Mobile phone package

I got my phone package (sim-only) and internet with Melita without any e-residence card- just showed them a copy of the rental contract and my passport, and could use the sim with the Maltese number the next day.

Thanks for reply. Do you get the option of keeping your old number?

alftupper wrote:

Thanks for reply. Do you get the option of keeping your old number?

Do you mean your UK number? Obviously the country code is different, and as the country code in Malta is one digit longer (+356) the numbers are usually shorter.   

They offered me to have a number similar to my Austrian number without any extra charge (Maltese country code: +356 + phone code for Melita: 777 + my Austrian number, but without the first digit - so 5 digits instead of 6), which helped me to remember the new number - but of course meant I still had to tell everyone I had a new number.

As far as I know, you can only keep your old number if you change providers within the same country.

Thanks and happy new year

alftupper wrote:

Hi all, lm thinking of buying an unlocked iphone6 here in the uk. I'm moving out to Malta in the new year. I believe I can't get a phone package until I receive my eresidence card and proof of address. I take it I have to go a pay as u go deal with a new SIM card. Anyone who was in same situation got any advice etc. I have a monthly 10 pound bundle deal with vodaphone in uk at the moment with my present phone. But this isn't an iPhone. Does hooking up with vodaphone again in Malta make any difference? Thanks alf

If you are in possession of an ‘e-Residence Card’, NO deposit is payable to internet / telephony / Pay TV service providers in Malta.

In this regard, please see the following excerpt from the European Commission reply of 29th February, 2016 to the European Parliament Committee on Petitions concerning Petition No. 2213/2014 by Ioannis Sarikas (Greek) on discrimination by Maltese telecommunications company –:

Summary of petition:

The petitioner wished to open an internet connection to his home in Malta. A local company by the name of Melitta demanded that he pay a guarantee of 75 euros in advance.

He reminded the company’s representative that as an EU citizen living legally in Malta, he should have the same rights as Maltese, but he was nonetheless required to pay the guarantee mentioned.

The explanation given was that as a non-Maltese person, he could leave the country more easily, leaving bills unpaid.

Excerpt from the European Commission reply: ‘…….If, on the contrary, the petitioner is in possession of a valid Maltese residence card, this will amount to discrimination on the basis of nationality against which the Commission should proceed…..’

Source:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/get … condRef=01

In addition, please see excerpt: ’….. With regards to refund, I paid 200 deposit when the services were installed initially and as soon as I got my ID card, those 200 have been deducted from my bills, which was okay for me……’

Source: Melita Refund, how long it REALLY takes?

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 27#1888721