Category: Finance, Real Estate.
Buying a Home in Malta& Gozo. This Southern European country encompasses Malta, Comino and few, Gozo other uninhabited islands.
The Republic of Malta is a small country located in the Mediterranean Sea. Malta is located at about 100 kilometers to the South of the Italian island of Sicily and 300 kilometers to the east of North Africa. It rarely rains here and it never lasts for a long duration continuously. Malta is a member country of the European Union since 200 Malta is blessed with beautiful sunny days almost round the year and the temperature never goes beyond comfortable levels. The annual rainfall in the country is only around 600mm. Excellent and healthy weather conditions, beautiful sea coast, cosmopolitan society landscapes, friendly people and good health care facilities are the factors fondly remembered by tourists visiting the country.
Added to this is the low tax structure in the country which will be an additional incentive for foreign investment. Many tourists make Malta their annual vacation destination. Malta economy. Valletta is the capital city of Malta. Malta became popular a transit location for ships after the opening of Suez Canal in the middle of the eighteenth century. With the advent of new generation sea liners, Malta lost its importance.
The county s economy was at its peak during this period and sustained it for about a decade. In recent times, lime stone business and tourism are the major economic activities in the country. The government has catalyzed this growth by investing on infrastructural facilities to suit the needs and lifestyles of foreign visitors. Statistics indicate continuous increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country. Liberalization and foreign direct investments have accelerated this growth and now Malta is back to its past economic glory. Maltese Lira( MLT) is the authorized currency in Malta. Financial transactions.
The conversion rate of this currency as on March 1, 2007 is: 1 Maltese Lira= 06899 US Dollars. 1 Maltese Lira= 56507 British Pound. 1 Maltese Lira= 32188 Euro. Popular foreign currencies can be exchanged easily in banks, foreign exchange bureaus and large hotels. Exchange of foreign currency is not at all difficult in Malta, indicating the true cosmopolitan nature of the country. Some of the foreign exchange bureaus are open 24 hours for the benefit of the customers. Many large shops and restaurants also accept foreign currency. Automated foreign exchange machines are also located at many places in the country. Traveler s cheque can be exchanged in authorized foreign exchange agencies in the country.
Malta has good number of ATM to take care of your cash liquidity, if the need arises. American express, Master card and, Visa Diners club credit cards are accepted in the country. Infrastructural facilities. Services offered in general and private hospitals are excellent. Malta s healthcare services are among the best in the world. Private schools in Malta mostly follow British system of education and teach in English.
The main advantage for UK citizens is that British driving license is valid here and you drive on the left side of the road. Roads in Malta are being improved to make it suitable for international tourism development. Good ferry services connect the islands and there is also a helicopter service connecting Malta and Gazo. Malta is also well known for its carnivals and club outings. Hotels, restaurants and bars are available in plenty in the country. The infrastructure is so good that international level carnivals can be conducted here. The government has formulated many incentive packages and tax concessions to attract foreign investment.
The county s business infrastructure is excellent with good communication facilities. Popular locations in Malta. Total area of Malta is around 245 square kilometers and Gozo has an area of just about 70 square kilometers. Malta is a small country and all places within Malta can be covered within a day or two. The length of Malta Island at the widest point is about 25 Kilometers and width at the maximum is just about 15 kilometers. Malta is frequented by many foreign tourists round the year, mainly from European countries. In case of Gozo Island, the figures are 15 and 7 square kilometers respectively.
UK accounts for nearly 50% of the tourists visiting the country. Historical places. UK citizens feel at home here because English is spoken a lot here and the weather is predominantly sunny. The country is proud of its long history and there are innumerable historically significant locations all around Malta and Gozo islands. Sight seeing. The museums, the palace and churches in Valletta are few representatives of the history of the land.
Malta has a vast coastal line with beaches that have crystal clear water, long sand stretches and naturally formed small rocky bays. City tours can be a very beautiful experience. Anchor bay and Paradise bay in the north, Peter s pool and Pretty bay in the south and Ramla bay and blue lagoon in Gozo and Comino are a few such beaches. Country side tours are energizing due the unspoiled natural beauty of the area and hospitality of local people. Sports lovers will appreciate the sports clubs located in the country offering variety of sports facilities such as tennis, swimming, golf, squash, indoor games and, cricket general health and fitness facilities. Sports facilities. Marsa Sports club and Union Club in Sliema are frequented by foreign nationals as the facilities are excellent and of international quality.
Excellent diving schools are available in Malta and diving gear can be leased near the beaches. Sea diving enthusiasts will love Malta as the sea temperature seldom goes beyond the comfortable range of 13 to 25 degree Centigrade� � and the sea around the country is quite calm without any major tides. A diving permit is required for divers in Malta. Excellent maintenance and sheltering facilities are available all around the country for all yachts of all sizes. Yachting is another popular sports activity in Malta. Malta Real estate.
