Visas for Malta must be obtained prior to entry, and can be issued at a Maltese diplomatic mission abroad, at the representative mission of another EU member state, or, if no overseas representation is based in the home-country of the person wishing to travel, by contacting the Immigration Police Headquarters in Floriana prior to purchasing travel tickets.

Visitors to Malta (except members of the EEA and Switzerland) must be in possession of return or onward tickets, all necessary documents and applicable visas required for their next port of call. Travellers should also have sufficient money available for self-maintenance during the period of their stay.

Malta became a member state of the EU in May 2004, so nationals with passports issued by EU countries do not need a Visa to visit Malta. In late 2007, Malta entered into the borderless Schengen area which includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The Schengen area also includes the non-EU states of Norway and Iceland. All these countries can issue a standard Schengen visa to non-EU nationals and this has a multiple entry option that allows the holder to travel freely within the borders of all member countries. The Schengen area does not include the EU countries of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom.

EU citizens can live and work in Malta, however, a work permit has to be secured prior to an EU national starting employment. The Maltese authorities issue the work permit in Malta against a small payment usually paid by the employer.

At present, citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand require a passport, but no visa, for a stay of up to three months as a tourist. South African citizens require a Schengen visa in addition to a valid passport.

For travellers from countries outside the EU, information about visa requirements should be checked prior to travel to Malta. If you are in any doubt whatsoever, details can be checked with the Immigration Police, Police Headquarters, Floriana, Republic of Malta.

Tel (+356) 21 224001-7
Fax (+356) 21 247777

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The Turkish Fleet saw landfall at Malta on 18th May, but didn’t immediately disembark, sailing around the southern coastline before anchoring at Marsaxlokk. Intelligence that had filtered back to Malta over preceding weeks suggested that Turgut Reis’ forces were planning an attack, which will be remembered as The Great Siege of Malta. In preparation, Grand Master Jean de la Valette commanded that all crops should be harvested immediately, and water supplies contaminated with the carcasses of dead animals and poisonous plants.

Landing at the large natural harbour of Marsaxlokk, south of The Knight’s strongholds around The Grand Harbour, Turkish forces – reportedly numbering around 48,000 – quickly overran the Maltese population in the southern villages, and those villagers remaining retreated to the island’s fortifications. There were four main defensive fortresses in Malta, three around The Grand Harbour – Fort St Elmo, Fort St Angelo, and Fort St Michael, and the other at Mdina. The main seat of the Knights was at the fortified city of Birgu (Vittoriosa) with Fort St Angelo jutting out defensively at the head of the promontory.

In order to obtain an all-weather, sheltered haven for their fleet , on May 26th the invaders attacked Fort St Elmo which stood watch over the entrances to both Marsamxett and Grand harbours. St Elmo was the scene of many blood-thirsty battles and the Ottomans eventually succeeded in overpowering the fort, but at a great cost; over 8,000 Turkish troops lost their lives in the battle. Once St Elmo fell, the Turks turned their might on St Michael and Birgu but despite relentless attacks over the following months, the fortresses held. On 7th August, the Ottoman attackers almost managed to break through the defences , but were taken by surprise when a garrison from Mdina attacked them from behind. Once relief supplies and forces arrived in Malta in early September, the siege was over and the Turks turned tail and sailed away.

Reports after the siege suggest that there were up to 35,000 Ottoman casualties and 2,500 soldiers fighting for the Knights lost their lives. Up to 7,000 Maltese women and children died during the Great Siege of Malta, and 500 galley slaves were seriously wounded or killed.

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Last year’s Malta Song for Europe was performed by Chiara singing “What If We?” a song written and composed by Gregory Bilsen and Marc Paelinck. Although the whole Maltese nation was rooting for her after she went through to the final from the semi, disappointingly, she only achieved 22nd placing at the end of the night. This was Chiara’s third outing to Eurovision; with her two previous attempts she fared much better placing third in 1998, and second in 2005.

