The full cost of buying property in Malta — every fee, with worked examples

The asking price you see on a Maltese property listing is not the total you will write cheques for. Every buyer pays a stack of acquisition costs on top, set by a mix of statute, regulated profession tariffs, and market convention. The five major categories:

• Stamp duty. The largest line. Standard rate is 5% of the higher of contract price or market value under the Duty on Documents and Transfers Act, Cap. 364. First-time buyers pay 0% on the first €200,000 under S.L. 364.12 (as amended by Legal Notice 305 of 2025). Second-time buyers can claim a refund of up to €4,300 on a replacement residence. A provisional payment is commonly collected at the konvenju and the balance is settled at the public deed; the apportionment between the two stages is administrative practice rather than a fixed statutory share, so confirm what your notary will request.
• Notary fees. Typically 1–2% of price on a regulated scale, covering title searches, drafting the konvenju and deed, public-registry filings and attendance.
• Architect's structural survey. €400–€800 for the buyer's independent inspection. Optional but the cheapest insurance you will buy.
• Bank fees. If you are financing the purchase: arrangement fee, valuation fee, mandatory life cover, buildings insurance. €500–€1,000 one-off plus recurring annual premiums.
• Permit fees. Non-EU/EEA buyers outside a Special Designated Area pay an AIP permit fee of €233 under the Acquisition of Immovable Property regime.

Estate agent commission is conventionally paid by the seller in Malta — typically 3.5–5% of the agreed price plus 18% VAT. Buyers do not pay agency fees unless they have signed an explicit exclusive buyer-agent agreement, which is the exception rather than the rule.

If you are a first-time buyer, jump to the dedicated Malta first-time buyer guide for the FTB-specific path. If you already own and are replacing your residence, see the second-time buyer guide for the up-to-€4,300 refund mechanics.

Stamp duty in Malta sits at the centre of every property closing. It is governed by the Duty on Documents and Transfers Act (Cap. 364) and the subsidiary legislation made under it. The 2026 picture:

• Standard rate — 5%. Charged on the higher of the contract price or the open-market value, as agreed with the notary and ultimately the Commissioner for Tax and Customs.
• First-time buyer — 0% on the first €200,000. From 28 October 2025, the previous 3.5% reduced band was replaced with a full exemption on the first €200,000 under S.L. 364.12, as amended by Legal Notice 305 of 2025. 5% applies to any excess above the ceiling. Maximum saving: €10,000 at any price ≥ €200,000.
• Second-time buyer refund — up to €4,300. Where a buyer sells their sole residential property and acquires a replacement within 12 months, the duty paid on the first €86,000 of the replacement is refunded — that's 5% × €86,000 = €4,300. For persons with disabilities and their guardians, the relief scales to the first €150,000 (up to €7,500). Extended to acquisitions made up to 31 December 2026.
• Gozo reduced rate — abolished. The 2% Gozo rate was abolished by Budget 2024 and the final extension covered only deeds registered by 31 January 2024. Neither Budget 2025 nor Budget 2026 reinstated it, so Gozo property now attracts the standard 5% rate (subject to the FTB exemption and UCA relief where they apply).
• Payment timing — provisional then balance. A provisional payment of duty is commonly collected at the konvenju (promise of sale, registered by the notary within 21 days), with the balance settled at the public deed and the notary declaring to the Commissioner for Tax and Customs within the prescribed deadlines. The exact apportionment between the two stages is administrative practice rather than a fixed statutory share — confirm what your notary will request when you brief them.

For a deeper dive on first-time and second-time scheme mechanics, see the first-time buyer guide and the second-time buyer guide.

The professionals you engage as a buyer in Malta are the notary, the architect, and (sometimes) the bank's legal counsel. The estate agent works for the seller.

• Notary fees — 1–2% of price. The notary's tariff is regulated under the Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act on a sliding scale that tapers as price rises. The fee covers the title search (going back at least 25 years), drafting and registration of the konvenju, drafting of the public deed, lodging with the Public Registry and the Capital Transfer Duty Department of the Commissioner for Tax and Customs, and the notary's attendance at both signings. On a €400,000 property, budget around €6,000.
• Architect's structural survey — €400–€800. The buyer's independent inspection. The architect checks for structural defects, undeclared additions, missing planning permits, waterproofing failures, and party-wall issues. Strongly recommended on any pre-2000 stock, and essential for UCA properties.
• Estate agent commission — paid by the seller. Maltese market convention places the agency fee on the seller, typically 3.5–5% of the agreed price plus 18% VAT. Buyers do not pay the agent unless they have signed an explicit exclusive buyer-agent agreement — these exist but are uncommon. Remember the seller's agent represents the seller, not you.
• AIP permit fee — €233. Required for non-EU/EEA buyers acquiring property outside a Special Designated Area, under the Acquisition of Immovable Property regime. EU/EEA buyers ordinarily resident in Malta do not need an AIP permit. Non-EU buyers in an SDA development are also exempt — the SDA regime was designed precisely to bypass the AIP filter.

