How to Open a Malta Business Bank Account in 2026

Opening a bank account in Malta gives your company an EU IBAN, euro payments across the SEPA area and bank deposits covered up to €100,000. It is also where your tax refunds, supplier payments and payroll will run, so it is the first thing a new Malta company needs after its certificate.

The hard part is the local banks. A handful of banks serve most companies, they meet new business clients by appointment, and they want a full ownership chart, a business plan and proof of funds. Foreign-owned companies pay separate, higher fees, reviews often take weeks or months, and refusals are common and rarely explained.

We make it simple. We prepare the file with you, and our licensed banking partners open a multi-currency account online in days, with no branch visit and no minimum balance. One team, one contact, and a clear price before you apply.

Our licensed banking providers are rated highly by Malta companies and open multi-currency business accounts in a few days, with no branch visit.

Running the company from abroad? Read our guide to opening a business bank account in Malta as a non-resident.

Why Opening a Bank Account in Malta Is Hard

Opening a bank account in Malta is hard because a few banks serve most companies, each one meets new business clients in person, and every file is reviewed under strict anti-money laundering rules. Companies with foreign owners, a regulated activity or no trading history draw the most questions and the highest fees for a business account in Malta.

A Few Banks Serve Most Companies

The five largest banks held 76.89% of Maltese banking assets in 2025, according to ECB data. The Central Bank of Malta names four core domestic banks: Bank of Valletta, HSBC Malta, MeDirect and APS Bank. Bank of Valletta alone had €16.5 billion in assets at the end of 2025. Two of the four are changing owners: HSBC agreed in December 2025 to sell its 70.03% stake in HSBC Malta to CrediaBank, with completion expected in 2027, and MeDirect's parent was bought by Banka CREDITAS in 2025. With so few banks, one refusal closes a large part of the market.

Appointments, Questionnaires and Ownership Charts

Bank of Valletta asks business clients to request a branch appointment, and it keeps the right to decline any application. It wants an organigram that shows every level, percentage and country up to the real owners. HSBC Malta discusses its business account in person, by appointment. MeDirect runs a questionnaire but says it may not serve clients located outside the EU.

Every Account Is Reported and Reviewed

Malta was on the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring from June 2021 to June 2022. Banks tightened their files during that time and have not relaxed them. Every IBAN account is now reported to a central bank account register run by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, and a business file needs a clear source of funds and a full chain of owners.

Foreign Owners Pay Separate Tariffs

Maltese banks price a business account in Malta for a foreign-owned company on its own tariff. HSBC Malta treats a company as an International Company if it is registered outside Malta or at least 50% owned by a parent outside Malta, and charges it a €100 opening fee and €175 a month, against €30 for a local company. Lombard Bank charges entities with foreign shareholding €350 for due diligence, €750 on acceptance and €195 a quarter per account. BNF Bank charges international corporate customers €1,500 for due diligence and €1,500 a year per account.

Gaming, Crypto and Payments Face Extra Checks

Bank of Valletta charges gaming companies and payment processors €3,000 to open an account and up to €600 a month to keep it. MeDirect charges gaming entities €1,500 to open. These businesses are priced rather than banned, but at a level most new companies cannot carry. In 2019 Bank of Valletta warned gaming companies their accounts would close before it reversed part of that decision, and in 2017 Bank of Valletta and BNF blocked customer transfers to crypto exchanges.

A Refusal Is Hard to Undo

Maltese banks rarely explain a refusal in detail, and the next bank will ask whether you applied elsewhere. A second refusal on the same file usually means the problem is the file, not the bank. Find the gap first, fix it with documents, and apply once to a provider whose rules fit your company. Our guide on why banks reject business account applications covers the common reasons.

Malta Banks for Business Accounts

Malta banks for business accounts all publish their tariffs, and most have a separate, higher line for companies with foreign owners. The table shows who each bank takes, who it turns away and what a business account costs each month.

The pattern is clear. A local company with local customers pays little for a business account in Malta. A company with a foreign parent pays several times more, pays fees before the bank decides and still needs an appointment. Our guide to the best banks for Malta companies looks at each bank in more depth.

How to Open a Bank Account in Malta

Opening a bank account in Malta at a local bank usually runs in six steps. You request an appointment at a branch or with a relationship manager. You complete the bank's due diligence questionnaire on the company, its owners, its countries and its expected payments. You send the company documents, the organigram and certified copies for every director, owner and signatory. You pay the application or due diligence fee where the bank charges one. The bank reviews the file and usually sends follow-up questions. If it approves, you sign the account agreement, fund the account and set up online banking. That is how to open a bank account in Malta the traditional way, and each step can add weeks.

High Fixed Fees for Foreign-Owned Companies

For a foreign-owned company the biggest costs are fixed. At HSBC Malta, €175 a month is €2,100 a year before a single payment, plus €23 a month for the corporate online banking package. At BNF, a company with two accounts pays €3,000 a year in administration on top of a €1,500 due diligence fee. These charges are the same whether the company moves €10,000 a year or €10 million.

