New members of the Malta forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Many schools in Mellieha/St Pauls etc are predominantly english if the posts here are to be believed.  Also numerous private schools to pick from for all english options.

volcane wrote:

Many schools in Mellieha/St Pauls etc are predominantly english if the posts here are to be believed.  Also numerous private schools to pick from for all english options.

Hi volcane.. ahh, another one of “us”    - thanks for your reply. Yes, we are going by the same assumption and if public schools don’t turn out to be the thing for our kids, a private school looks like a good option too, and way, way, way more affordable than here in Thailand from what I can gather. For me, football has been the way to escape cabin fever.

Football is popular on Gozo every village has teams for adults and children, if your children speak English they should be alright with regards schooling.

Hi All,

I'm Katrine, 24, from the Philippines, and hoping to relocate to Malta soon.

I'm a Certified Public Accountant by profession.  I like running and hiking but currently on hiatus.

Last year, I got an offer to work as a Senior Auditor in an audit firm, however, until now, I'm currently waiting for the release of my work permit (the firm's HR is continuously chasing for it yet they didn't receive any updates from Identity Malta). 

Been reading the topic here regarding the work permit process, and from the discussions therein, it looks like I still be needing a lot more patience in waiting though the waiting time is already making me anxious.


Kind Regards,

K

You will get plenty of those in Valetta and Msida.

That is right.

Prasoon24 wrote:

You will get plenty of those in Valetta and Msida.

Plenty of what?   Which post are you replying to?

Hi everyone!

Planning to move to Mellieha soon and feeling a little bit anxious. Can anyone give me info regarding living costs or shared renting pls?

Thanks

Any ugandans from Africa on this forum😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hello everyone!

My name is Antonio, I'm Italian but currently based in Aberdeen, Scotland. After my graduation in June, I'm planning to move to Malta with my partner. I'll hopefully get the chance to do my Masters in the island's university.

We are looking for all the information to be more prepared for the big move, and this forum seems just right.

We can't wait to start our new life in Malta!

Malta is just like Italy, but a bit smaller in size. Without the karabineri Life is even easier in Malta.

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum, just signed up today   

I currently live in London but I am thinking about moving me and my son out to Malta or Gozo. I think it would be a good idea to first experience living there for a few months before a definite move...I am just anxious because my son is 11 years old and about to start secondary school. I am worried that he will have a hard time settling into a new school/new culture! After all it is a massive step!

The other option is to wait until he finishes school so not to cause too much of a disruption to his education...

If anyone has experienced moving children out there, I would appreciate some advice!

Thank you

Stacey x

Welcome to the Forum, if you search schooling you may find the answers you need, good luck.
Have you visited Malta before?

Ok thank you, yes I visited last August and I am returning this October

Also children want to know why their parents are moving from one country to another. If your child likes Malta and Gozo and is aware of the fact that learning the Maltese language is important I would give it a go. Like parents children do not want to be displaced, they want to be part of the society they live in. A child who appreciates a new invironment without missing the previous invironment too much will settle down in Malta easily. An advantage is being a roman catholic in this society. Overall I would say talk to your child about it and come to a decision. For children and for adults alike there is a golden rule:"In Rome do as the Romans do" This is also the way to succeed in little Malta, which is not very far away from Rome.

Hi all,

My name's Jesse. I'm a 29 year old traveller from Adelaide, Australia.

Relatively new to Malta, living in Valletta for the next month before walking the Camino De Santiago. Might apply for residency and stay on afterwards, haven't decided yet.

Would like to meet up with people for walking, talking, coffee or a meal etc. Guys or girls, doesn't bother me. Not looking for anything romantic just some company.

Send me a message if you're free and let's hang out!

Thanks, Jesse

Hi all,

My name is Chris,

I moved to Malta last year in September but didn't realise this website was here.

I accepted a new job in Malta and relocated on a permanent basis. No plans on returning to England. Before i moved to Malta I actually frequented the island quite a lot growing up so have been coming to Malta for 13 years before the final move.

Open to meeting like minded people, I'm pretty social so feel free to say Hi.

Hloeric wrote:

Hi all,

My name is Chris,

I moved to Malta last year in September but didn't realise this website was here.

I accepted a new job in Malta and relocated on a permanent basis. No plans on returning to England. Before i moved to Malta I actually frequented the island quite a lot growing up so have been coming to Malta for 13 years before the final move.

Open to meeting like minded people, I'm pretty social so feel free to say Hi.

Hello Chris,

Welcome to Expat forum. Hope you will make new friends here. 

