Immigration and removal law · Malta
Find a deportation lawyer in Malta who understands your situation
If you or a family member is facing removal from Malta, the practical questions arrive quickly: who is allowed to act for you, which court or authority is handling the file, and what has to happen next. Malta’s system is bilingual and mixed, so familiarity with local procedure genuinely counts. Tell us about your case and we will introduce you to an advocate who works on Maltese removal and immigration matters.
- Advocates holding a Maltese warrant, matched to your situation
- Bilingual files: Maltese and English handled side by side
- Plain answers on costs, statutory tariffs and legal aid
Free and confidential. We do not give legal advice; we match you with a lawyer who handles your type of case.
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Why Malta
Removal from Malta is decided inside a distinctive legal system
Facing removal from Malta is one of the most urgent situations a person can encounter: the practical consequences touch work, family and residence, and the paperwork is often in Maltese. Malta is a mixed jurisdiction where codified civil-law tradition meets English common-law procedure, and there is no formal doctrine of binding precedent, so the way a case is framed matters. The profession is unified: the terms lawyer and advocate are interchangeable, and anyone wishing to practise must hold a warrant issued by the President of the Republic. Because Maltese is the language of the courts, bilingual representation is normal. We do not give legal advice; we listen to your situation and match you with a deportation lawyer in Malta who handles removal and immigration cases, at no cost to you.
Malta in practice
How the Maltese legal system shapes your matter
Malta is one of the world’s recognised mixed jurisdictions: private law is codified along continental lines, while public, procedural and administrative law carry strong English common-law influence. Both Maltese and English are official languages, and Maltese has been the language of the courts since 1934. The notes below set out the structural facts that shape how a removal or immigration matter is handled on the island.
A mixed jurisdiction, not a pure common-law system
Malta’s private law follows the continental tradition: the Civil Code of 1868 is rooted in the French Code Napoléon, while public, procedural and administrative law bear strong English common-law influence. The system is codified yet adversarial, and there is no formal doctrine of binding precedent. Arguments must therefore rest on the legislation in force rather than on how a similar matter was decided elsewhere.
Who may represent you in Malta
Malta has a single, unified legal profession. Lawyer and advocate mean the same thing and there is no barrister/solicitor split. To practise, an advocate must hold a warrant issued by the President of the Republic under the Public Seal, having first taken the oaths before the Court of Appeal. An advocate has rights of audience before all courts; a separate profession, the legal procurator, handles procedural acts such as service and filings.
The court structure you may encounter
Malta’s judiciary is two-tier: the Superior Courts (the Civil Court, the Court of Appeal, the Constitutional Court and the Criminal Court) and the Inferior Courts (the Court of Magistrates in Malta and in Gozo). Civil claims are allocated by value: up to EUR 5,000 to the Small Claims Tribunal, between EUR 5,000 and EUR 15,000 to the Court of Magistrates, and above EUR 15,000 to the Civil Court.
Language: Maltese and English side by side
Maltese and English are both official languages and legislation is enacted in both, with the Maltese text prevailing where the two conflict (Constitution, article 74). Maltese has been the language of the courts and of notarial deeds since 1934, while legal education is delivered in English. In practice you will see English correspondence alongside Maltese court documents, so an advocate working in both languages is an advantage.
Costs, tariffs and legal aid
Advocates’ and legal procurators’ fees in Malta are governed by statutory tariffs in the schedules to the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure, and contingency or conditional-fee arrangements are prohibited. Court registry fees apply rather than a general court tax. Legal aid is administered by Legal Aid Malta: in criminal cases all persons are eligible without a means test, while civil cases require both a means test and a merits test.
Why local knowledge matters
Malta is a small island state with a compact, bilingual legal community, and much of the work happens in and around Valletta, within close reach of Birkirkara, Sliema, St. Paul’s Bay, Mosta, Qormi, Żabbar and Victoria in Gozo. For anyone facing removal, that proximity can make it easier to attend appointments, sign documents and keep a fast-moving file under control.
All country details on this page are drawn from official Maltese and European Union sources — the Judiciary of Malta, the EU e-Justice portal, the Laws of Malta (Civil Code, Chapter 16) and Legal Aid Malta — reviewed in 2025. The limitation periods listed above concern civil claims and are shown for orientation only.
- e-Justice — National justice systems: Malta
- e-Justice — Types of legal professions: Malta
- Laws of Malta — Civil Code (Chapter 16)
- Laws of Malta — commercial limitation provision (Chapter 16, article 2156)
- Legal Aid Malta — Defining Legal Aid
- Judiciary of Malta — The Judiciary
- Chamber of Advocates (Kamra tal-Avukati)
Common worries
What people ask us first
Removal situations rarely arrive with a clear plan attached. These are the concerns we hear most often from people in Malta.