Currency Conversion at the Bank's Rate

Maltese banks convert at their own rate. HSBC Malta adds 0.50% to its revaluation rate on foreign currency, and international payments cost €4 to €12 online plus correspondent charges. Choosing to pay all charges on an outgoing payment adds €25 to €35. A company paying suppliers in dollars or pounds feels this every month.

Fees You Pay Before the Bank Says Yes

Several banks charge before they decide. APS Bank charges €100 to apply, Lombard €350 for due diligence and €750 more on acceptance, BNF €1,500 for international corporate customers, and Sparkasse Bank Malta €500 to €2,500 depending on the structure. Some of these fees are non-refundable, so a refusal costs money as well as time.

Weeks or Months to Open

Sparkasse Bank Malta, one of the few banks to publish a timeline, says opening takes from a couple of weeks to a few months. Maltese agents report two to four weeks once a file is complete, and one agent reported 10 to 16 weeks at Bank of Valletta in 2026. The appointment, the questionnaire and each follow-up question add time to opening a bank account in Malta.

Read more: how to open a business bank account and business bank account requirements.

The Faster Way to Open a Malta Business Account

There is a better way to open a Malta business account than waiting at a branch. Our banking partners are licensed e-money institutions that onboard companies every day. They open accounts online, check identity by passport and selfie, and charge the same plan whoever owns the company. Most complete files for a business account in Malta open within days.

Our partners hold e-money licences in the EU and the UK. Like the licensed e-money firms in Malta, they work under strict e-money rules, and between them they offer euro, sterling, dollars and other currencies on one account. Client money is safeguarded in segregated accounts at banks, apart from each partner's own funds.

For a foreign-owned company, the partner route removes the appointment, the surcharges and most of the wait. A Maltese bank can still suit a company with staff and customers in Malta paying in euros, because its domestic tariff is cheap, and we tell you when a bank is the better way to open a Malta business account.

Open a Bank Account in Malta Online

To open a bank account in Malta online with us takes five steps. We check your structure, activity and countries against each partner's rules. We build the file with you: company documents, organigram, source of funds and proof of activity. Every director and owner completes an online identity check. One partner reviews one complete file. The account goes live and you receive your IBAN. Our guide on opening a business bank account online explains the identity checks in detail.

Who Our Partners Accept

Our partners take Malta companies owned and run from most countries, as long as the business is real and the money is explained. That includes holding companies, SPVs, trading and software companies and service businesses. Companies linked to sanctioned countries are declined by every partner, and some regulated activities need a licence before any partner will review them. We check the fit before you apply, so you do not collect a refusal.

Documents Needed for a Malta Business Bank Account

The documents needed for a Malta business bank account cover the company, every person behind it and what the business really does. Banks and partners ask for broadly the same file when opening a bank account in Malta, and certification matters as much as the list, because one missing stamp sends the whole file back.

Company Documents

The certificate of registration from the Malta Business Registry, the memorandum and articles of association, the registers of directors and shareholders, the beneficial ownership details filed with the Registry and a board resolution approving the account. A foreign parent company adds its own certificate of good standing, register extract and ownership chart.

For Each Director, Owner and Signatory

A certified copy of a passport and a recent proof of address, usually under three months old. Many banks also ask for a CV and a bank reference for each beneficial owner. References from banks outside the EU can take weeks, so request them first.

Business Plan and Source of Funds

An organigram with every entity, country and percentage up to the real owners. A short business plan with expected turnover, main countries and payment volumes. Contracts or letters of intent with key customers and suppliers, a working website, and documents that prove where the first deposit comes from, such as a sale agreement, a dividend statement or a loan contract. Licensed businesses add their licence.

Certification and Translation

Copies are usually certified by a lawyer, notary or accountant. Documents issued outside Malta often need an apostille, or consular legalisation where the country is not part of the Hague Convention. English is an official language in Malta, so English documents are accepted as they are, and other languages need a certified translation.

Read more: documents needed to open a business bank account and business bank account for non-residents.

Malta Business Bank Account Costs

Malta business bank account costs depend mostly on who owns the company. A local company pays low fees at a Maltese bank. A foreign-owned company pays due diligence, acceptance and higher maintenance fees, and pays the bank's rate on every currency conversion. The table sets typical ranges at Maltese banks against our partners' plans.

The monthly fee is the number banks advertise for a business account in Malta, and for a foreign-owned company it is not even the biggest one. The money goes on fixed fees and currency. A company with a foreign parent at HSBC Malta pays €2,100 a year in maintenance before any payment. A company that converts €500,000 a year at 0.50% above the bank's own rate pays at least €2,500 in margin on top of the spread already in that rate.

To be fair to the banks, everyday euro payments are cheap in Malta. SEPA transfers cost from free to €4 online, often less than with our partners, and a company with local staff and local customers may well pay less at a Maltese bank. All figures are planning ranges from published tariffs and plans, and we confirm your final price in writing before you apply.

