Is Malta in the EU? Yes, with the euro and inside Schengen

Malta is in the European Union, and has been for a while. It became a member in May 2004, joined Schengen at the end of 2007 and switched to the euro in January 2008, according to the country profile the EU publishes. It’s a fair question to ask, because so much about Malta feels British, but since Brexit the answer matters more to a UK traveller than it used to.

Three dates that tell the story

The first is 2004, when Malta and its 316 km² became a member state. The other two came almost together. On 21 December 2007 it entered the Schengen area, and eleven days later, on 1 January 2008, it adopted the euro. Through that January the Maltese lira and the euro circulated side by side, and from February only the euro counted. The rate was fixed at 0.4293 lira to the euro, so one lira was worth roughly €2.33.

Today Malta has six MEPs, five members on the European Economic and Social Committee and five on the Committee of the Regions. It held the Council presidency from January to June 2017 and takes it again from July to December 2030. Its own language, Maltese, is an official EU language alongside English.

What does it mean for a British visitor?

Mostly paperwork. Malta applies Schengen rules, which gov.uk translates as a visa-free allowance of 90 days in every rolling 180, shared with any other Schengen country you visit in that window. The passport itself needs an issue date under ten years old on arrival and at least three months’ validity beyond your departure from the Schengen zone. At the border you may be asked for a return ticket and proof of funds, and on your first trip under the new Entry/Exit System you’ll give a photo and fingerprints at no cost. I’ve gathered all of it in Malta entry requirements.

For healthcare, a GHIC or an older EHIC covers medically necessary state treatment, though gov.uk stresses it’s no substitute for travel insurance. Roaming is the other change. The UK government notes that surcharge-free roaming in the EU is no longer guaranteed, so it’s down to your network; the options are in Malta roaming.

Europe on paper, British in the details

This is the side of Malta I enjoy most. You’re in the EU and the eurozone, yet the island was under British rule until 1964, became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1974 and saw the last British forces leave in 1979. That legacy is everywhere. English is an official language alongside Maltese, you drive on the left and the sockets are three-pin, just as at home. You won’t need an adaptor, and my page on Malta plug type explains the details.

Paying in euros as a UK visitor

The euro is the only legal tender, and the one thing I’d watch is being offered pounds. Visit Malta notes that hotels, larger shops and restaurants may take other currencies, with conversion charges applied. My rule is simple, and I’d always pay in euros and let my own card do the conversion. The detail, including cash, cards and cashpoints, is in Malta currency.

As a non-EU resident, you may also be able to claim back VAT on shopping when you leave the EU. Valletta Cruise Port sets out the scheme as at least €55 spent in one shop and €315 in total per departure, minus a charge of 4% or €23, depending on which works out larger.

A euro with a Maltese stamp

At the till you’ll notice some coins look different. Malta mints euros with its own designs, from the prehistoric Mnajdra temple to the Knights’ eight-pointed cross, and the old lira hasn’t been exchangeable at any bank since 2018. That, along with cards and cashpoints, is covered in Malta currency.

So is Malta part of Italy or the UK?

Neither. It’s an independent state, a single-chamber parliamentary republic in which the prime minister runs the government and the president’s role is mostly ceremonial, as the EU’s profile puts it. The Italian confusion comes from geography, with Sicily just 93 km to the north, and the British one from history. I go into it properly in is Malta a country.