On 20th February 2010, 20 artists competed in the “Go Malta Eurosong” competition, battling it out to represent Malta at the Eurovision 2010 Song Contest in Oslo. Each performer sang live at MFCC Ta’Qali, and the event was televised live on TVM and presented by Keith Demicoli and Pauline Agius. The winner was 18-year old Thea Garrett singing “My Dream”, a composition by Jason Cassar and Sunny Aquilina. The winning song romped home to victory with 102 points, well ahead of Glen Vella’s second-placed number “Just a Little More Love”, which ended the night with 58 points.

Born in Malta in 1992, Thea Garrett has been studying with renowned soprano Gillian Zammit. For the past two summers, she studied at The Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, the alma mater of many British singers, such as Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Emma Bunton from Spice Girls fame. Most recently, Thea was the opening act, in Rome, for Gigi D’Alessio’s world tour.

Thea will be taking part in the first Eurovision semi-final in Oslo on May 25th, along with entries from Greece, Russia, Portugal and Estonia.

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Malta Porn was Indiskarf’s first production, and it debuted in March 2009 at the Centre of the Mediterranean Institute Theatre Programme (MITP) in Valletta.

The story is centred on a young man called Stefan Bugeja who has grown up on the outwardly conservative island of Malta.

Stefan has a fiancée and when she reveals herself as a loose and somewhat immoral woman, Stefan feels his life has been destroyed and decides to emigrate to the USA, in search of a happier life. Little does he know what he’s about to let himself in for!

Once in America, Stefan gets involved with some friends who are embroiled in the adult-entertainment business, and gets absorbed in the industry himself. Songs in the musical include “Naked on a Sunday”, “Everyone in Malta is Related”, “ So Young and yet so Slutty “, “The Kind of Girl I am” and “The Song where Everyone Bitches”!

During 2009, after the performance in Valletta, Porn the Musical was staged at Argotti Gardens in July for a week’s run. In August 2009, a 75 minute version of the musical was performed for a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the George IVth Theatre. This is the first time that a Maltese musical has been shown for a full month at this world-renowned event. Choreographed by Emma Loftus and narrated by screenwriter Malcolm Galea, the cast at the festival included Max Dingli as the lead character, Louis Cassar as sleazy Director Martin Scoresleazy, Sarah Naudi as porn star Sanddy, David Ellul as the studio stud Dr Johnny Long, Eliza Borg as Stefan’s ex-finacee Jade and Toni Attard as the Miscellaneous Man.

Malta Porn The Musical is a laugh a minute and definitely works around an adult theme – however, there is no actual porn in the show, apart from it being the subject of the entire plot!

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Isle of MTV is a club tour culminating in a live show for up to several thousand people held outdoors at The Granaries, Floriana, just by the entrance to the capital city, Valletta. It’s THE event of the summer, with many non-Maltese flying in from abroad especially for the concert. The show is completely free and the audience is encouraged to use public transport to get to and from the event.

The 2007 show was on the 26th July and included live performances from Akon, Maroon 5 and Enrique Iglesias, with Ira Losco representing local Maltese talent.

The 2008 event brought The Kooks, OneRepublic, N*E*R*D, Lady Gaga and Enrique Iglesias to the island for an even bigger concert than that held the previous year.

In 2009, the Isle of MTV concert was held on 8th July and The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Metro Station and Esmée Denters headlined. Over 50,000 people watched the concert live at the venue.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the 2010 event has been confirmed for Wednesday 30th June and will be staged, once again, in Floriana. The line-up has yet to be confirmed, but Malta is buzzing with rumours about who’ll be taking part.

The Isle of MTV concert is broadcast as an hour-long special across Europe on MTV. Held in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority, free tickets are available . This sort of publicity for the country is opening up Malta as a hot destination for a younger audience who want to party in the Mediterranean heat. In the week running up to the concert club nights and beach parties are held as part of Malta Music Week, with top International DJs, such as Roger Sanchez, taking over the decks.

MTV is available in Malta on both Go and Melita’s channel line-up. For premium subscribers, there are a total of 5 MTV channels: MTV, MTV Two, MTV Hits, MTV Dance and MTV Music.

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In 1996 an electronic trading system was implemented along with a trading, clearing, settlement and registration system.

