Bank Account and paying bills

Don't tell them you are only staying for six months and get a 'Letter of Introduction' from your bank before you go.

I am planning to open a personal bank account as well, as I will start getting salary from a Maltese company within a month.

Are there any differences between Bank of Valletta or HSBC? Which one would you guys recommend if I wanted to get it fast?

Thanks

My maltese friends recommend Bank of Valletta, they say procedures are simpler. On the other hand, if you are an HSBC customer already in England (or elsewhere), it would be faster and more practical to open an account at HSBC in Malta. Stick to a regular account and not both normal & savings (as they will most likely suggest), interest rates are extremely low and you don't want to bother paying tax on interest and having to follow two accounts - unless, of course, you leave high amounts on the savings.
Depending on your status here, it will be either a resident or a non-resident account.

Both are fine for the purpose of banking in Malta, I believe.  If you want to hold accounts in several countries (which you may or may not), and if you want them all with the same bank (which again you may or may not), then HSBC has an extensive international network which BoV doesn't.

Thank for the tips djinn and JohnS!
I think I will go for BOV if the procedure is simplier.
Do you know what kind of papers do I need to get the account?
I have read that a letter of recommendation from my current bank is often needed, but do I need a work permit? Thanks!

After having visited BOV, I will update this thread about how it went.

Best ask BoV for their current document requirements.  They do seem to reply to e-mails.

When I enquired a while ago, they wanted an account opening form, certified copy of passport, letter of introduction from a bank or employer, confirmation of Tax Identification Number in country where tax paid, and official document confirming residential address.

Personall I think that BOV is the better choice of the two. When we moved here we were able to get an account right away. HSBC wants all of your history from your banking institution back home. They are quite difficult to deal with at times.

Also just because you have an HSBC account somewhere else in the world, does NOT mean that you will be able to open an HSBC account here in Malta easily. I had an HSBC account in Canada before we moved here and I was told that it didn't matter. That you were generally a new customer once here in Malta for the most part.

Go with BOV if you can.

Even with HSBC Premier it was not as easy to open a new account here as their marketing material made it seem - at least for me. Though in the UK it was a piece of cake. I have heard that several people have paid a fee at HSBC in the country they are leaving and have had very good success with their account being opened in Malta when they get here or very soon after...I also had a bad experience with BoV whcih was my original choice...so I guess you just pick one and cross your fingers!

Banks (grrrr!)

Tim

hammersfan is right about the fee. If you already have an HSBC account in another country, you can go to your branch and they can handle all the interaction of setting up an account with the HSBC bank in the country you are moving to (this is what the fee is for). But I would advise if you do this and let your bank handle it, do it far in advance as it can take quite a long time from what I have heard. But it could make things a little easier- save a lot of the guessing work and phone charges etc