Malta, with an area of approximately 246 square kilometres and a population of 400,000, is the largest of the cluster of islands forming the Maltese Archipelago. The Islands present a kaleidoscope of past and present: a fascinating legacy of European culture and rural Mediterranean traditions.

Malta’s national language is Maltese, which is also one of the two official languages - the other being English. Many Maltese are also fluent in Italian. Malta's multi-lingual labour force is well educated, diligent, flexible, quality-conscious, and adaptable.

Malta became a member of the European Union on the 1st of May, 2004. Consequently, Malta has EU regulations in place, and all new legislation conforms to that of the EU. It is also a member of the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

Financial services are the fastest growing sector of the Maltese economy and one of the most important employers of trained professional staff. Malta's financial system is well developed and regulated to EU standards. Malta’s single regulatory body - the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) is a fully autonomous public institution and incorporates all financial activity including banking, investment and insurance. Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Malta established a financial intelligence analysis unit (FIAU), which reports to the Attorney General.

Benefits of Malta

• Malta is an EU member and adopted the euro as the national currency in 2008;
• Excellent geographical location and fiscal and economic stability;
• English and Maltese are the official languages but Italian and French are widely spoken. Some Maltese are also able to understand or speak Spanish, German and Arabic;
• Malta has a robust yet flexible legal and regulatory framework, with all company law and regulations published in English;
• Low operational costs with a well-developed infrastructure in communications, IT and logistics.