Hello Everybody,

My name is Wendy and I have just moved to Malta, where I  have just started a new job as a language teacher. For the moment I'm living in temporary accommodation in Mellieha, but I hope to find a permanent house or flat a little closer to my work (in St Julians) in the near future.

My work has, over the last 30 years, taken me to lots of interesting places. I really enjoy the pleasures and challenges of discovering life in a new environment, so I'm looking forward to making new friends and adapting to a new lifestyle here in Malta.

My interests include a passion for books (all sorts!) and reading, classical music, concerts, the theatre, medieval history (especially the Knights and the Crusades...so lots to discover in Malta!) and lively conversation, especially sharing travellers' tales with kindred nomadic spirits over a glass of wine!

I very much look forward to getting to know people through this forum, so please get in touch.

Warmest regards to all,

Wendy

I’m Paul and I’m in the process of selling my home in Devon and moving permanently to Gozo.
Though I appreciate the topic has been covered previously I’ve no idea how to search for previous posts in seeking advice about reputable removal companies that cover Devon to Gozo.
I would appreciate any help.
Thank you in advance.

PaulGC wrote:

I’m Paul and I’m in the process of selling my home in Devon and moving permanently to Gozo.
Though I appreciate the topic has been covered previously I’ve no idea how to search for previous posts in seeking advice about reputable removal companies that cover Devon to Gozo.
I would appreciate any help.
Thank you in advance.

Keep in mind that virtually all properties for rent here are fully furnished so it is really only personal possessions rather than household furniture that needs to be shipped. Unless of course you are looking to buy, which is not to be recommended until you have lived here a long time, because property is overpriced and not easy to get rid of without losing a lot if you change your mind.
If you buy Heavy Duty Pallet Boxes in the UK, pack them and ship via Maltapost Send On that is quite an economical way to do it and you can get a price from their website. Just ensure that you take out their insurance as our last pallet was opened either by them or customs and an item went missing!

Hi our names are Brian and Margaret. We have just decided that we want to move to Malta . We have been on holiday many times and just love the way of living and the people. It wont be until next year as we have a business and a home to sell but cant come quick enough. Im sure we are making a good decision.

Welcome to the Forum, if you are going to retire when you move out here I would suggest Gozo
even though it’s getting busier it’s still quieter then Malta.

Hi
Thanks for the feedback . Yes Gozo is one of the places we were interested in looking at properties. Don’t want it to be too quite , we are both 60 but still enjoy the buzz too

There’s a lot going on in Gozo, concerts etc most of which are free all year round and in the summer all the feasts.

Oh thanks so much that’s great to know

Hello:

I am considering moving to Malta from Houston, Texas.  I am 67 years old, single and retired.  Can anyone recommend an area on Malta to look at to buy a house/apartment/ maisonette?  A quiet area with other retirees?

And how does one go about becoming a "resident"?

Thanks.   

Texjim wrote:

Hello:

I am considering moving to Malta from Houston, Texas.  I am 67 years old, single and retired.  Can anyone recommend an area on Malta to look at to buy a house/apartment/ maisonette?  A quiet area with other retirees?

And how does one go about becoming a "resident"?

Thanks.   

Welcome to the Forum, before you decide to move here you need to come for a holiday, not many quiet areas in Malta you would be better off living in Gozo.   Why have you chosen Malta?

Hello Texjim,

Welcome to expat forum.

Thanks for your reply.  I am also considering Gozo.  I am planning to visit Malta and Gozo for a couple of weeks, but I may not get over there until after the first of the year.

I looked at other countries (New Zealand, Argentina, Portugal, Monaco, etc) but Malta just seemed to draw me in.  English is spoken, it is small (but densely populated), and the cost of living seems to be reasonable.   Please correct me if I am wrong.

Texjim wrote:

Hello:

I am considering moving to Malta from Houston, Texas.  I am 67 years old, single and retired.  Can anyone recommend an area on Malta to look at to buy a house/apartment/ maisonette?  A quiet area with other retirees?

And how does one go about becoming a "resident"?

Thanks.   

6 years ago I asked myself the same question and I decided for Gozo. My wife and I eventually signed up with sunblessedhorizons.com in order to obtain a property. Of course you can do the same as a single person too. Texas is big, but Malta is small and Gozo is tiny. The size of Gozo is 67 sqkm. Squarekilometres, just converse to have an idea about the size. After you are a resident the ferry between Malta and Gozo is free. Yes, Malta is one of the few countries in this world where pensioners have priviledges. That is the reason why I decided to retire in Gozo and not in my unpredictable homecountry Germany. However, even though Malta is an island, it is not a prison. The borders are open to Italy and once a day a ferry is departing from Malta to Sicily where the big world starts. In Malta you may not have a language barrier, but may be a driving barrier. People drive on the left. After you have overcome all the barriers life is easy in Malta. I live in Xlendi, but I would not recommend this village until you like it for yourself. This means: "Seeing is believing."

