Malta's tourist tax: how much, who pays, and when

Malta’s tourist tax is one of those things nobody looks at when booking and that later turns up on the bill. It isn’t expensive, but it changed on 1 July 2026, so it’s worth knowing how much it is, who pays and how to fold it into your budget. Everything below comes from the official page of the Malta Tourism Authority, the MTA, which regulates it.

How much it is, and since when

Since 1 July 2026, the environmental contribution, the official name for Malta’s eco-tax, has been €1.50 per night for every guest aged 18 or over. It’s capped at €22.50 per person per visit, and nights beyond the 15th aren’t charged. It’s governed by the Eco-Contribution Act, chapter 473 of the laws of Malta, as amended by Act III of 2026.

What I haven’t found is the previous rate written down in an official source I can quote, so I won’t give it. If your stay falls after 1 July 2026, the figure above is the one that applies.

Who pays, and who doesn’t?

Adults pay. Under-18s pay nothing, which makes the tax lighter for families than it first looks. Two parents with two children pay exactly the same as a couple travelling without kids.

It applies at all licensed accommodation on Malta and Gozo, which covers hotels, guesthouses, hostels and holiday flats licensed by the MTA, which publishes the full list of establishments. I haven’t found any exemption on the MTA’s page apart from age, nor any mention of cruise passengers who don’t sleep ashore. If you’re on a cruise, I’d assume it doesn’t affect you, since it’s charged on accommodation, but I haven’t seen that in writing.

What will it cost me?

The sum is straightforward, nights times adults times €1.50, up to the cap. A week for two is €21, a two-night weekend is €6, and three friends staying ten nights pay €45. On a month-long stay, one person pays €22.50 and not a cent more. There are more examples in the table.

Set against the cost of the room, it’s small. What I think matters is not forgetting it when you compare prices, because the MTA explains it’s charged on top of the accommodation price, without VAT or commission. If a booking site shows you a nightly rate, the tax may not be in it, and that’s something I’d check before paying.

Hotel, flat or all-inclusive, the same tax

The eco-contribution doesn’t vary with the star rating. You pay €1.50 a night at a five-star hotel in Valletta and the same in a flat in Buġibba or a guesthouse on Gozo. So it weighs very little in deciding where to stay. If you’re still choosing an area, it’s all in where to stay in Malta, and if you’re after a flat, see apartments in Malta.

Board basis makes no difference either. An all-inclusive holiday in Malta pays the same tax per adult per night as a room-only booking, because it’s calculated per person, not on the price of the room.

How I’d budget for it

I’d treat it as one more fixed cost of the trip, in the same bracket as the bus fare from the airport. For a couple spending a week, €21 won’t move the needle, but if you’re travelling as a group or staying a long time, it’s worth doing the maths beforehand. The rest of your spending, from meals to entry tickets, is in is Malta expensive.