Two years later, daily trading was introduced and in 2000, an Alternative Companies List was set up.

In 2001, the Malta Stock Exchange moved to new premises at Garrison Chapel, Castille Place, Valletta, near to the Office of the Prime Minister. This coincided with the end of the “trading floor” which was replaced by a remote trading system.

In 2006, MaltaClear was set up as a DVP and Settlement system and the MSE signed the EU Code of Conduct on Clearing and Settlement. During the same year, off-market trading was introduced and the following year, there was a major technical upgrade to the trading system. Also during 2007, amendments to the Financial Market Act and the launch of the Treasury Bill Market preceded a corporate restructure to reflect the growth of the organisation over recent years. In 2008, Malta changed over from the Maltese Lira as the unit of currency to the Euro and became a member of TARGET2.

Companies trading on the Malta Stock Exchange include Go, Bank of Valletta, 6pm, RS2, HSBC and Global Capital.

International affiliations include membership of FESE, ECSDA, IOSCO, WFE, ECGI and ECMI. In addition, MSE is Malta’s National Numbering Agency, appointed by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). Because of this, Malta Stock Exchange issues International Securities Identification Numbers (ISINs) to financial instruments registered in Malta.

Registered Address: Garrison Chapel, Castille Place, Valletta VLT 1063, Malta
Telephone: (+356) 21244051
Fax: (+356) 25696316

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Low-cost airlines fly a number of regular routes to Malta from a variety of European countries, such as UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Sweden, so tourists taking advantage of the cheap fares need to rent accommodation for the duration of their holiday.

With the credit-crunch affecting many throughout Europe over the past two years, budget accommodation is in demand, particularly in the main tourist areas of Bugibba/Qawra, St. Pauls Bay, Mellieha and Sliema. Apartments usually form the bulk of budget accommodation in Malta, and the longer the rental, the cheaper the price. Budget apartments usually consist of 1 or 2 bedrooms, with the living room doubling up as sleeping space for the night-time, normally with a sofa-bed being used. In this way, a 2 bedroom apartment would have the potential for accommodating 6 people; splitting the cost 6 ways would be far more cost-effective than 4 people sharing the two bedrooms. These apartments usually have 1 bathroom with a shower, and a living/kitchen/dining area. The kitchen is normally equipped with pots, pans, utensils, a fridge, oven and hob, so cooking rather than eating out could reduce the cost of the holiday further.

Apartments at the cheaper end of the scale are usually found in a block, with 1 or possibly 2 balconies per apartment. Don’t expect these flats to have gardens or a swimming pool though, as land is scarce in Malta, and these sorts of facilities come at a premium. Prices are also seasonal, with the peak summer months of July and August being the most expensive time of year, making it more difficult to find a good bargain. Check out websites advertising these apartments and you’ll be able to see for yourself what’s on offer before making any booking.

Some 2 and 3-star hotels can also provide budget accommodation in Malta, and many tourists take advantage of special offers in the winter months, where guests can stay on a half-board basis for weeks on end at a fraction of the cost of staying in summer. These sorts of deals are usually advertised in national newspapers in Europe, and compromise a full package of flights transfers and the accommodation.

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Two Maltese colleges founded rugby teams during the 1970s; these colleges being St. Edwards College and Tal-Handaq College.

The schoolboy teams played against each other, and even challenged the veterans of the armed forces to matches! On a senior level, the game of rugby was played mainly by a few Maltese and several expatriates living on the island. In 1979, when the British services departed Malta for good, the game lost its popularity and almost died a death on the island. However, all was not lost as a group of Maltese rugby fans and players formed The Phoenicians, a local social rugby club in 1983. From that day on, the sport in Malta has regained a strong band of followers and has surged in popularity once more.

The Malta Rugby Football League was established in 1991, and in that year it saw a surge in membership caused by the formation of the University Rugby Football Club. This club was an amalgamation of University students and ex-public schoolboys from the UK. At the same time, there was a renaissance afoot in Maltese rugby with the rebirth of Overseas Rugby Club. In the 1990s, other clubs began to mushroom with two of today’s strong leading teams, Kavallieri and Stompers being formed during that decade.

