Want to retire to Malta

Hiya. Welcome to the expats Malta. My husband and I have recently retired here (62 and 58) pleas pm me if you would like more information. We live in St. Paul's Bay Area which is lovely, although we do find it tedious to drive to the central area almost daily for different activities we are involved in. Although not far, the traffic here can be awful at times. We are looking at property and still unsure where we want to live. Have you been to Malta? When do you intend coming over?

Hiya, thank you, same ages as my partner and I, we was in Buggiba in June this year and we are coming back in October for a week, we would love to live also in the St .Pauls Bay area. How do I pm on here?

Hi there

I suggest to visit Maltapark website to find property listings in Bugibba/Qawra/St. Pauls area, most of which are directly advertised by owners. Property prices in this area are not that expensive compared to more central areas. You will surely find good deals both for letting and buying property.

Good luck with you search!

Not too sure. Ricky??

H Tigerlil........

From what you say with rental income and small pension you should have between 1100 and 1200 per month disposable income. We now come to the "how long's a piece of string" question which is often asked here. Have a look at this thread:

Cost of Living

ignore the 'sock' references as they were an 'in joke' at the time.  Also have a long read of this thread, if you have not already:

7 pages but worth the read

Good Luck

Mike

Thank you, i will have a look, I think we will be renting rather than buying though, In an ideal world it would be nice to have a 2 bed apartment, fully furninshed, with a front balcony with a sea view for around 350 eu per month

"Forgot to say, we are coming to Malta 2nd week in October for a week for a bit of a reccy,   How is the weather in Oct ?"

The following is the long term weather forecast for October 2014:

October is now expected to be a typical month but drier than average. The weather is expected to be partly cloudy becoming cloudy at times with a number of rain events that may be heavy and thundery at times. The mean monthly sea level pressure is expected to be around average with mainly light and variable winds.

Mean monthly temperatures are expected to be around average with falling daily high temperatures, with daily highs decreasing from 27°C to 23°C during the course of the month, exceeding 29°C or dropping below 20°C only one day in ten. Daily low temperatures range from 17°C to 20°C, falling below 14°C or exceeding 23°C only one day in ten.

The monthly rainfall total is expected to be around 70% to 75% below the average of 74.4mm. Around 9 days of rain are expected compared to the average of the same number of days. So far, no severe flood events are expected.

tigerlil wrote:

Thank you, i will have a look, I think we will be renting rather than buying though, In an ideal world it would be nice to have a 2 bed apartment, fully furninshed, with a front balcony with a sea view for around 350 eu per month

It will be very easy to find a rental apartment in this area at that price. I suggest to consider also a small seaside village called Xemxjia. It is situated adjacent to St Pauls bay area. At Xemxija for 350 pm you can find a nice 2 bed apartment including utility bills for the month.

wow, thank you, we may have a look around there when we are there in October

Linda & I were there in the last week of October last year and it was 27 to 29C but have been told it is normally 24C....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/pers … xpats.html

Thanks for the Link Roy, sadly i didn't understand a word of it    when it comes to taxes etc i have not got a glue, like i said before, in my head it all seems quite simple to do. I didn't realize there was soooo much to think about

Maybe this one is a little better to understand:)
http://www.gvthlaw.com/practice-areas/c … -residence

It is ok as some of it will stick as it does with us but for us it will be under the 'Economic Self-Sufficiency' test when we do retire to Malta. We will be arriving mid Sept in Mosta as being central for 5 months to find our way around more after visiting and then making out minds up but hopefully we will find what we have already know and seen.

We think we will rent out our house here and rent there for 5+ years at a time and not buy. (We are 59/57).

We will be coming home again on 31 Jan next year and then by June we will hopefully have our place to live and always looking for advice from good people here and there too:)

It really is a new stage in your lives and we are looking forward to learning more and settling down in Malta

Roy & Linda

P.S. Pleased to meet you and best wishes and good luck:)

Hope to meet up with you guys for a drink in October. But we won't be available 15th to 20th as our son is visiting.

My advice is do not relocate until you have spent a longer time in Malta on perhaps a 3 month holiday.
Not everything is better than the UK.
Look at the Malta Times on the Internet and it will give you an idea of the culture and way of life of this country.
Ask people about their experiences of the Health Care System, although the Health Service is reciprocated for all European countries, it is only to the standard that the particular country, so if you have a health issue, it might not be treated in the same way as it would in the UK.
Ask people about the cold and dampness from January to March, it may be great during the day but at night it can get cold and properties become damp as there is not usually any heating or insulation in the property.
Also you will be charged more in some cases, i.e  buying a car, workmen, etc.

