Considering a Move to Malta?

Moving to Malta from the UK

Abels Moving Services has provided discreet export packing and shipping for discerning families and professionals relocating to Malta for over 50 years.

Malta is a member of the EU, but since the UK left the EU, free movement of goods between the two countries no longer applies. Import and export rules now govern household goods and personal effects moving from the UK to Malta, so it’s worth planning ahead rather than assuming it works the same way it used to (see Customs Information below).

We move your belongings to Malta by sea, by air, or both. Our team will come to your home to load your furniture and effects into a shipping container or airfreight consignment, arrange transport to Malta, and pack at origin or unpack at destination if you’d like us to.

Malta: History and Geography

Malta sits in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of southern Italy, 90km south of Sicily and 288km north-east of Tunisia, with Gibraltar 1,826km to the west and Alexandria 1,510km to the east. The archipelago includes three inhabited islands: Malta itself, Gozo (Ghawdex), and Comino (Kemmuna), with numerous bays providing natural harbours.

Malta’s history stretches back over 7,000 years, and the islands have been held by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and later the French and British. That history is visible everywhere: Fort St Angelo, Fort Rinella, the catacombs beneath it, and the Roman Villa (Museum of Roman Antiquities) in Rabat, itself home to further catacombs. Malta also has over 365 churches, including Mosta Church, known for having the third-largest unsupported dome in Europe.

Living in Malta

Malta’s population sits at around 550,000, giving it one of the highest population densities in the EU and one of the highest in the world. Despite that, people continue to move here for the Mediterranean climate: mild, wetter winters and hot, dry summers. Average temperatures sit above 21°C most of the year, and on around 15 days a year they climb above 35°C.

Malta has a flourishing arts and literature scene, alongside architectural styles spanning several centuries. Football, snooker and rugby are all popular, and Malta’s national football team has had some international success. Traditional Maltese music, influenced by folk and country styles, remains distinctive and popular both locally and abroad. Valletta is the capital, and Birkirkara is Malta’s largest city by population.

Malta’s main industries, also its main exports, are tourism, shipbuilding and repair, electronics and textiles. Natural resources include limestone, salt and arable land. For high-net-worth individuals, Malta’s residency-linked tax schemes, including a 15% flat rate on certain income under qualifying programmes, are part of the appeal, alongside the country’s consistently strong reputation for quality of life.

Planning Your Move To Malta

Talk to a specialist international removal company before you move to Malta. The process has its own pitfalls, and a domestic mover won’t be familiar with them.

Call our head office on +44 1842 816600 or email shipping@abels.co.uk, and one of our advisors will be in touch shortly to help.

When you get in touch, we’ll give you the resources to make a formal enquiry, along with a clear overview of the regulations involved and how we approach a thorough, premium, end-to-end moving service. Please have your volume, access, packing requirements and shipping method ready to share, so we can tailor our advice to your move.

Once you book with Abels, you’ll meet your Customer Liaison Move Coordinator, who works alongside your Customer Service Manager to manage the booking, organisation and day-to-day details of your move to Malta.

Packing Your Possessions For Malta

We recommend professional packing for all your items when moving to Malta. We move your items from the UK in a large removal vehicle, and wrap and protect your furniture in woollen blankets throughout. Explore our expert packing services.

Some items need more extensive packing, particularly valuable or delicate pieces. Your Customer Service Manager will identify these during your consultation, and depending on the item, we can offer robust 8-ply paper blankets, foam edging, card covering, or crating for the best possible protection.

We’re happy for you to pack some items yourself. Read our moving advice first, since there are a few pitfalls worth knowing about. Our removal teams are always happy to leave cartons for personal clothing or documents on the day of your move, and our packing teams train specifically for this work.

We use the highest quality packing materials throughout. If you’re packing items yourself, avoid cheap materials: cartons in a removal vehicle can be stacked up to two metres high, so the ones at the bottom need to hold their shape and keep their contents protected for the whole journey.

Fine Art & Specialist Packing Services

Fine art needs particular care, and shipments to Malta involving valuable or delicate pieces (paintings, grandfather clocks, barometers, chandeliers) call for enhanced export packing and careful handling throughout. In many cases, we build bespoke cases specifically for the item. Find out more about moving antiques, fine art and valuables.

Our team trains specifically to handle specialist goods abroad, with the care and precision these items need. Explore our moving advice for further reassurance ahead of your move.

Road Removal Services (for smaller shipments sent as groupage)

Abels runs a modern fleet of removal vehicles designed to transport furniture, personal possessions and motor vehicles safely. Each vehicle is fully alarmed, with flat, cleanable internal sides, double-skinned to protect furniture and limit temperature changes. Air-ride suspension keeps items steady in transit, and each vehicle carries mobile communications and driver and porter facilities.

We maintain a range of vehicle sizes to suit each move, depending on access, volume and distance. Our fleet includes road trains (a rigid truck pulling a similar-sized trailer, carrying up to 103 cubic metres or 3,600 cubic feet), articulated trucks and trailers, pantechnicons of various sizes, and small packing vehicles for our removal teams and materials.

This range means Abels can provide efficient moving services across Europe, including your move to Malta.

Shipping Services for Larger Shipments

We ship larger volumes and full house moves in a 20ft or 40ft container. Where access allows, we load the container outside your residence, so you can see our team’s care and skill first-hand. We seal the container with our uniquely numbered bolt seals. Where access doesn’t suit a container of this size, we load goods at our warehouse (you’re welcome to attend) or use a shuttle truck between your home and the container.

Some shipping lines offer low-cost freight at the expense of container quality and transit time. Abels sources containers through an organisation that secures A1-class containers on our behalf. These arrive without fractures, dry, clean, odour-free, and with a reliably consistent transit time. An odour in the container will transfer to your goods, and any fractures risk water damage.

Transit from port to port to Malta typically takes around 14 days by sea, with vessels departing the UK weekly to Marsaxlokk. Door to door, allow around 5 weeks, depending on weather, strikes, re-routing, vessel availability and customs inspections.

Read more about shipping options when moving abroad.

Customs Information

Since the UK left the EU, free movement of goods between the UK and Malta no longer applies. Import and export rules now govern your household goods, including furniture and personal effects.

Your Abels Move Manager will give you tailored guidance through this part of the process.

You’ll need specific documentation for customs clearance. The exact requirements depend on your personal circumstances, and our team will talk you through these ahead of your move. Explore the FIDI Customs Guide for Malta for further background before your move consultation with the Abels team.

Destination Services In Malta

Abels handles every aspect of destination services in Malta with our own removal teams and vehicles.

Abels holds FIDI-FAIM accreditation, reflecting the standard we maintain for every customer.

The Advance Payment Guarantee Scheme, run by the British Association of Removers, protects prepayments made by private customers if Abels were ever unable to fulfil a paid contract. This scheme was previously provided by IMMI.

Our standard delivery service in Malta includes delivery into the rooms of your choice, unpacking cartons onto a flat surface, setting up and positioning your furniture as instructed, and removing waste packaging. If you’d like a put-away service, cleaning, or settling-in support, talk to your Abels Customer Service Manager or Customer Liaison.

Our professional experience and local knowledge cover every aspect of delivering your possessions in Malta, from import documents through to customs clearance and final delivery, so your arrival at your new home is as smooth as possible.

Wherever your move takes you, we’d like to be the removal company you think of for this move, and the next one. If you’re moving to Malta, or anywhere else in the world, get in touch for a removal quotation.