In 2000, the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU), as the League is now called, joined the International Rugby Board and Malta has participated in a number of internationals since then. Most recently, Malta faced Sweden in November 2009, with Malta triumphantly winning 25-23. In addition to the senior-level National and Club teams, there are also teams for U17s, U15s and U13s as well as a strong women’s league.

For further details about playing, watching rugby in Malta or if you simply want to buy the team shirt, use the contact details below:

MRFU Clubhouse, Marsa Sports Complex, Aldo Moro Street, Marsa, Malta GC, Europe
or email the current President of the MRFU: president@mrfu.org

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Here is a list of some of the hottest men in Malta.

1. Peter Sammut. Peter is a 32 year-old from Madliena with a passion for adventure, travel and sports. Having had a love of aviation throughout his teenage years, he followed his dream and became a commercial pilot. He currently flies for an international airline, that takes him all over the world. Standing 175 cms and weighing 80 kgs, he has short, black hair and likes eating out, fine wines, seeing new places and meeting people. He has a group of close friends and they often take part in adventure sports, these have included skydiving and bungee jumping.
2. Andrei Grech. Being a professional male model, Andrei smoulders in front of the lens and has featured in a number of print, commercial and fashion shoots both in Malta and internationally. Born in 1985, he is from Balzan, and has won a number of awards including Modelle International Mr Photogenic 2007, and Mr Louie Noir 2nd Runner Up.
3. Kevin James Borg. Kevin rose to international fame after winning the fifth series of Idol in Sweden in 2008. Born in Floriana in 1986, he initially started performing on several Maltese television shows such as Kalamita, and was a contender for the Maltese entry into the Eurovision Song Contest twice. His boy-next-door looks have definitely helped his popularity and have garnered him an army of fans in Sweden and Malta.
4. John Montanaro. One of Malta’s leading young actors, he has starred in Helen of Troy – a US mini-series – and the film Angli. He has always had a wide following due to his versatility on stage and screen.
5. Michael Mifsud. Born in 1981 in Pieta, Malta, Michael started his football career playing for Sliema Wanderers, before signing to Bundesliga club Kaiserslautern and then Norweigian club, Lillestrom. In 2007, he signed for English Premier League club, Coventry City. Mifsud plays for the Maltese National team, notably scoring a 21st minute hat-trick in a friendly against Lichtenstein in 2008, which resulted in a 7-1 win for Malta.

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To give the Knights of Malta their correct title, they should be called Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, and they were originally established in 1085. Membership consisted of a federation of monks responsible for looking after the sick and injured at the Hospital of St. John in Jerusalem. Later on, they evolved into a military order, defending crusader territory in the Holy Lands of the Middle East and safeguarding Medieval Pilgrims journeying along treacherous routes from Europe. Throughout history, these Knights were recruited exclusively from the noble families of France, Italy, Spain, England and Portugal, with the Order gaining vast wealth from these aristocratic sons of the most wealthy and powerful families that Europe had to offer at the time.

In 1522, the Knights were expelled from their home-base which at the time was the island of Rhodes. The Emperor, Charles V, gave them the choice of Tripoli or Malta and in 1530; they took up residence on Malta, staying for a further 268 years, transforming what they called a rock into a flourishing island-fortress with impenetrable defences, and the symbol on their flag became known as The Maltese Cross. The Order was ruled by a “Grand Master” who answered directly to the Pope. They built a new capital city, Valletta, which was named after Jean Parisot de la Valette, the Grand Master at the time. In Valletta, they built the “Sacra Infermeria”, a hospital that could accommodate 500 patients of different classes, and was essentially the world-leading, free-clinic of its day.

In 1798, the French took control of Malta and the Knights left Malta, scattering widely throughout Europe. Today, there are around 12,500 members of the Order of Malta worldwide. These modern-day Knights and Dames are devoted to the exercise of Christian virtue and charity, and committed to achieving Christian spiritual perfection and to using their energies caring for others. They are presided over by the Grand Master and Sovereign Council based in Rome. Several websites and wiki sites are dedicated to research and history of these ancient orders.

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