If you did decide to come here, that is if you are allowed as being a TCN, it’s advisable to rent a property not purchase straight away.   The free ferry fare is only available once you have your residence card and as a foot passenger, you still have to pay to take your car.

Hi....am Renjith peter, living in India and I am planning to move Malta
                               I am a CNC machinist and CAM programmer since 2015, before that  am working in a conventional machines hope, now am looking jobs in Malta and settled in malta

Hello, all.

I've been visiting Malta with increasing frequency for 20+ years. I'm a TCN looking to retire there, and I'm trying to find information on getting residency based on economic self-sufficiency. I've seen many relevant forums for EU nationals, and I hope someone can give me details on this topic as it relates to TCNs. One important note: I'd like to do this without resorting to one of the special programs that seem designed by the authorities for no other reason than to extract immense amounts of money from would-be immigrants. Any ideas?

Thanks.

conradical wrote:

Hello, all.

I've been visiting Malta with increasing frequency for 20+ years. I'm a TCN looking to retire there, and I'm trying to find information on getting residency based on economic self-sufficiency. I've seen many relevant forums for EU nationals, and I hope someone can give me details on this topic as it relates to TCNs. One important note: I'd like to do this without resorting to one of the special programs that seem designed by the authorities for no other reason than to extract immense amounts of money from would-be immigrants. Any ideas?

Thanks.

One way to get residency is to start your own business. Of course the more people you employ the better it is. If you represent a foreign business and employ people locally that is appreciated as well. When it comes to retirement alone money is important in order to prove you are selfsufficient. In this case Malta is like the USA you have to prove your pension is big enough and you are the owner of a residence.

Thanks, hanselmar. But how big is big enough? Is there an explicit set of rules, including how much pension income or capital is required? Everywhere I've looked, it mentions the 15,000-euros-per-year program. I realize those sites are run by law firms trying to sell a service, and that's perfectly fine, but I'm looking for a way for regular people to do it.

conradical wrote:

Thanks, hanselmar. But how big is big enough? Is there an explicit set of rules, including how much pension income or capital is required? Everywhere I've looked, it mentions the 15,000-euros-per-year program. I realize those sites are run by law firms trying to sell a service, and that's perfectly fine, but I'm looking for a way for regular people to do it.

As most TCN's can only get a residence card lasting one year at a time I do not think there is any requirement to buy a property. You need to be able to prove sufficient income to support yourself and have health cover and then it is down to the mood of the officials at the time.

Thanks. Not having to buy property is helpful information. As far as having sufficient income is concerned, I understand that individual officials have some discretion, but is there anything specific spelled out? Does it have to be at least X euros per year in a pension or maybe a certain bank balance? And do you know if the one-year permit can be renewed?

One other question: Is the process best navigated by a lawyer, if only to show that you have enough money to afford one and that you're serious about getting residency?

Thanks again.

conradical wrote:

Thanks. Not having to buy property is helpful information. As far as having sufficient income is concerned, I understand that individual officials have some discretion, but is there anything specific spelled out? Does it have to be at least X euros per year in a pension or maybe a certain bank balance? And do you know if the one-year permit can be renewed?

One other question: Is the process best navigated by a lawyer, if only to show that you have enough money to afford one and that you're serious about getting residency?

Thanks again.

Of course here are several lawyers being specilized on immigration. Sometimes it might be wise to contact one of them. Some years ago I met an American woman who was resident here. She told me her annual pension was something like € 15 000. However, she bought a house over here and obtained permanent status.  Later on she was bored over here, sold her property with a loss and went back to the USA.

conradical wrote:

Thanks. Not having to buy property is helpful information. As far as having sufficient income is concerned, I understand that individual officials have some discretion, but is there anything specific spelled out? Does it have to be at least X euros per year in a pension or maybe a certain bank balance? And do you know if the one-year permit can be renewed?

One other question: Is the process best navigated by a lawyer, if only to show that you have enough money to afford one and that you're serious about getting residency?

Thanks again.

The pinned post at the top of the page regarding EU citizens residence requirements will give you an idea of how much is needed and I can't see why the amount should be different for a TCN.
As far as I know the residence permit can be renewed annually but they sometimes get a bit anti at year 5 because after 5 years continuous you can apply for a permenant residents card.