The timing feels out of my control
The practical consequences of a removal matter — your home, your work, your children’s schooling — do not pause while the file is open. An advocate will first establish exactly what stage your matter has reached and what correspondence has already been issued. 40
The paperwork is in two languages
Maltese and English are both official, but the Maltese text of legislation prevails and Maltese has been the language of the courts since 1934. Notices, deeds and court documents may need to be read carefully in the original before you respond to them. 45
I am not sure who is allowed to act for me
Malta has a single unified legal profession: lawyer and advocate mean the same thing, and practising requires a warrant issued by the President of the Republic. Finding someone with genuine handling experience in Maltese removal work matters more than the label on the door. 46
How we help
Matching you with the right Maltese advocate
We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. We listen, we compare, and we introduce you to advocates whose practice fits your situation.
Free matching, no obligation
Tell us what has happened in your own words. We compare your situation with the profiles of advocates who handle Maltese immigration and removal work, then introduce you to those who fit. The introduction costs you nothing.
Advocates who know the Maltese system
Malta is a mixed jurisdiction: codified civil law, common-law procedure, and no formal doctrine of binding precedent. The advocate you speak to will know how that combination shapes the way a matter is argued before the Maltese courts and tribunals.
Bilingual representation
Because Maltese and English are both official and the courts work in Maltese, your case may involve documents and hearings in either language. We help you find an advocate who is comfortable working across both.
Clarity on costs and legal aid
Advocates’ fees in Malta follow statutory tariffs and contingency fees are prohibited. Legal aid runs through Legal Aid Malta, with different tests for criminal and civil matters. Ask the advocate to set out how this applies to your circumstances.
Cross-border matters
Malta cases often reach across borders
Removal and residence situations frequently involve family members, employers or earlier proceedings in another country. Malta is a bilingual bridge between the civil-law and common-law worlds and has applied EU law since its accession in 2004, so cross-border elements are common rather than exceptional. We can match you with an advocate used to files that span more than one jurisdiction.
Questions
Deportation and immigration questions about Malta
How do I find a deportation lawyer in Malta?
Begin by confirming that the person holds a Maltese warrant: Malta has a single, unified profession, so lawyer and advocate are interchangeable, and the warrant is issued by the President of the Republic. The Chamber of Advocates represents warranted advocates. We can shortlist advocates who handle removal and immigration work and introduce you at no charge.
Does legal aid exist in Malta for immigration-related matters?
Legal aid is administered by Legal Aid Malta. In criminal cases all persons are eligible and no means test is required by law. In civil cases the applicant must pass both a means test — net property, including disposable money, must not exceed EUR 13,000 for the preceding twelve months — and a merits test, after which a legal aid lawyer and procurator are assigned by court decree.
Which language will my case be conducted in?
Maltese and English are both official languages and legislation is enacted in both, with the Maltese text prevailing in case of conflict. Maltese has been the language of the courts and of notarial deeds since 1934, while legal education is taught in English. Expect Maltese court documents and hearings, with English widely used in correspondence and commercial matters.
Do Maltese courts have to follow earlier decisions?
Malta is a mixed jurisdiction and there is no formal doctrine of binding precedent as found in a pure common-law system. Private law is codified — the Civil Code of 1868 derives from the French Code Napoléon — while public, procedural and administrative law show strong English common-law influence. Arguments therefore rest primarily on the applicable legislation rather than on earlier rulings alone.
How much does a deportation lawyer in Malta cost?
Advocates’ and legal procurators’ fees are governed by statutory tariffs set out in the schedules to the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure, which also guide the costs a losing party may be ordered to pay. Contingency-fee and conditional-fee arrangements are prohibited. Court registry fees apply instead of a general court tax. Ask for a written estimate at the first meeting.
What if I also face criminal proceedings in Malta?
An advocate has rights of audience before all courts in Malta, so the same lawyer can appear in different fora, although you may be advised to instruct more than one specialist. Serious criminal cases are tried by a jury of nine jurors, and legal aid in criminal cases is available to all persons without a means test.
Next step
Tell us about your case and we will find the right advocate
Describe your situation in a few lines: what has happened, what stage the matter has reached, and which part of Malta — Valletta, Birkirkara, Sliema, St. Paul’s Bay, Mosta, Qormi, Żabbar, Victoria in Gozo or elsewhere — you are in. We will compare it with advocates who handle removal and immigration work in Malta and put you in touch, free of charge and without obligation.