Malta roaming on a UK phone: what it costs and how to keep it down

Malta roaming used to be the one thing a British traveller didn’t think about. That changed with Brexit. Malta is in the EU (the dates are in is Malta in the EU), but the UK isn’t any more, and the rules that once guaranteed you’d pay the same for calls, texts and data as at home no longer cover UK networks. The good news is that there are safeguards, a lot of free wifi and a few easy habits that keep the bill down.

Is roaming free in Malta for UK phones?

Not automatically. gov.uk puts it plainly. Since the UK left the EU, surcharge-free roaming in EU and EEA countries is no longer guaranteed, and that applies to business travellers too. Several networks said they had no plans to change their roaming policies, but gov.uk warns that could change, and advises checking your own provider’s terms before you travel.

In practice, that means looking up your tariff’s EU roaming allowance, whether Malta is included and what happens once you go over. It takes five minutes and saves an unpleasant surprise.

The safeguards you still have

The UK government legislated to keep some protections. Mobile networks still have to apply a financial limit on data used abroad, set at £45 per monthly billing period, and you can’t go past it unless you actively choose to keep spending. You should also get alerts when you reach 80% and 100% of that limit. Networks must tell customers how to avoid accidental roaming and take reasonable steps to stop you being charged for it by mistake.

If you’re travelling with an EU phone

Some readers will have an Irish, Spanish or other EU contract, perhaps as a dual national or an expat. In that case the full European roaming regulation protects you. The European Commission’s Your Europe portal confirms calls, texts and data are charged at domestic rates, subject to a fair use policy that your operator must spell out. Any surcharge beyond that is capped, at €1.30 per GB in 2025 and falling to €1 from 2027, and the operator has to cut you off once extra spending reaches €50 unless you ask to carry on.

Watch out at sea

This is the one situation where I’d be careful. The European Commission explains that at sea, phones can connect to networks provided by satellite, and in that case EU roaming rules don’t apply and there are no price caps. Its advice to EU travellers is to switch off roaming or use flight mode on board, and I’d follow the same advice on a UK phone. It matters if you’re arriving on a cruise or on the Virtu ferry from Pozzallo, a crossing of 1 hour 45 minutes; timetables and documents are in my guide to the Sicily to Malta ferry. On the short hops to Gozo or Comino it’s less likely, but a few minutes in flight mode costs nothing.

Where to find free wifi

In several places that matter. Malta airport has free wifi and charging points in the terminal. Your UK charger fits the hotel sockets too, as I explain in Malta plug type. Malta Public Transport advertises free wifi on all its buses, which is ideal for checking maps without touching your data allowance. The Gozo HighSpeed fast ferry has wifi on board, according to the Ministry for Gozo, and Valletta’s cruise terminal and waterfront have their own network. Even so, I’d download an offline map of the islands before leaving the hotel, in case a connection drops.

Should you buy a Maltese SIM?

For a normal holiday, I wouldn’t bother. If your network includes Malta in its EU allowance, you simply use your plan. If it doesn’t, an EU add-on from your own provider is usually the least hassle. I haven’t found an official source comparing Maltese networks or their prices, so I won’t give names or figures. For longer stays, the visa and residence rules in Malta entry requirements matter more than the SIM.

Numbers to save

Malta’s international dialling code is +356, according to the Government of Malta. As gov.uk confirms, you dial 112 in an emergency, whether you need an ambulance, the fire service or the police. Spain’s Foreign Ministry also lists 191 for police emergencies, 196 for ambulances and 199 for the fire service. For help from the British government while abroad, gov.uk’s Malta travel advice has a dedicated getting help page worth bookmarking before you go.