Setting up a company in Malta: experience report
Setting up my company in Malta in 2013 was extremely satisfying. I came from the cold financial metropolis of London, but the sun was shining on the Maltese island. The country is flourishing, that is evident everywhere. This is due to the tangible benefits that the Maltese government offers foreign entrepreneurs:
- The settlement of foreign entrepreneurs is unbureaucratic.
- There are several advantageous shareholder models for founding a company.
- The tax rates are very low.
- In addition, the Maltese government creates tax and other incentives for foreign founders.
- There is a lot of local support. As the legal situation has been very start-up-friendly since 1995, a good consultancy market has developed.
- Malta's policy promotes companies operating across borders in the country's own interests.
I knew all this in advance and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly my company formation in Malta went. There are of course tangible reasons why the Maltese government acts in this way. The small island state consists mainly of sandstone and rocky farmland. The locals can barely make a living from agriculture, but they are traditionally well positioned with their fishing and merchant fleet, which in turn has brought a great deal of expertise in business of all kinds to the country. The Maltese citizens have used this advantage to create a modern, investment-friendly economy, which is particularly well positioned in the IT and finance sectors.
The top quality of life on the island
My new Maltese home is not only a great place to work, it's also a great place to live. I quickly made a lot of friends and simply enjoy the wonderful weather. There's practically no rain in summer and families meet up by the sea every day. You can even visit in winter because the weather remains mild and spring-like even at this time of year. Last year, I took pictures of my then three-year-old daughter on the beach in December. She was playing in the sun. Incidentally, communication with the locals works very well - the official language is English. Although the locals actually speak the local dialect Malti, English is their second mother tongue. Coming from London, I immediately felt at home in this respect.
I haven't regretted this step for an hour. And by the way: my business is doing brilliantly!