Moving to Malta - this is IT!

Good Luck on your move and congrats.  You will find loads of detail on the forum, just do a search for accommodation. I would suggest that you also speak to bar people, and grab the local paper

congratulations on finding work , its understandable to be nervous
where abouts are you staying?
what areas are you looking for in terms of living ? whereabouts are you working ?
i hope all goes well with the flight etc and you can sort somewhere out ..

make sure you buy a weekly bus ticket at 6 euro 50 it work out cheaper then daily tickets and can be used on all buses except night buses,
you can buy your ticket from the airport , and get on the bus straight away .. (unless you have a car)

if you need anything or to ask anything then please feel free to message me and i can help where nesccsary

i reccomened you purchase a go simcard, from shops, as you will get a free 10 euro topup .. and the calls and texts are cheap ..
vodafone and melita  you dont get the free money ..

robpw2 wrote:

congratulations on finding work , its understandable to be nervous
where abouts are you staying?
what areas are you looking for in terms of living ? whereabouts are you working ?
i hope all goes well with the flight etc and you can sort somewhere out ..

make sure you buy a weekly bus ticket at 6 euro 50 it work out cheaper then daily tickets and can be used on all buses except night buses,
you can buy your ticket from the airport , and get on the bus straight away .. (unless you have a car)

if you need anything or to ask anything then please feel free to message me and i can help where nesccsary

Thanks! I will be working in Sliema and for now we are planning to live in Sliema as well. That is the main focus for now, might change later though. I will be working in the gaming industry as many other expats.

Thanks for the info about the bus ticket, will definitely go for that! Lots of things are crossing my mind right now, guess I will come back later if I have more questions.

i clearly need to get a job in the gaming industry,
silema , is where my husband works ,  becareful  living in silema , it has seen a high rate of burglaries this summer

robpw2 wrote:

i clearly need to get a job in the gaming industry,
silema , is where my husband works ,  becareful  living in silema , it has seen a high rate of burglaries this summer

Thank you, is it really that bad? I have read several reviews saying how safe Malta is, etc.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/vi … nts.530762
its seen an unusual amount of burglaries , i just thought id let you know in case it wasnt mentioned ,

It seems that I have run into a smaller problem. A local real estate agent who I spoke to said that almost all apartments advertised are outdated. And that because of the summer season it is extra hard to get a let. How hard is it actually, would it be possible to get a place to live in 1 week?

it took us a day to find a place to live , i saw it advertised on thursday , my husband went to look at it .. we moved in the next day and this was the begining of july .
we went direct to the landlord

http://maltapark.com/property/listings. … tegory=247
these are the current listings for longterm lets today ,
your right prices are higher because of summer rates, but things wont go down untill november so your going to have to pay a bit more right now

robpw2 wrote:

i reccomened you purchase a go simcard, from shops, as you will get a free 10 euro topup .. and the calls and texts are cheap ..
vodafone and melita  you dont get the free money ..

Not sure about that! I bought a Melita SIM card for my sister about 2 months ago, I've paid 10 and it came with 10 credit, plus some data and with a username and pw to register to the Melita website to get access to 10GB free internet traffic for all MelitaWIFI hotspots. Also, she pays about 25c/min to call Europe zone 1. She only needs to top up with 10 every month to keep taking advantage of this offer.

mantonas wrote:

robpw2 wrote:

i reccomened you purchase a go simcard, from shops, as you will get a free 10 euro topup .. and the calls and texts are cheap ..
vodafone and melita  you dont get the free money ..

Not sure about that! I bought a Melita SIM card for my sister about 2 months ago, I've paid 10 and it came with 10 credit, plus some data and with a username and pw to register to the Melita website to get access to 10GB free internet traffic for all MelitaWIFI hotspots. Also, she pays about 25c/min to call Europe zone 1. She only needs to top up with 10 every month to keep taking advantage of this offer.

