Driving in Malta: What to Know Before You Rent a Car

Malta looks small on a map, but the driving experience is its own thing entirely: narrow lanes, painted roundabouts, and a mix of road rules that catch out even experienced drivers.

Here’s everything I picked up behind the wheel on the island myself.

Licence Requirements

You can drive in Malta on your normal licence from Australia, the US, the UK, or almost anywhere else; no Maltese licence needed, and Brexit changed nothing here. The only real limitation is that the rental agent has to be able to read it. A licence printed only in Chinese characters, for example, won’t be accepted without a translation.

For most visitors, this also means you don’t need an international driving permit (IDP) at all, since Malta accepts licences from EU countries and Geneva Convention signatories as they are.

It only becomes relevant if you’re staying long-term as a non-EU resident or your home licence isn’t in a script the agent can verify.

Booking and the Credit Card Question

Most rental companies in Malta still want a credit card in the lead driver’s name to cover the security deposit, usually held rather than charged unless something goes wrong.

If you only travel with a debit card, your options for renting without a credit card are more limited here than in some other countries, so it’s worth sorting out before you land rather than at the counter.

Booking Your Car

You can book directly on the car rental website; however, I want to be clear here: the Malta car rental market is pretty unique. There are amazing providers, both locals and globals; however, there are also a few that run the business with extremely low “hook” prices and then scam the customers in all sorts of ways.

That’s why I always book my cars through DiscoverCars, a comparison site that lines up local and international operators side by side and ranks them from 5 to 10 stars based on real customer feedback, so you know which ones are actually trustworthy before you commit, rather than gambling on a desk.

It’s also where I add full insurance for a small daily cost, just 10 Euros/day, a cheap peace of mind on an island where narrow lanes and tight roundabouts make a scratch easy to pick up.

Picking Up Your Rented Car in Malaga

Most people collect their car right at Malta International Airport; a handful of desks are lined up just outside arrivals, both local operators and the bigger international names.

Not all of them are equally worth booking with; some of the airport’s best car hire companies in Malta consistently score better on price and condition of the fleet than others.

One small detail worth knowing before you drive off: rented cars in Malta are marked. Check the third character on the number plate; if it’s a Z or a K, that tells everyone on the road, and every local, that the car is a rental. It’s harmless, but it explains a few odd looks if you ever hesitate at a junction.

Before You Drive Off, Document Everything

This is the one habit that will save you money. Before you leave the rental yard, walk around the car and photograph every side, then film a short video doing the same thing.

Both are automatically timestamped, so if a dispute comes up later about a scratch you didn’t cause, you have proof of exactly what the car looked like when you took it.

It sounds like overkill for a five-minute job, but it’s one of the simplest things to avoid when renting a car, and skipping it is how honest travellers end up paying for damage that was already there.

Tip. Do the same photos also at drop-off to have full before/after documentation.

Which Side of the Road, and the Roundabouts

Malta drives on the left, same as the UK or Australia, so if that’s home for you already, the switch will feel familiar. Coming from a right-hand-drive country, give yourself the first couple of roundabouts to adjust, and don’t be surprised if the first junction or two feels like a lot to process at once.

Speaking of roundabouts, keep an eye out for the painted ones, just a circle marked on the road surface with no raised island or kerb in the middle.

There’s a well-known example right on Republic Street in Victoria, Gozo’s capital. Treat them exactly like a normal roundabout, giving way to the right as you enter, even though there’s nothing physically stopping you from driving straight through.

Getting a proper feel for driving in Malta really is a day-one adjustment more than anything else; once the roundabout rhythm clicks, the rest of the road network is fairly straightforward.

Speed Limits

The posted limit changes more often than you’d expect on the same stretch of road. The coastal road connecting Valletta down toward the Gozo ferry terminal, generally the busiest route on the island, runs at 80 km/h in the open sections but drops to 60 km/h approaching roundabouts and built-up patches.

Speed cameras do turn up on the busier main roads, usually with a warning sign just before them, so there’s no real excuse for getting caught out.

It’s still worth watching your speed rather than relying on the signage, since the surprise otherwise turns up as a fine attached to your rental invoice after you’ve already flown home.

Parking

Look for a wide painted rectangle, and you’ll usually find free parking, but check for a smaller sign nearby first; plenty of these spots carry a time limit, an hour or two, and wardens photograph arrival times, so moving your car and coming back to reset the clock doesn’t work.

Ignore a yellow line or overstay a timed white spot and, at best, you’re looking at a fine. At worst, the car gets towed.

Either way, an unpaid ticket has a habit of turning into a rental company admin fee added to your bill weeks after you’ve left the island. Valletta is the one place where even legal parking gets expensive; expect to pay every time you drive in and back out of the city gates.

Petrol Stations

Filling up in Malta is refreshingly simple. The country runs on a single government-linked fuel importer, Enemed, so the price is the same no matter which station you pull into; there’s no point shopping around for a better deal.

Most stations are staffed during the day and will fill the tank for you, and outside business hours you’ll find automated pumps that take cash or card.

Roads Beyond the Main Routes

The coastal road and the routes around Valletta are wide and well maintained, but venture onto the smaller roads, especially once you cross over to Gozo, and they narrow considerably.

Locals tend to drive these tight lanes with real confidence; sometimes it feels like a small contest over who gives way first. Slow down, let them have it, and you’ll be fine.

Why a Car Actually Changes What You Can See

Some of Malta’s best spots are genuinely hard to reach without your own wheels. Peter’s Pool, on the southeastern coast, means catching a bus toward Marsaxlokk and then walking the rest of the way, doable, but slow going in the heat with any gear.

The Blue Lagoon off Comino is a different case again, only reachable by boat, but having a car to get yourself to the right departure point on your own schedule saves a lot of waiting around for tour buses and ferry crowds.

It’s the kind of trade-off that ultimately decides whether you should rent a car in Malta at all: convenience and flexibility against a bit more planning and cost. For anyone wanting to reach the quieter corners of the island on their own time, it tips the scale pretty clearly in favour of driving yourself.

Final Thoughts

Malta rewards a bit of preparation more than it demands driving skill; know your speed limits, photograph the car before you leave the yard, and give the roundabouts a little respect, and the rest of the island opens up easily from behind the wheel.