The 7-Cisk Route to Registering as Self-Employed in Malta

Malta truly is the land of opportunity. If you want to earn money fast for little effort, this is the place to do it. Maltese people are naturally opportunistic and foreigners are ready to spend. Maltese people aren’t so much early adopters as they are “try anything once-ers.” People in Malta like new ideas, never want to pay full price, and prefer having someone else do their work. If you’ve got any sort of presentation and networking skills, you’ll be turning jobs down within a couple months.

Truth be told, it’s easy to operate “on the black market” and “under the table.” The economy here is so cash-based that you can feasibly make a living without a document to your name. At some point, though, a client will ask you for a VAT number. This is mostly chalked up to accountants: The banking system here is so strict that accountants can be held responsible for fraud. It’s also nearly impossible to send money from Malta without a bank account, so you’ll probably want one of these, too.

Applying for a freelancer’s visa in Malta is not easy, even if you are a citizen of the EU. I made this easier by getting a part-time job. Yes, I sold out, registering as being only part-time self-employed. Why? My life is now ten times easier. The company I work for files taxes on my behalf. The only way I qualified for a bank account was with their forms. I also confess that I am a dual American/ Irish citizen, so the only reason I’ve been able to get a Maltese ID at all is because I claimed my Irish citizenship. I haven’t the faintest idea what you’ll need to do to register as an American, but I suspect it will require more than seven Cisks.

A big hint: carry your passport with you at all times. If you have them, also carry a contract of housing and a contract or statement of work from one or more of your clients. Do not leave your house without a pen and a hard surface to write on. At some point, I will apply on behalf of the Maltese government for European Union funds to provide pens and desks at their public offices.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown, complete with drinking cues and recommended bars. By the end you will be much better acquainted with Malta’s city centers and its drinking spots. Please note that this guide is not all-inclusive; do your own research on specific items and procedures. What I’m trying to say is that I’m 100% sure I’ve left something out.
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1.Get a social security number.

1. Why: The Maltese ID form asks for your Maltese social security number, so tackle this item first. But, wait! The social security form asks for your Maltese ID number. So, if you need a social security number to get a Maltese ID, and a Maltese ID to get a social security number…it’s impossible! No, dear reader, it’s not—if you know how…  
2. Where: Apply online and via email.
3. How: Call the social security office. Tell the person who answers your situation. Hopefully, they will direct you to their higher-up, who will move you through the system. At the time of writing, the higher-up who can help named Josephine Tonna. Her email is Josephine.tonna@gov.mt. Do NOT tell her I sent you. If all goes well, you’ll get your social security card in the mail within three weeks. Now’s a good time for your first Cisk.
4. Recommended bar: Look up the nearest kazin. Enjoy your first foray into hyper-local Maltese drinking culture.

