Importing a car residency exemption

MERCRI wrote:

Hello .
I will move to malta from the first of August and I would like to import my car there .
Can I benefit from a tax exemption as a resident ?
My plan was to move there with the car and take advantage of the first 7 months as a non resident, in the meanwhile ask for the residency and by the time I have it i would like to import it with the tax exemption.
Also the car was previously imported twice in 2 other countries. Are there any specific rules applying?
This is as well my first car ..
Thank you

First, the car is supposed to have been outside the country for the previous 2 years prior to registration.
Second, so is the owner.
Third, you must have owned it for those 2 years.
Fourth, the moment you apply for your eResidence card you are no longer a tourist so your 7 months has gone out of the window and you have to register the vehicle!

Good Luck,

Ray

If your question “can I use this very obvious loophole around a system the earns the government millions” then the answer usually is they thought about that and no you can’t

30+ cars registered a day, you can safely assume it’s a robust system without loopholes. The rules are quite clearly written down

@MERCRI

Please see: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/v … dex_en.htm

A few other things to consider:

You can only drive your car as a non resident for up to 6 months in Malta. If the car remains in Malta beyond that time you will automatically have to pay the full import tax.

You are required to register the car or apply for exemption from the import tax within 30 days from the date on which you transfer your residency to Malta.

Once you become resident in Malta, you are not permitted to drive a car with foreign plates. However, once you apply for the exemption you will receive a letter from the Transport authority permitting you to drive the car as a resident, while your application is being considered.

The transport authority hold a monthly meeting where they consider each application. As a result, the application process can take around 2-3 months. During that time you will need to ensure your Italian insurance covers you as you will not be able to get Maltese car insurance to cover you for foreign plates. In the UK, depending on the type of cover, we typically get up to 90 days per year free cover outside of the UK. After that each week of cover outside the UK becomes quite expensive (I'm currently paying €25 per week). Also most insurers will limit how long they will cover you outside of your home country (typically up to 6 months). So check with your current insurer, but this fact together with my first point gives you a hard limit of 6 months driving in Malta as a non resident.

Given that it takes 2-3 months to apply for the exemption and given the likely expense of insuring yourself outside Italy beyond 90 days, I'd recommend you start the process as soon as you become a resident.

Thank you