Parents thinking of relocating to Malta

[Daisymae23]

My non-dom parents are thinking of relocating to Malta. They had always assumed that England would be their home for the rest of their lives but they are joining the many of non doms who are leaving the country. They feel they could deal with the high taxes (and they have always paid everything they owed, no loopholes) or bad weather but having to deal with both at the same time makes the UK very unattractive to them now as they get older. They could return to their home country which does have warm areas but they are not onboard with the current political situation (any guesses 😂)

as this is a massive pivot - I feel kind of on the back foot in supporting them. Therefore if anyone knows any reputable resources to help, also any good suggestions for estate agents, what locations are best for ex pats ect. I will be doing a reccy later in the year so would like to start narrowing it down

Estate agents; Frank Salt, Alliance and Remax Malta. I'd recommend renting before deciding to buy as it could be a culture shock. I also recommend hiring a car or using taxis to get around, even though it's a small island getting around on buses is slow, difficult and can be crowded... Also Maltese people don't believe in queuing.

Gozo is quieter and less expensive than Malta, it has lots of retirees. There is a high speed catamaran ferry from Valletta to Gozo that is very good... But I would think being older they may want to live on Malta so they are closer to Mater Dei hospital, it depends on their health really.

If you go to the channel 4 app you can search for 'A Place in the Sun' episodes there's about one episode per season set in Malta or Gozo.

Maltese people will see your parents as tourists and take every opportunity to charge them extra for anything and everything so they should be prepared to stick up for themselves/negotiate and learn a little bit of Maltese. If they don't negotiate they'll likely be seen as easy marks... Especially if they have American accents. And Maltese property prices are silly high. Maltese people can't afford to get on the property ladder so people are trying to get as much money as they can from "foreigners". That being said there is very very little crime in Malta, it's a very safe place.

On Malta Marsascala is probably a good place to start looking as it's got a nice feel, is by the water but isn't as busy as Sliema and St Julian's. If they aren't fussed about being close to the water maybe try the Rabat and Mdina area, it's got excellent views as it's on the high ground in the centre so you can look out across the island to the sea.

There is a Baptist church that I've forgotten the name of (sorry) that has American ministers, they offer to collect people from their accommodation and drive them to church... They might be worth contacting for a bit of 'on the ground' information for new expats.

Also look in YouTube there are videos of retirees and digital nomads living in Gozo.

HTH

This is the church's link, I've never been so I can't recommend it I was just impressed by their website:-
www.biblebaptistchurchmalta.org/leadership

Thank you!! That is really helpful! I wouldn’t say ‘money isn’t an issue’ with them - they are not oligarch non doms! - but selling their current house in the uk should open up approx 2 million euro to spend. They don’t need anything massive but enough as they would want to be able to have their kids and grandkids to stay. They are not fussed about the water so will check out the areas you suggested. They like history nd architecture so valetta does seem to be a good starting point too.

yes, they do have American accents so I do worry about that. My dad is savvy but mum not so much, hence why I want to ensure I’m involved in any transactions. And my mum was raised as a Baptist so that is really useful information about the church.

Valletta is beautiful and a lovely place to live, full of museums and culture but it is hilly and cobbled so factor that in for consideration. Pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility issues aren't great in Valletta.
There are flats on the Sliema waterfront that are close to the Sliema to Valletta ferry. Sliema is very walkable, has a shopping centre and is full of nice restaurants, it takes 20 minutes to Valletta by ferry.