Malta has an ample and strict legislation regarding the establishment of catering facilities. One of the most complex laws on restaurants in Malta is the Subsidiary Legislation 409.15 that presents food establishment regulations enabled by the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act.
Food establishments in Malta are subject to five distinct catering categories. Maltese restaurants are divided into first, second and third class establishments, snack bars and bars are divided into first and second class establishments, while nightclubs and kiosks can only be standard.
Before being issued the class establishments, it is compulsory for all restaurants and bars to meet the standard requirements. Considering the schedules of the Catering Establishment Act, according to the provisions of class establishments, all types of food facilities should be equipped with the following:
All types of food establishments are subject to the same safety, cleaning, food storage and preparation regulations.
The first step when wanting to set up a restaurant in Malta is to apply for a catering establishment license with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA). Obtaining this type of license does not take more than 20 days, if all the requirements are met. The documents to be submitted with the MTA are:
Once these documents are submitted and verified, the MTA will issue a tourism compliance certificate.
The final part of the application consists of submitting the following documents:
Once all the formalities are concluded, representatives of the Licensing Unit of the MTA will make an on-site inspection before opening the restaurant.
For details about the requirements before opening a restaurant, you can contact our agents in company registration in Malta.