Thanks for the tip, what about phones? can I get a cheap one at one of the stores? Problem is that the phone I will be arriving with is a fixed phone, which means I wont be able to change cards in it.

yes if you pop into any go , melita , vodafone shop they have phones availble from the basic  to the extortionate .. depending on what you want it to do ...
https://www.go.com.mt/personal/mobile/m … nd-tabletshttps://www.go.com.mt/personal/mobile/m … nd-tablets

these may help give you an idea of prices .. you may want to search malta park for second hand mobiles .. may work out cheaper

can you get your current phone unlocked ? .. you can buy unlock codes on ebay or request it from your phone supplier

robpw2 wrote:

can you get your current phone unlocked ? .. you can buy unlock codes on ebay or request it from your phone supplier

Unfortunately no, its a Samsung S4 and it would die the moment I (or someone else) would try to unlock it I will buy one for 30 I think.

perhaps im missing something subtle but if you ring your current carrier , they will give you an unlock code for the samsung s4 ... you then swap sims to your new malta sim  and then enter the code where requested ... your phone is then unlocked ...
     Figure out if your phone will work on your new carrier.
    Dig up your IMEI number.
    Call your carrier for an unlock code, or buy one from a third party.
    Swap SIM cards or punch in the dial code, and type your unlock code into your phone.

samsungs are the easiest phones to unlock .. the phone won't break and its all perfectly legal

I found this advert at MaltaPark and it seems they unlock phones for 15, including samsung. Never tried them but it might be worthy give them a call.

Dont want to open a new topic about this so I am asking here, hope you guys can help. I saw this section in my job contract:
"As it takes a number of months to receive a Maltese ID number it is essential that you apply
immediately upon your arrival in Malta."

Anyone know what this could be? Is this the same as "e-Residence document "? What do I need in order to get it, except the form filled out?

Rawbiz wrote:

Dont want to open a new topic about this so I am asking here, hope you guys can help. I saw this section in my job contract:
"As it takes a number of months to receive a Maltese ID number it is essential that you apply
immediately upon your arrival in Malta."

Anyone know what this could be? Is this the same as "e-Residence document "? What do I need in order to get it, except the form filled out?

Yes, it is the same! Have a look HERE and you'll find a lot of useful information.

the place you need to attend to apply to is in valletta
MAKE Sure you take proof of your address with you a housing contract or a letter from your landlord is fine .. its not included in the documents you need on the website , but they are now requesting this .

you will need to get your national insurance number from the etc , once you have recieved your work contract or form of engagement .. this means attending the local etc office , take passport and your contract and they will give it to you .. you will need this number for your e-residence forms ,

a lot of employers realise that you need the ID (E-Residence Card) and also a bank account.  You will be able to work as they all (Most) understand and will be helpful in assisting.  Some of the Larger companies have intakes of people and assit a lot with the ID process.  If you are struggling look on here and dont be to scared of all the "OLD" horror stories it really isnt that hard, but also isnt that quick either

Local ETC office for Nation Insurance card could also mean a post office or council office that does it aswell. Check online where you can get this done near you, when i first came a few years ago i managed to get mine from the council office in Naxxar

https://mhas.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Information … dence.aspx
this is the link to all the forms,  pick the ones you need a print them out , if you want copying then make sure to go to a staionary shop  and they will copy items for as little as 5c  - you will need to take photocopies and original of all documents with you .. you can get your picture taken at the office when you attend ( you don't need an appointment ) just go between 8-12 monday to thursday .. but if you have passport photos this can help to ease your time waiting at the office .

robpw2 wrote:

the place you need to attend to apply to is in valletta
MAKE Sure you take proof of your address with you a housing contract or a letter from your landlord is fine .. its not included in the documents you need on the website , but they are now requesting this .

you will need to get your national insurance number from the etc , once you have recieved your work contract or form of engagement .. this means attending the local etc office , take passport and your contract and they will give it to you .. you will need this number for your e-residence forms ,

Thanks a ton, that means I will not be able to get this sorted when I arrive next week. I will have my contract signed next Monday (1st of Sept) and the BUPA Health insurance the same day and according to HR that will take a week to be sorted.

Edit: So to summarize: Passport copy, ETC filled out by employee and housing contract.

if your an eu citizen you can apply by post , you will need to get 2 passport photos and form id 2 completed by attending a police station or local government building * im not sure if there is a charge * we applied in person at the valletta office .then make sure you send all documents , however you must collect your id card in person .

yes as your working and if your an eu citizen its a pretty simple process ..

for a bank account if you ask your employer for an introduction letter for banking services on headed paper , take this with your passport and contract to bov in valletta you shouldnt have any issues getting a bank account

robpw2 wrote:

for a bank account if you ask your employer for an introduction letter for banking services on headed paper , take this with your passport and contract to bov in valletta you shouldnt have any issues getting a bank account

Thanks a ton for the help all. I think I will have the bank sorted out, according to someone at HR a local bank ref letter (from where I currently live) and passport would do at HSBC.

