over the €33k and you defended it and finished up having to pay €5k instead?

You don't need an ID card to register your vehicle in Malta, just the intention of being a resident and your passport.

Terry

Hi Terry,

We instigated it. Upon arriving in Malta in the March we contacted TM to register the car on Day 3. We were told not possible without an ID card and subsequently booked an appt with the earliest being October. TM said no issues etc as we have twelve months to register the vehicle, which was also indicated on one of their forms. Then in the July a colleague at my partners work said you only get 30 days, as indicated on a conflicting form!

Long story short, they said we failed, as residents, to register the car in time and the tax was due. However, we argued that we weren't residents as unable to obtain ID cards (back some time ago when the system was broken) and therefore they wouldn't let us register. We instigated the case as not paying €33k tax on a car, and the magistrate saw sense and decided in our favour. The ultimate argument came down to what constitutes a resident when you don't have an ID card because when they want you to pay tax you are one, but if you need healthcare you're not! The magistrate also recognized the flaws in the system and conflicting information (even after making 38 phone calls to clarify) that TM gave. There were three others in court against TM on the same day so it's not unusual.

It's an expensive way to resolve it though as we paid €5k in legal fees and had to hire a car for six months as we chose to take ours off the road to prevent being stopped. We then still had to pay UK insurance, as well as here, and UK road tax. I wish you luck, they had me tearing my hair out! It seems the maltese get just as frustrated, having talked to a few on my many trips to the Floriana office.

Thank You for the information Charlotte

Yes, thank you for the clarification.
I know from my dealings with TM that conflicting information seems to be the norm, plus the complete unwillingness to admit when they have made an error.
It sometimes feels as if you are in a parallel universe!!

Not just TM either!