How Long a Malta Business Bank Account Takes

A Malta business bank account takes from a couple of weeks to a few months at a local bank, and longer for gaming, crypto and payment companies. With our partners, a complete file usually opens within 2 to 4 business days.

What Slows It Down

The usual delays on a business account in Malta are the appointment slot, bank references, apostilles, an organigram that stops before the real owners, a vague business plan and a source of funds without documents. A bank that is changing owners may also take longer to approve new relationships.

How to Speed It Up

Order references and apostilles first, because they take longest. Write down your customers, suppliers, countries and expected volumes before you apply, and answer follow-up questions the same day. The fastest route to opening a bank account in Malta is a partner that reviews one complete file online, which is how we work.

What Happens After the Account Is Open

Once your business account in Malta is open, fund it from a source you can document, add users and share the IBAN with customers and suppliers. From then on, the account carries the company's tax payments, refunds and filings, and the bank or partner reviews the file every year or two.

Fund It and Share Your IBAN

Make the first deposit from the owner or the parent company, and keep the document that explains it. Add the people who need access, set payment limits and send the IBAN to your customers. Within the EU, a supplier or tax authority should not refuse an IBAN because it was issued in another EU country.

Tax Payments and Refunds

A Malta company pays 35% tax and its shareholders claim refunds when dividends are paid, commonly six-sevenths on trading profits for an effective rate of about 5%. Tax payments, provisional tax and refunds all run through the account, so the amounts in your bank file, your accounts and your Malta company tax return should match.

Reviews and Name Checks on Payments

Banks and partners review the file every year or two and ask for filed accounts and updated owner details. Since 9 October 2025, euro area banks check the payee's name before a euro payment leaves. Keep the company name exactly the same on invoices, contracts and the account.

Adding a Maltese Bank Later

Many companies start with a partner account and add a Maltese bank once they have six to twelve months of trading history, local customers or staff in Malta. By then, opening a bank account in Malta at a local bank is far easier, and the two accounts work side by side.

Read more: the easiest country to open a business bank account and the best countries for business banking.

Why the Company Comes Before the Account

A bank or partner can only verify a company that exists, with a registration certificate, directors, a company secretary and beneficial ownership details on file. If you do not have the company yet, we form it for you in Malta from €1,299 and prepare the bank file at the same time, or see how to set up a Malta company with a bank account in one process.

Common Malta Business Bank Account Mistakes

Most Malta business bank account files that stall do so for a few avoidable reasons. These are the ones we see most often, and what to do instead.

Applying to Several Banks at Once

When opening a bank account in Malta, founders often send the same file to three banks to save time. Each bank asks whether you applied elsewhere, and in a small market the banks notice. Three parallel refusals are harder to explain than one. Choose the provider whose rules fit your company, send one complete file and wait for the answer.

Sending an Ownership Chart That Stops Too Early

An organigram that stops at a holding company, or leaves out percentages and countries, is the most common reason a file comes back. Show every entity up to the individuals at the top, with the country and percentage at each level, and attach trust or nominee documents where they exist. It must match the beneficial ownership filed with the Registry.

Funding the Account From an Unexplained Source

The first deposit is the first thing a reviewer checks. Money from a third party, an exchange or a personal account in another country, with no document behind it, can freeze a new account in its first week. Fund it from the owner or the parent company and keep the sale agreement, dividend statement or loan contract ready.

Paying Foreign-Owned Tariffs Without Checking

A foreign-owned company that opens at a Maltese bank without reading the tariff can pay €175 a month, plus due diligence and acceptance fees, for a business account in Malta it mostly uses for SEPA payments. Compare the full yearly cost, not the monthly fee, before you sign.

Letting Company Filings Slip

A late annual return or unfiled accounts can pause outgoing payments at the next review. Banks and partners check the company's Registry filings, so put the annual return and beneficial owner deadlines in the calendar the day the company is formed.

Bottom Line

Opening a bank account in Malta at a local bank means an appointment, a long questionnaire, a full ownership chart and, for a foreign-owned company, separate tariffs of up to €175 a month and due diligence fees of up to €2,500. Reviews take weeks or months and refusals are common.

Our licensed partners open a business account in Malta online in days instead, with no minimum balance and one plan for every owner. To open a Malta business account fast, start with a complete file, apply once to a provider that fits, and add a Maltese bank later if your business needs one.

Sources

• Bank of Valletta, tariff of charges
• Bank of Valletta, documents to open a business account
• HSBC Malta, general tariff for commercial banking customers
• Lombard Bank, general tariff, June 2026
• APS Bank, tariff of charges, May 2026
• Central Bank of Malta, Interim Financial Stability Report 2025
• Depositor Compensation Scheme
• FATF, jurisdictions under increased monitoring, June 2022
• European Central Bank, Instant Payments Regulation
• Malta Business Registry, formation and registration