moving to Malta

the arms issue affects many people not just expats.. the maltese are affected by it too. Currently you do need certain things to get the lower rates for sure - e-residency being one of them but in many instances even that doesnt guarantee lower tariffs as you must get the permission of the landlord to be on his account - and many refuse due to taxation of rental incomes, and if that happens the only real course you can take is to leave and find a landlord that will allow it. so the watchword is make sure the landlord will allow you on his account as a registered consumer - if not walk away - if you dont it will cost you.

it can be heaven to many and hell to others... its a marmite island - one has to make ones own mind up.

are you expecting to work do you have jobs sorted out - if not you can apply for 3months jobseekers allowance here as long as you tell your job centre in UK before you leave that you are to seek work here and within 7days of arriving you report and register with the job centre here. its worth a punt.

Hi caroline,

welcome to the forum.

The question regarding your Mum is a difficult one. Generally speaking you are entitled to the same benefits in your new EU country of residence as the locals (Maltese).But it is not paid by the UK but by the local authorities, So forget housing benefits as there are basically non in Malta.Your Mum will have to be economically self-sufficient without benefits to apply for residency in Malta.

Disability benefit will not be what she gets in the UK but you will have to look into that. Don't expect anything close to what she receives in the UK .

Health insurance coverage could be an issue too depending on whether she receives a UK pension or would be transfering NHS rights to Malta or utilizing the reciprocal health agreement between the UK and Malta.

Apart from the weather and your Mums health problems, what are your reasons to relocate to Malta?

Cheers
Ricky

Caroline, have you ever visited the islands?
I would strongly advise a 'due diligence' visit of several weeks.
If not, then making such a big move without doing so would be very risky.
Cafes etc abound and many come and go very fast. You should not expect to come out here and just start up a business. That process will involve a lot of hard work and frustration. There may well be many low paid jobs within the catering field though. Also, think; how would you deal with Maltese customers if you  do not speak Malti? It is a very difficult language to master.
Another consideration is that at the moment the procedures and other formalities required are in a state of pandemonium and seem to be getting worse before they get better, if ever.
Personally, there is no way I would move a family such as yours, with your mother (who has health issues) without first visiting and fully understanding what tortuous hoops you have to jump through.
I wish you well and hope you achieve whatever you decide to do but I am trying to be realistic here for you. Best wishes.

i think id agree with Red and Ricky on this one...

Malta isnt exactly "there" yet as regards coping, assisting and catering for anyone who has disabilities. just getting around can be a massive problem - the state of pavements and roads although have improved in 5 years is still a big issue for those with disability.

toonarmy9752 wrote:

Malta isnt exactly "there" yet as regards coping, assisting and catering for anyone who has disabilities. just getting around can be a massive problem - the state of pavements and roads although have improved in 5 years is still a big issue for those with disability.

I fully agree with what Toon has written. It is awful for anyone with mobility issues and for a wheelchair user; damn near impossible.

redmik wrote:

toonarmy9752 wrote:

Malta isnt exactly "there" yet as regards coping, assisting and catering for anyone who has disabilities. just getting around can be a massive problem - the state of pavements and roads although have improved in 5 years is still a big issue for those with disability.

I fully agree with what Toon has written. It is awful for anyone with mobility issues and for a wheelchair user; damn near impossible.

Access to shops offices etc although improving slowly is a long way from what you have in the UK. it is a nightmare for wheelchair users and even those elderly who can walk have difficulty fearing trips on the uneven and very narrow paving - meaning wheelchair uses invariably end up travelling the road. not the safest place on earth for sure.

A person with mobility issues travelling on the buses has a rough time of it too. Time was when people stood and offered their seats to those more needy and there are allocated seats for those needing them. But.....how many  times have you seen that happen recently, someone give up their seat? Some of us do but it is becoming more rare these days. Certainly the younger generation rarely do. Arriva has it in it's 'Code' but hardly anyone goes by it these days. Trying to get off a bus can be a bit risky too, what with no queuing and the rush to get on. I've had to 'protect' Lynnder several times. It's a shame.

Thank you everyone for your reply's, redmik yes iv been to Malta i love it there. I have been learning maltese with my girls they are 7 and 9 so it is basic but it is a starting point.