In rural surroundings, real estate prices are much less than in the cities. Main considerations for buying a property in Malta are the ambience and the price. Beach properties are the costliest in Malta. Gozo island real estate will suitable for foreigners who love leisurely way of life. However one is never very far away from the beach considering the size of the country. Many properties here are in rural surroundings and invariably overlook the sea. With tourism activity increasing in the country, buying a property for rental purposes is lucrative.
This is an ideal place for retirement settling. Government approval is required for foreigners to rent a property. Legal issues Real estate purchase in Malta. Rental returns of five to six percent are feasible and the returns are dependent on the location and condition of the property. The legal system in Malta is based on the English system. Foreigners have certain restrictions for purchasing property in Malta.
The real estate purchase process is straight forward and simple and should not be a hurdle, particularly for foreigners from UK. These restrictions are basically formulated to protect the interest of local residents and keeping in view the limited property available for sale due to small size of the nation. * People form EU countries that are living in Malta continuously for more than five years can purchase more than one property in the country. In some notified areas of Malta and Gazo where property prices are very high, no foreigners can freely buy any number of real estate properties without any approval. There is no need for any government approval* Other EU nationals who have lived for less than five years in Malta or living elsewhere can purchase single residential or commercial property without any permission* All other foreigners need permission from the Ministry of Finance for buying a real estate property in Malta. In case of any doubt on this issue, it is necessary to check with Ministry of Finance before entering into any real estate contract in Malta. Preliminary agreement. Purchasing process.
Once a property is identified as suitable for buying, the price is negotiated between the buyer and seller. The buyer also deposits 10% of the value of the property as a token of commitment for the purchase. The logical next step is to sign a preliminary agreement to seal the transaction. A reliable advocate can help in drafting and finalizing this agreement. This time can be utilized fruitfully for getting the government approval for the purchase and to complete the research on the property ownership and registration. This finalization of this agreement generally takes about three months. Purchase contract.
The buyer s lawyer generally prepares this document. Once the buyer is satisfied that the property is legal and the permission for the purchase is in place, the next step is to sign the final contract. The contact is signed by both the parties. Stamp duties, legal fees and all other dues are settled by the buyer. All the payments that are due are settled by the buyer and the document is registered with the appropriate agency in order to legalize the change of ownership. The total time taken for the entire process is normally around five months.
Real estate purchase finance. UK citizens will cherish the fact that the complete documentation is in English language. The ideal arrangement to finance your purchase is through your own funds but this is seldom the case. However the repayment period and interest levels in Malta are higher than in the United Kingdom. Property mortgage is readily available in Malta and the banks finance up to 90% of the funds. Banks in UK can also finance your real estate project in Malta. It is preferable to consult an expert in the relevant area for calculated decision in this regard.
The quantum of funds required, repayment capacity, preferred repayment period, forecasted foreign exchange rates etc are some of the factors that can influence the final decision for the mortgages. Cost of purchasing. Buyers should always compare the total cost with their allowable budget to make the final decision on the purchase of the property. Buyers often tend to forget that additional costs, other than the negotiated purchase price can inflate the total cost of the purchase. Real estate transactions attract a stamp duty of 5% in Malta and notary fee of 1% . It is a good practice to define their roles and fee in advance to avoid any misunderstanding when the amount is paid. In addition to this, if the services of an advocate or agents are utilized in the process they have to be paid the appropriate fee.
Traveling expenses, hotel accommodation and all other incidental expenses also need to be considered to arrie at the total cost. You may finally end up with little surplus money in hand which will be a good thing. It is reasonable to allocate around 12% of the purchase price for additional costs and other expenses. If the property requires remodeling, provision has to be made for such expenses also in the budget. Foreigners will be happy to note that there are no annual taxes on real estate properties in Malta. Malta property taxes.
Malta does not levy any capital gain tax. If the owner sells a property that was not his primary residence for the last three years, a hefty amount is charged as transfer tax. However one should be careful before selling the property. There is no inheritance tax in Malta as long as there inherited property is not sold. Travel documents. But transfer tax is levied if an inherited property is sold.
As Malta is an EU member since May 2004, there is no restriction for EU nationals to tour the country. Check with the embassy in the home country and get a complete list of the documents required before traveling to Malta. Many country nationals can stay for up to three months as tourists in Malta with a valid passport with no visa. Foreigners, who wish to reside permanently in Malta, must apply for a residency permit. If a foreigner wants to work or start a business in the country, government permission is required. Proof of sufficient funds or annual income has to be provided as a support document when applying for this permit.
Malta may make a difference. Low taxes, relaxed life styles and popularity of the English language are very compelling reasons for a UK citizen to consider looking for a second home in Malta and Gozo islands. If you are looking for real estate in a sunny country, Malta is the, rich in culture right choice.
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