English in Malta: local words, forms and what changes for Americans

Malta is one of the few European countries where an American can deal with the government in English from the first day. That does not mean everything reads like home. The English used on Maltese forms, leases and websites follows British conventions, official names are often in Maltese, and the national language you will hear in shops, parishes and local councils is Maltese. Knowing the difference saves you from misreading a date on a lease or searching for the wrong agency name.

What the Constitution says

Article 5 of the Constitution of Malta states that the national language of Malta is Maltese. It then makes Maltese and English the official languages, and lets the administration use either for official purposes. A person may address the administration in either official language and receive a reply in that language. The language of the courts is Maltese, with English allowed where Parliament provides for it.

In practice this is why Identità, the Malta Tax and Customs Administration, Residency Malta Agency and Transport Malta publish their main pages in English, and why you can write to any public body in English and expect an English reply.

The Council of Europe's language education policy profile for Malta and the EU's Eurydice description of the Maltese education system both describe Malta as bilingual, with Maltese and English taught from primary school.

British spelling and terms on official pages

Maltese official English uses British spelling. A few examples from pages you will read during a move:

• licence (noun) for a driving licence or employment licence, while "license" is the verb.
• programme, as in the Global Residence Programme and the Malta Retirement Programme.
• authorisation, as in the Temporary Authorisation to Work stamp on an Identità interim receipt.
• organisation, recognised, centre.

Search terms matter. If you type "driver's license exchange Malta" you will find blogs. Transport Malta's own page is titled "Exchange your foreign Driving Licence".

Everyday vocabulary also follows British usage on forms and in leases: a flat for an apartment, a lift for an elevator, ground floor for the American first floor and first floor for the American second floor, mobile for a cell phone, and postcode for ZIP code.

Dates, numbers and addresses

Maltese documents write dates day first. A lease that starts on 01/06 begins on 1 June, not 6 January. When you sign a lease, an employment contract or a residence form, write the month in words if there is any doubt.

Prices are in euro, and official pages write the euro sign before the number, such as €600 for a first Single Permit on Identità's fee page.

Maltese postcodes combine three letters with four digits. Residency Malta Agency's own address, for example, ends in QRM 9010, the code for Qormi. Your residence card letter, bank card and utility bills depend on the postcode being right.

Maltese words you will meet in official names

Several agencies use Maltese names, often without an English translation in the logo:

• Identità, the identity and residence agency.
• Aġenzija Komunità Malta, Community Malta Agency, which handles citizenship applications.
• Servizz.gov, the government's one-stop service portal.
• Pitkalija, the Malta Food Agency's regulated marketing centre for local produce.
• Għawdex, Gozo in Maltese, which appears on signs and government names.

Maltese uses letters that English does not: ċ, ġ, ħ, the digraph għ, ż and ie. Many town names change pronunciation because of them. If you type an address into a map or a government form, the version with the special letters is often the one the system expects, though most portals accept plain spelling too.

When you will hear Maltese

English carries most official business, but Maltese is the language of daily life for most Maltese people. Expect to hear it in shops, at village feasts, in church services, on local radio and at council level. Some public notices, parish bulletins and local council material appear in Maltese first. Court proceedings default to Maltese under the Constitution, so if you end up in a court or tribunal case, ask about interpretation early.

Citizenship and language

Malta's citizenship law asks applicants for naturalisation to have an adequate knowledge of Maltese or English. For most Americans that means English is enough on the language side, although the residence and good conduct requirements still apply. The special tax programmes also require that applicants can communicate in English or Maltese.

Learning Maltese

You do not need Maltese to live in Malta, but some Maltese helps with neighbours, village life and signs. Maltese is written in the Latin alphabet with the extra letters listed above, so start with pronunciation, greetings and numbers, and learn the Maltese names of the places you visit most.

A glossary of official terms you will meet

Malta's residence and tax paperwork uses a set of terms that are not part of American bureaucratic English. These come straight from Identità, Residency Malta Agency and MTCA pages:

• Third-country national (TCN): anyone who is not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen. As a US citizen, this is you.
• Approval in principle: the letter that tells you an application has been accepted subject to final steps, such as biometrics.
• Interim receipt: the security-paper document issued at biometrics that lets you stay in Malta until your card is ready.
• Form C2: the residence application form on Identità's Single Permit checklist.
• Position description: a template the employer and employee both sign, matching the work contract.
• Declaration of Suitability: a Jobsplus form in the Single Permit file.
• Police conduct certificate: what Americans call an FBI background check or police clearance.
• Main applicant (MA): the person whose income or job carries the application, as used in Residency Malta's checklists.
• Authorised registered mandatary: the licensed professional who must file applications for the special tax programmes.
• Year of assessment: the year in which MTCA assesses tax on the previous calendar year's income.

Reading these terms correctly matters, because an application that answers the wrong question is often returned rather than corrected.

Practical tips for Americans

1. Search agency names in their official form, such as Identità, Jobsplus and Transport Malta.
2. Read every date on a contract as day/month/year.
3. Use British spelling when searching official pages for forms.
4. Learn the Maltese names of your town and nearby towns, since signs and bus routes often use them.
5. When an English page looks shorter than the Maltese one, compare them; occasionally the Maltese version is newer.
6. Keep your own documents in American English. Maltese authorities accept them, and certified translations are only needed for documents in languages other than English.

Common questions

Is English an official language in Malta? Yes. Article 5 of the Constitution makes Maltese the national language and makes Maltese and English the official languages. You can address public bodies in English and receive a reply in English.

Do I need to learn Maltese to get Maltese citizenship? The citizenship law requires adequate knowledge of Maltese or English, so English meets the language part of the test. The residence and good character requirements still apply.

How are dates written on Maltese forms? Day first, then month, then year. A date written 03/04 means 3 April.

Will I need certified translations of my US documents? Documents in English are generally accepted as they are. The Nomad Residence Permit checklist, for example, asks only for translations of police certificates that are not in English.