There is the upside to living in Malta which you will already know about, but you can not find out a lot about this country until you live in it, so my advice, do not sever all your ties with the UK until you have lived here for a while.

Excellent advice and information:)

tigerlil. Read this.  https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=370643

Also, don't just read one newspaper, read as many as you can and bear in mind their political affiliations etc.
You'll be able to read all about the petty political squabbles and the farcical machinations of the Law Courts here.
Also, read the comments to articles. Some will give you an insight into the rampant racism and ignorance of world events and politics exhibited by some out here.
It was ever thus.

it is indeed a mixed bag  - do as others have suggested and you wont go far wrong  - try it first for 3-6 months and then make your mind up... anything less is far too short...

Thank you so much for your advise, we will certainly read as much as possible.  We have said that we will go to Malta for 6 months in the first instant to see if it is for us, and until lthen we will go  whenever we can for the odd week or two , money permitting of course. We are not selling our properties here in the UK, just yet, we will rent them out, and if we decide to live in Malta we will then perhaps think of selling one property, but we will always keep one which will be rented out.

It will be nice for you to see your son, if we dont meet up in October, we are going to try and visit Malta in February again for a week or two.

Thanks for the link Roy, that was easier to understand, You are right it is also a new stage in our lives too, We are hoping to go out to Malta as much as we can before we make our minds up for certain, but we know already what we would like the outcome to be. We wish you all the best when you go out there this month, i am sure you will be happy there, speak soon, bye for now Vanessa and Tony 

Iwould  appreciate any  info on benefits available, eg , in britiain we recieve  contribution. Based benefit , we both worked until april 2014, my husband age 60 is my full time carer.   We are also entitled to housing benefit and council tax rebate.  I am 53 , and suffer from Copd/depression , although my breathing is markedly improved while in malta, weboth have taken early retirement and have a small combined pension of £100 per week,  what if any benefits are there in malta.    We have capital of £40000 , the forum would appreciate any comments , re retirement /health benefits ,, thank you ,

i wouldnt have thought there were any benefits to be claimed - there is one thing for sure Malta doesnt payout benefits easily or willingly - (even to their own never mind a foreigner) but I would say you should contact the dept in the UK and find out what your rights are as regards benefits whilst in Malta  - whether you can claim once you have left the uk is another question?

healthcare you can take the RHA as long as you are not working and not in receipt of UK state pension.... how long that will remain available is not clear..plus it is a limited level of cover....and many medications  (if available) will have to be paid for (unless theyre in the approved list and if you have an exemption) - and theyre not cheap....  especially medication for copd - a friend of mine (73)  has this condition and it costs her 86 euros per month.

Marie Robertson wrote:

Iwould  appreciate any  info on benefits available, eg , in britiain we recieve  contribution. Based benefit , we both worked until april 2014, my husband age 60 is my full time carer.   We are also entitled to housing benefit and council tax rebate.  I am 53 , and suffer from Copd/depression , although my breathing is markedly improved while in malta, weboth have taken early retirement and have a small combined pension of £100 per week,  what if any benefits are there in malta.    We have capital of £40000 , the forum would appreciate any comments , re retirement /health benefits ,, thank you ,

For one, there is no council tax!

Housing benefit is also non existent. The maximum for a family of 4 is 70 euro a month, after filling in a 20 page Maltese Very complicated form, which you then have to pay to submit it at 1.33 euro per page lol. Also, you are not entitled to benefits until you have been resident for 5 years. (Except unemployment benefit after 6 months of employment)

nb most people cant claim unemployment benefit until after they have worked 50 weeks

Q is there such a thing in Malta as carers allowances?

best advise before shipping out to live in Malta go to the benefits dept etc in UK and find out what you can claim whilst living in Malta permanently.

