Malta Ship Registration

Ship registration under the Malta flag and the operation thereof is regulated by the Merchant Shipping Act. Different kinds of ships may be registered under Malta flag, as long as the ship is either owned by a duly incorporated company or entity (irrespective of its place of incorporation), or by a European citizen.

Malta is an attractive jurisdiction for vessel registration due to the absence of restrictions on the sale or mortgaging of Maltese registered vessels. Moreover, there are no restrictions on the nationality of the master, officers and crew of Maltese vessels, and no restrictions to the registration of vessels under construction. Moreover, Malta is a neutral state having both economic and political stability, as well as a professional English-speaking working force and it is considered as a cost-effective jurisdiction for both ship registration and company formation.

E&S Group has a vast experience in the shipping industry and our services to shipping clients include:

• Assisting you in setting up and administering your shipping company in Malta;
• Registering your vessels under the Malta flag;
• Drafting and reviewing shipping-related agreements;
• Acting as resident agents in order to liaise with the Merchant Shipping Directorate;
• Managing of structures for VAT and tax planning optimisation.

Crew Services

Malta has acceded to the IMO Convention STCW 1978. As a consequence, Maltese-registered vessels are subject to the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act and its ancillary regulations concerning the competency of officers and seamen. Malta imposes no restrictions on the nationality of the master, officers and crew of Maltese vessels. Malta has also ratified the Maritime Labour Convention and crew members are subject to the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Rules.

With Malta being a neutral state having both economic and political stability, as well as having a professional English-speaking working force, it is considered as a cost-effective jurisdiction for vessel registration and company formation.

E&S Group has a vast experience in the shipping industry and our services to shipping clients include:

• Assisting you in setting up and administering your shipping company in Malta;
• Managing crew payroll;
• Assisting and managing in social security and national public employment services obligations for crew members;
• Drafting, reviewing and vetting crew contracts;
• Acting as resident agents and liaising with the Merchant Shipping Directorate;
• Managing of structures for VAT and tax planning optimisation.

Process of Setting up A Company in Malta

Company formation expenses are relatively low in Malta. Thus, making Malta a cost-effective jurisdiction. This does not only apply for large corporations’ tax planning, but also for small and medium-sized businesses.

Also, setting up a Company in Malta is straightforward.  This is due to the fact that Malta wants, as a jurisdiction, to attract business. Thus, Malta has one of the most efficient company incorporation processes in the EU.

Malta Company Incorporation Procedure

The Procedure to incorporate a Maltese Company is quite straightforward. Following our standard Due diligence exercise, we will send you an Incorporation Proposal Form. This form contains questions on all the required information on the Malta Company you wish to incorporate. As soon as we receive this back from you we will draft the incorporation documents. This usually happens same day. We will then send you all the corporate documents for your approval. Once we receive your OK, we will Incorporate the company in Malta.

Once your Maltese Company is setup, we could assist you in all other services you might want for your Company in Malta:

• Malta Company Management
• Back Office Services
• Banking Solutions
• Licensing
• Fiduciary Services

Malta Company Taxation

Malta is, above all, a tax efficient jurisdiction for holding and trading companies. Furthermore, the UBOs of Trading Companies in Malta can enjoy effective tax rates of as little as 5%. Those of Maltese Holding Companies could also achieve tax neutrality.

Most Popular Tax-Efficient Company Formation in Malta

Private Limited Company Incorporation Malta

A private limited company is the most popular type of partnership in Malta. The limited liability company is, in fact, the only type of company allowed by the Companies Act. As its name indicates, it has a separate legal personality. This limits shareholder liability to the amount of unpaid share capital. With the correct guidance, a limited liability company can be set up in a manner that allows for optimum tax efficiency.