The notary in Malta is chosen by the buyer — your single most important professional appointment in the transaction. Notaries are personally liable for the validity of the deed and the accuracy of the title search, so the fee buys you a layer of statutory protection that does not exist in agency or banking relationships.

Maltese retail banks — BOV, HSBC Malta, APS Bank, Lombard, and the local credit unions — all run published mortgage tariffs and the lines are broadly comparable. The typical structure for a residential mortgage:

• Arrangement / processing fee. Either a percentage of the loan amount, typically 0.5–1%, or a flat fee in the €250–€500 range. Some lenders waive the fee on first-time-buyer products or during seasonal campaigns.
• Bank valuation fee. €150–€300, paid to the bank's panel valuer. This is the bank's assessment for lending purposes — it is not a substitute for the architect's structural survey and should not be confused with it.
• Searches and MFSA-mandated checks. A small fixed amount, typically included in arrangement fee in transparent quotes.
• Mandatory life cover. Decreasing-term life insurance on the borrower(s), scaled to outstanding loan balance. Premiums depend on age, health, and term. Annual rather than upfront — but you sign the policy before drawdown.
• Mandatory buildings insurance. Covers the rebuild value of the property (not the market value). Annual premium — typically €200–€500 for a standard apartment, more for a townhouse or villa.

The Central Bank of Malta's loan-to-value cap for a primary residence is 90%, so plan for at least a 10% deposit beyond all the fees above. For a second residence the LTV cap drops to 75%. Both caps tightened in recent years to dampen the household-leverage build-up flagged in the MFSA's financial stability reports.

Three worked examples below assume an EU buyer ordinarily resident in Malta (so no AIP permit fee), no exclusive buyer-agent agreement (so no buyer-side agency commission), a notary at 1.5% of price, an architect at €600, and bank fees at €500. Stamp duty is shown both for a non-first-time buyer at 5% and a first-time buyer at 0% on the first €200,000 plus 5% on the excess.

€250,000 apartment

• Stamp duty (non-FTB): 5% × €250,000 = €12,500
• Stamp duty (FTB): 5% × €50,000 = €2,500 (€10,000 saved)
• Notary 1.5%: €3,750
• Architect: €600
• Bank fees: €500
• Non-FTB total closing cost: ≈ €17,350 (6.9% of price)
• FTB total closing cost: ≈ €7,350 (2.9% of price)

€400,000 maisonette

• Stamp duty (non-FTB): 5% × €400,000 = €20,000
• Stamp duty (FTB): 5% × €200,000 = €10,000 (€10,000 saved)
• Notary 1.5%: €6,000
• Architect: €600
• Bank fees: €500
• Non-FTB total closing cost: ≈ €27,100 (6.8% of price)
• FTB total closing cost: ≈ €17,100 (4.3% of price)

€700,000 townhouse

• Stamp duty (non-FTB): 5% × €700,000 = €35,000
• Stamp duty (FTB): 5% × €500,000 = €25,000 (€10,000 saved)
• Notary 1.5%: €10,500
• Architect: €600
• Bank fees: €500
• Non-FTB total closing cost: ≈ €46,600 (6.7% of price)
• FTB total closing cost: ≈ €36,600 (5.2% of price)

A few patterns to notice. The FTB saving caps at €10,000 regardless of price, because the exemption ceiling is fixed at €200,000 — once you cross it, the marginal duty rate is the same 5% as for a non-FTB. Total closing cost as a percentage of price falls as price rises, because the notary's tariff scales sub-linearly and the fixed bank/architect costs are diluted. A non-EU buyer outside an SDA would add the €233 AIP permit fee to any of these totals. Agency commission has not been added because, in Malta, it is conventionally paid by the seller.

Use the mid-market live listings below to size up properties in this band and stress-test your closing budget before signing the konvenju.