I have looked into living in Malta and im not just jumping in i have been planning this for a long time, the electric and water charges i thought would be illegal so yes i slipped up there in needing to check into basic living a bit more.

thank you Ricky for the advice regarding benefits for my mum, i plan on taking my mum to live with us and we will support her i couldn't leave her behind. We have thought about transport for her and have been looking into renting in an area where she has shop etc on the doorstep

as for setting up a cafe i know its not going to be easy but its something i want look into more i run a clothing business here in Scotland and a small charity events business organizing craft fairs and more recently kids parties with mascots, face painting glitter tattoos so i understand it will be a lot of hard work but i thrive on a challenge. I have done my food hygiene etc here so have basic knowledge to help when i get to Malta, im already doing business management and accounts course so i have a better understanding of this side of my business and i just thought maybe a cafe could give me an income and somewhere i can get to meet people and my mum can come along and help out where she can and not feel like she is a burden on us as she is quite a proud woman.

in the last 2 years my family and myself have been through hell with me medically its been 1 serious illness after another from having to spend a few days in hospital to me being on life support and loads more in between and one thing i have found when abroad is my asthma is much better and this is a huge thing for me as iv suffered here since i was a child. There now you have all been told my life story hehe maybe you can see its not just a rush decision im a 33 year old woman with many things still worth me staying in the uk but weighing up all the pros and cons Malta wins everytime and trust me there is many a4 sheets of paper with pros and cons of Malta

in coming over on a regular basis after Christmas to start the ball rolling looking at houses, schools, jobs etc. I really do appreciate everyones comment's they have made me think about things in a bit more detail. Caroline ��

Well, I had to ask as so many people either don't say they have been to Malta previously when they ask questions or do just 'dive straight in'. Obviously, you are planning this in great detail.
My best wishes for you and your family.

Yes i am planning in detail although i thrive on a challenge when in a bit of a control freak hehe. I know there is probably a lot of people who do think it would be easy to pack up and move over and maybe 10 years ago i would have dne the same but the thought of leaving everythin behind and not having the security of a house and income to support my kids is a scary thought so no i will be prepared but thank you for your concern. IM so excited about our move Malta is so beautiful. We are thinking bugibba or surrounding area i know this is a tourist area but i think for my mum this would be ideal, any thoughts on this would be appreciated ��

Bugibba may be a great area to start in for many many things but paving isnt one of them....... Qawra is a better prospect IMHO.

we lived in Bugibba for 6 months and really didnt like it as a place to live in and call home....it just wasnt for us and didnt fit what we were looking for/.. its a very personal thing but do your trips to investigate you never know you might just find the hidden gem. good luck and enjoy Malta

Im a bit concerned about your asthma.... my daughter had mild asthma when we were living in the UK. Since living here her asthma has become chronic. There are certain times of the year where she is extremely poorly and I 99% blame the dampness and humidity of Malta for the change in her health. Her paediatrician would agree with me too. It is a widespread issue in Malta for many people.
I dont want to scare you or dishearten you but my concern is that you possibly may have the same issue. Maybe you should do some more research in to that area too. Inbox me if you like.

Damsel wrote:

Im a bit concerned about your asthma.... my daughter had mild asthma when we were living in the UK. Since living here her asthma has become chronic. There are certain times of the year where she is extremely poorly and I 99% blame the dampness and humidity of Malta for the change in her health. Her paediatrician would agree with me too. It is a widespread issue in Malta for many people.
I dont want to scare you or dishearten you but my concern is that you possibly may have the same issue. Maybe you should do some more research in to that area too. Inbox me if you like.

id agree with this for sure as i know people with aasthma here too and they suffer with the high humidity and the resulting dampness.... its here almost constantly but there are lows and peaks. high ones so do more research.

carolinedoyle
We are thinking bugibba or surrounding area i know this is a tourist area but i think for my mum this would be ideal, any thoughts on this would be appreciated ��

We live in Qawra and agree with the others pavements etc in bugibba not good and not that flat, also lots of cafes/bars etc there already. The rent for business premise very high, know this because had thought to start small business ourselves as had one in Spain, sorry to be negative. To start you may be better off working for someone, let them have all the stress and headaches!

good luck

Hi carolinedoyle,

I think you should really come for a holiday stay between 10 to 15 days and it will help you decide better. Am sure that you will like Malta, however you need to consider everything before you make such a move.
If you would like to meet when you come for a holiday I will take you around a bit...I lived nearly 7years between Mellieha and Qawra so know the area quite well, and strongly agree with the others that Bugibba is not the place to stay.
If you would like PM me when you will be coming and we try meet

I agree with all of the above and would suggest that you don't do Kalkara or Three Cities as steps and steep slopes everywhere.
I did laugh at being a control freak. That you will have to let go of, the Maltese may be friendly but they don't work hard or quickly, which can be infuriating but hey you are in Malta, it's their country.
I moved here without ever being here before, the guys and gals on this forum have been an excellent source of information and pointed out the good and the bad sides of living here.  If you can afford to come for a month to see if you like it, take the plunge, it's different after the two week holiday wears off, on a positive note, I love it, as do the majority, it has it's quirks but doesn't every country .