Doing business in Malta

Business culture in Malta

Communication

Malta has a well-educated population and English is taught in all schools. Nearly everyone speaks Maltese and English, and many can also speak additional languages such as French and Italian.

Most business is done in English, including legal documents, commercial documents, and official correspondence, which limits communication barriers for expats who speak the language.

Time

Businesspeople in Malta expect prompt service and correspondence; emails and phone calls should be acknowledged quickly. Expats will need to be patient though – doing business in Malta takes time, usually due to restrictions and regulations.

Traditional values

Malta is a fairly conservative and family-orientated country. Although no longer the case, it used to be tradition for women to resign after they married because men were supposed to provide for their families while women looked after the home. Today, women are usually treated as equals in business and it is becoming common to find women in senior management positions.

This patriarchal, family-focused view does still affect business in Malta. Traditional notions of company loyalty and a family atmosphere persist, especially in smaller businesses. This can be a good thing, but it can complicate resigning and changing jobs.

Titles

Maltese associates should be acknowledged by their personal or professional titles (Mr, Mrs, Dr) until a good working relationship is established and they suggest moving on to a first name basis.

Dos and don’ts of business in Malta

• Do acknowledge the receipt of emails and phone calls

• Do maintain eye contact and be direct

• Do address those in a senior position in a formal manner 

• Don’t be late for appointments or meetings

• Don’t dress casually for business meetings