Looking into moving to Malta and need some info please??

[nutznatz]

Hi all,
Im hopefully moving to Malta in the next few months for work, I work in the pharmaceuticals sector. and was looking for some information. House prices etc. Im not sure how i go with work permits/visa and how long can i stay in the country before i would have to apply for immigration and things? Its all quite confusing. I would be working in Valetta, where would be cheapest/best to live?

I have a 16 month old daughter and was a little worried how she would cope, what are the nurseries like?

Hi - if you are British or other EU citizen - then shouldn't be any immigration restrictions I think -
I don't know about nurseries but when I visited Malta - Valetta is lovely BTW we had a baby sitter who had been a nanny for a british couple.

Your company should be able to advise I would think with housing i would imagine Valleta is pricey

Yeah the company will help with finding accomodationm was just wondering if anyone new of anywhere that was kinda nice, personal experience is better i think.

I thought that about the immigration, its only a 6 month contract but there is possibilities of it being permanent.

Im still not sure if ill need childcare as my partner/daughters daddy will be with us and he'll probably just be a househusband, haha.

Have a look at britishexpat.com forum as that has the best info on Malta I know. As for houses, well being a temp move you won't be buying but to buy is really expensive and hard to sell again so most expats continue to rent. Depends what you are looking for but have a look at Frank salt and dhalia as they seem to be the best estate agents. All prices are negotiable. Where would you be based? For some reason I have a memory that the pharm companies are in the south. Some lovely places down there and cheaper too. Personally I like Attard and Naxxar in the centre though. I wouldn't live in Valletta although it is lovely through the day it is dead at night, parking would be an issue. If you want somewhere vibrant then Sliema or St Julian's would be better. Don't know about nurseries but I know a lot of v happy expats and the private schools are v good. Look up Verdala International School, they take kids from 3 but might be able to advise. Your partner may struggle to get work as often they specify you need fluency in Maltese but there are call centre jobs eg for HSBC and some of the betting sites. Healthcare is excellent too. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to you, certainly for 6 mths.

Hi nutznatz. I'm Maltese so hopefully I can give you some more information if you need anything.

I agree with what Poodlehorse said. Everywhere is near in Malta, it's so small, so you can live anywhere on the island. Avoid Fgura, Marsa areas as they are polluted due to the powerstation nearby. Sliema is the place to be if you are a tourist & St. Julians if you like clubbing, pubbing, & drinking :P

Not LOADS of nurseries around, as this concept is still a bit alien to the island since most grandmas take care of the grandchildren, but i'll try & find the list of approved nurseries if you like.

The local church usually organise weekly mum & baby clubs.

Re getting a job, fluency in Maltese is not required in certain jobs since quite a few Maltese do not speak Maltese but stick to English.

Local schooling starts when children are around 3 depending when they are born. (in case you stay permanently in Malta)

This information is really helpful, thank you all. The ball is rolling with the job so hopefully in the next month or two ill be over. I had a look at rentals for flats and i cant believe how cheap they are! would be well impressed to get one with a pool!

Do i need to have private healthcare/insurance?

im really excited. Its definitely Valetta that ill be working in.

Hi again, it would be adviceable to get private health insurance ... depending on how often you get sick . A normal doctor visit costs around EUR 10, a pediatrician costs around EUR 15, and a specialist about EUR 30.

Can't really tell you how much hospitalisation would cost as that's free of charge for the Maltese and not really sure if they invoice foreigners or not.

Hello nutznatz,

As malteserinbelgium says nowhere in malta is that far.. for places to live, don't rule out the south of malta, or the west... i think st julians and sliema are too overpopulated.. and traffic and parking can be a nightmare. zurrieq is a nice place.. and if you like the sea, why not try marsascala - there are lots of expats there too and you will tend to meet them.

all the best (feeling very jealous of you)

I would liketo move to malta with my family me my fiance and our 2 young girls 4 year old and A 8 month old schooling is my main concern

I really like Naxxar, inland nut nothing is far as people have said. Valletta is beautiful. I have often fancied moving there, a lovely place.

• but not nut