1. Fill out an application for self-employment from the Malta Employment and Training Commission, known locally as the ETC.
   1. Why: The Maltese ID card is only issued to employed people (unless they are on some sort of government benefit).
   2. Where: The ETC office is across from SuperDry near St. John’s Cathedral in Valletta.
   3. How: This is pink form contained in a horizontal forms holder in front of the employees’ desks. Grab a sheet and fill it out while you’re waiting in the line snaking through ETC. There’s no demarcation of the line, just a lot of people milling around, so keep an eye on what’s happening and stand your ground. Eventually you’ll sit in front of a lady at a desk (don’t try to make her smile; it doesn’t work). Show her the form and your passport. She’ll say “mela” a couple times, stamp it, and hand it back to you. Now’s a good time for your second Cisk.
   4. Recommended bar: The Bridge Bar in Valletta. This well-priced, well-positioned, pretty-people’s bar serves excellent tapas with its drinks.
2. Apply for the E-ID card, a chip-equipped identification issued to any Maltese citizen.
   1. Why: The Maltese ID is your ticket to entry for anything public, and many things private. From healthcare to volunteer opportunities, nearly every form you’re asked to sign will request your Maltese ID number. You can’t even get a frequent shopper card from Scott’s Supermarket without one!
   2. Where: the Maltese ID office is located at the end of the Valletta peninsula. Follow the blue tourist signs advertising the “War Memorial” and “Malta Experience.” The office is located on the ground floor through a set of green doors that face a holding wall for the street above. From the parking lot, walk right around the corner and the entrance is on your left.
   3. How: Along with your passport, social security number, and ETC self-employment form, you’ll need to bring two passport-size photos. You’ll probably be asked for a contract or statement of work from one of your local clients. When you walk in, take a number from the wall. Join the waiting group perched uncomfortably on green plastic chairs. When your number is called, walk to the employee standing behind the desk at the front of the room, like a naughty child being called to the front by his teacher. There, in front of everyone, you’ll face your judgment. The staff member examines your evidence and decides if you’ve got enough information to pass. Or, they’ll tell you to come back with more. If you pass, you’ll take a seat again, and eventually be called into the back room. There, a younger, more irritated staff person will show you who’s boss by loudly stamping your documents ten trillion times, then ask you to look into a camera with a bored face (theirs, not yours), capture your most abhorrent photo possible, and send you on your way. Now’s a good time to get your third Cisk. Less then a month later, your Maltese ID will be sent to you via post. Obviously, your fourth Cisk is inorder.
   4. Recommended bar: For your third Cisk, there’s a not-so-fancy restaurant/ bar at the end of Valletta, next to the Malta Experience theatre and the E-ID office. It might not be as cool as some of the hangouts on Strait Street, but it’s got a patio with a view that will cleanse your claustrophobic brain. As soon as you receive your ID in the mail, run to your nearest grocer, buy the largest can of Cisk you can find, and drink it sitting next the waterfront. Now it’s official: you’re local.
3. Register as an Expatriate Taxpayer.
   1. Why: I am not sure why international people have to register as Expatriate Taxpayers. Official people just kept telling me to. I’ve received no correspondence from the tax office since turning in my form. I don’t know what the result of the form should be, or what I do with it. So…yah…
   2. Where: The Tax Registration Office is located in Floriana, the city just outside Valletta. Leave the front entrance of Valletta, walking around the bus station. You’ll see a soccer field on your right. Continue to walk past the soccer field. Turn right around the field, going down a sleepy street. You’ll come to a parking lot and a series of buildings. Wander a bit until you find a courtyard. The office is Block 3, on the right side of the courtyard. Wear sunglasses because you may be wandering for a while.
   3. How: On the wall to your left as you enter the office are forms. One is the Expatriate Taxpayer declaration form. Hopefully you brought a pen. Fill in your details; slip the form in the “Inbox” hanging on the wall. Wander back out by way of the soccer field. Now’s a good time to get your fifth Cisk.
   4. Recommended bar: Rather than continue walking around the fields, turn right away from the field as soon as you exit the buildings. On your left is a tiny bar; on your right is the police station. Drink there and people-watch. Should be interesting.
4. Register for a VAT number (even if you’re below the eligible threshold for claiming VAT).
   1. Why: VAT is a sticky subject in Malta. If you earn below a certain level of income, you shouldn’t have to claim VAT (and therefore, you won’t pay VAT taxes). This means that you shouldn’t even need to show a VAT number. And this also means you can’t add VAT to your normal fees. However, most accountants and companies use VAT to verify the legitimacy of their trading partners. So even if you don’t claim VAT, companies don’t want to be held liable if you’re not “official.” They’ll ask for your number. Actually, this might also be a sly way for the company to claim back the VAT you supposedly charged them, which is illegal and clever.
   2. Where: If you thought finding the other public locations was fun, just wait until it’s time to visit the VAT office! It’s in Msida…or maybe it’s Birkikara… To get there from Sliema Ferry, take bus #21, #14, or #15 to Kulleg. There, transfer to bus #44 to Birkikara, disembarking at Paris. Get off and walk backward, the way the bus came, past one intersection on your right. At the second intersection you’ll see tall brown-and-black building on your left. This building is the VAT office. See that tiny little sign on the wall, blending in with the building? Yes, that sign says, “VAT Office.”
   3. How: Applying for a VAT number is easy. Bring your Maltese ID card and your passport; fill in the forms (with your own pen; there is a standing desk); wait your turn; show the VAT person your forms; exit; and drink your sixth Cisk. Theory has it that your VAT number will arrive in the mail within 7-10 days. My reality: it’s been nearly 3 months since I applied and I am STILL waiting. After about nine weeks I got an email telling me that my application had been received. I responded to ask the status; they responded by asking for my ID number; I replied; I followed-up; I called; I called; I’m calling now… Although I’ve argued with a few of my clients about not needing to supply a VAT number, they’re now withholding payment until they see one. So I’m going to pop my seventh Cisk early.
   4. Recommended bar: Rather than climb the tarmac toward Birkikara, enjoy a nice walk down the tree-shrouded street toward Msida harbor. Eventually you’ll come to a wide roundabout. Curve to the left where you’ll find a corner restaurant with a nice patio.

2,064 words later, I hope I’ve provided as much concise delight as possible to this mundane yet necessary description. You’re lucky that I’ve made it into a drinking game as well. As I’m still undergoing to the registration process myself, I would love to hear your feedback! Have you successfully applied to live in Malta as a freelance professional? What did it take for you to get your VAT number? Have any recommendations for good bars to stop by along the way? Share your experience here!

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