Thanks, so we would live of our own small pensions, which would not cover rent etc, so the dream won't happen, 4000 wouldn't last long , ah well one can dream ,

Are you in council property? or do you own your own property? if you own it, you could always rent it out to give you extra income

No sadly , we rent here, what's the job situation, my husband worked in a tree nursery, I myself worked for NHS as a dental nurse, but my health means I can't work anymore, and Jim is 60,  we have been in Malta 3 times this year, April 1 week , June 2 weeks  august 2 weeks, , we only have savings of £4000 , we could sell house contents , but that would only make another £2000 , not enough to sustain us,  with only £90 per week income, with our small pensions,

dont be too downhearted - once you are both retired and in state pensions - as then you would have more income and healthcare would be easier but potentially still expensive in terms of the medication....then it may well be possible... - good luck to you both

When we are of state pension age, will we be able to get our state pension in Malta, ? If so there is light at the end of the tunnel and we can save as much as we can if we live frugualy, so we have a larger capital,  so another 5 years and we can live the dream , thanks,

Yes. You can arrange for your Pension to be paid on Malta. Also, as things currently stand, when entitled to or receiving State Pension in UK and if residing on Malta you will be entitled to what is known as an S1. This will entitle you to all benefits on Malta. See part of this for further explanation:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=370643

Extract:
Alternatively and only if a UK citizen receiving UK State Pension you can present an S1 Certificate obtainable from DWP, Overseas Healthcare Team, Durham House, Washington, Tyne & Wear NE38 7SF UK.
Telephone 0191 2181999.
This will entitle the person full access to all medical treatment and Schedule V 'yellow card' for free medication for some chronic conditions.

Whether you are entitled to Schedule V (five) medication (Yellow card)  will depend upon your residential status, and entitlement to health care here.
It can be a complicated process.
You will only get this if you have a permanent Certificate of Entitlement (COE).  An RHA card is not acceptable.
Also you will have to have an assessment (and subsequent reviews) by a doctor at one of the hospitals.

(After issue of Schedule V card (yellow card you will then have to nominate a Pharmacist of your choice, get a green form from them, get a doctor to complete the medication detail of that and return it to the pharmacist. You will then later receive a card of payment codes which the pharmacist will then enter on their system in lieu of payment each time you are issued with your Schedule V listed medication.)

Be prepared for the Schedule V process to take some time and not all medication that you may have previously been prescribed is available by this process.

Advice. If you have a pre-existing medical condition for which you are receiving medication before moving to Malta ensure you have a maximum supply of that medication. I also strongly advise you to bring copies of medical records, copies of prescriptions or a letter confirming your conditions and medication. These may prove invaluable for when seeking medication here, either by attending a free clinic or doctor privately and/or during Schedule V assessment.

I believe is true to say that moving over here to retire can be a very daunting experience if only for the processes you will have to go through; both in UK and here.
The DPW in UK (details above) should be able to advise you. You will also have to inform the Overseas Pensions Department, HMRC and when here you will have to register for tax even though you probably won't have to pay any.
You will, certainly initially, have two tax returns per year to complete, one for UK one for Malta and they are required at different times of the year and for different taxation periods.
Another thing to consider is that Malta is, in my view, one of the least disabled persons friendly places in the world and anyone with mobility issues, particularly if they are a wheel chair user, is going to have difficulties. Many can be overcome but many can not be.
Also consider this; a burial plot is very, very expensive and there is no cremation here, the body is sent to Sicily for that. Think about the responsibility and cost one's demise could have upon surviving family.
Sorry to seem so negative but you need to know the facts.
However, it is possible, just be prepared for an initial bumpy ride.

HI.Redmik. we are coming from UK. in April 2015 to retire, my wife is receiving a UK. state pension i am led to believe i will be covered for healthcare as a dependent. we have been working out the cost of living (for witch this forum has been very helpful and realistic) Would you know roughly the cost of dying in Malta or Gozo

Death by tobacco and alcohol can be very expensive,but being run over,and jumping off a cliff,are free.
Always look on the bright side of life,dd ddddd.

Nice one. Maltaforme. Spent enough on both but still around.

On Malta the cost of a burial plot, 2 years ago, was estimated to be in the order of E10,000. If you can get one that is as when the Govt announced an intention to sell of another 3000 of them there were already about 6,000 people on a waiting list, with the oldest application dating back 20 years.
On Gozo I have heard that the cost could be as high as E30,000, if you can get one.
Do not forget the fees for management and disposal of the body.
The cost of repatriating a body to the UK, 2 years ago was in the order of E10,000.
There is no cremation on Malta, the body is sent to Sicily for that and ashes returned.
Personally, I have no intention of leaving the responsibility for this to my wife.