so just a quick question will you be in malta next wednesday ? or did you come on the 20th.. , where abouts are you staying ,, ,

robpw2 wrote:

so just a quick question will you be in malta next wednesday ? or did you come on the 20th.. , where abouts are you staying ,, ,

I land on Wednesday next week. I will be staying at a room in Sliema until Sunday at least (airbnb) and if all goes well I will be in my own apartment by Sunday night (wishful thinking... )

ah cool , its coming around so quickly for you bet you can't wait
if you need anything when you get here etc then i would be happy to help message me on here
i'm pretty sure you will have a place to live by sunday and if not  i have a tent you can borrow....

are you getting transportation from the airport to sliema

robpw2 wrote:

ah cool , its coming around so quickly for you bet you can't wait
if you need anything when you get here etc then i would be happy to help message me on here
i'm pretty sure you will have a place to live by sunday and if not  i have a tent you can borrow....

are you getting transportation from the airport to sliema

Nope, no transportation. I will probably take a cab or something. Would take the bus but I will have two large bags so that would be a bit of a problem.

Yea its quick like hell, I only got the offer and contract 2 days ago Wednesday morning, and because of the tight start date had to book and arrange everything in 2 days. Not easy with a family of 4

Might ask later when and if more questions pop out Also if anyone feels like grabbing a beer or two next week just shout, I will have nothing to do until Monday morning basically.

im sure me and my partner could meet you for a beer after work (he works in sliema)
if your going to get a taxi book something in advance ,    the buses here though cost 6.50 for a 7 day ticket so well worth getting and you can buy a proper cardboard ticket from the desk in arrivals .. even if your getting a taxi from airport i recommend getting the bus ticket .. on buses they give you paper ones which tend to fade very quickly .
its valid on all buses in malta , apart from night buses.. so will help with property hunting .

I don't think you need to book taxi in advance. Airport taxis are fine if you go to the taxi desk inside the airport - walk diagonally left as you walk out from arrivals. Just make sure you agree the price first- should be around 20 euros to Sliema.

Just about 2 days to go... Company I am going to helps me a lot, already set me up with a real estate agent that will take care of everything basically 2 hours after I arrive! Really hoping to find something asap, that would allow me 4 days to explore Malta. Already signed up for the Sunday fish market, thats a must!

if your coming to marsaxlokk for the fish market , perhaps you would like to have a tea/coffee we live literally up the road from the street its on ....

Once again, to summarize as I am getting a bit confused...

1, get a place to stay with a contract
2, take contract and get ID card
3, take ID card (or the papers for it) and get social security number
4, take all of the above and get a tax number

That would be the right process I assume? So much to do, so little time...

1. find a place to live
2, take work contract and /or form of engagement to the etc to get social security number , (passport as well to proove id) this can be done in the local office check website for opening hours but generally 8-12
3) employer will sort out tax forms etc you just give them your social security number
4. take contract , forms id, proof of address , ss number etc to id card office in valletta .. theyll check them through send you away you .wait approx 2 months.
5 collect id card

sorry forgot to add DONT PANIC , STOP WORRYING , things will fall into place , i can help you where nesccary but you dont have to do everything straight away , the most important thing for you is finding a home suitable for you and your famiily

Rawbiz wrote:

Once again, to summarize as I am getting a bit confused...

1, get a place to stay with a contract
2, take contract and get ID card
3, take ID card (or the papers for it) and get social security number
4, take all of the above and get a tax number

That would be the right process I assume? So much to do, so little time...

IMHO, that's pretty what you'll have to do. So you know, you don't need the ID card or work contract to get a social security number. Just pop in at your nearest social security office (in some areas you can also get it at the council office) and say you're planing to work here and you'll get it on the same day.

mantonas wrote:

Rawbiz wrote:

Once again, to summarize as I am getting a bit confused...

1, get a place to stay with a contract
2, take contract and get ID card
3, take ID card (or the papers for it) and get social security number
4, take all of the above and get a tax number

That would be the right process I assume? So much to do, so little time...

IMHO, that's pretty what you'll have to do. So you know, you don't need the ID card or work contract to get a social security number. Just pop in at your nearest social security office (in some areas you can also get it at the council office) and say you're planing to work here and you'll get it on the same day.

when we went we were told we needed a work contract or form of engagement this was june 2014,

Thanks, only asking this as I am getting 1000 different info from places. My HR contact wrote for example the following:

"You will need to obtain a Social Security Number and a Tax number once you arrive in Malta. These are relatively easy to obtain, as you just need your contract, ID and local address in Malta."