APS Bank

APS Bank has a branch on Antoine De Paule Square in Paola, at numbers 146 and 147, where customers can use a cashier, an ATM and a deposit machine. Paola sits close to the Three Cities and is home to one of Malta's best known prehistoric sites, so the branch is convenient for both residents and visitors passing through the south-east of the island.

The bank itself dates from 1910 and has its head office at the APS Centre in Birkirkara. Anyone weighing it against other lenders can use our directory of banks in Malta, and the nearest headquarters-side branch has its own entry for APS Bank Birkirkara on Tower Street.

Investment services

Investments are one of the bank's strengths. A team of Investment Advisors works in branches, and Relationship Managers support clients who want closer attention. Initial financial planning is offered free of charge, and the advisor or manager talks through your goals, your attitude to risk and any need to reach your money quickly before suggesting a plan. Products cover local and foreign bonds and shares, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, foreign currencies, insurance policies and pensions.

Clients choose between three service levels. Execution-only means the bank simply carries out your decisions, advisory means you receive guidance but keep the final say, and discretionary means the bank takes the investment decisions once you have agreed objectives and risk appetite together. Clients can follow holdings through the myAPS platform, which shows details such as asset class, price and total market value and lets you download reports. This is general information about the service, not advice, so ask the bank about what suits you. To see where such products sit in the wider industry, see financial services in Malta.

Pensions and funds

The bank offers a Personal Pension Plan and an Occupational Pension Scheme, and its fund company, APS Funds SICAV, is a multi-fund investment company licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority as a collective investment scheme and listed on the Malta Stock Exchange. The bank regularly publishes market commentary and runs a three-part series of investment chats on basics, pension planning and portfolio strategies.

People who live between the UK and Malta may want to read about how income is treated before choosing a pension product, and our Malta tax guide for UK nationals is a useful starting point. Companies with larger plans can also ask about the support available from AE Business Advisors.

Getting started at the branch

New customers can book a first appointment through the bank's virtual assistant, AVA, or fill in the contact form on the bank's website. For routine paperwork, an official account statement costs €3 and can be requested by phone or in a branch, loan drawdowns are requested with a downloadable form sent by secure message or handed in at a branch, and a chequebook can be ordered through the mobile app or the contact centre.

The bank also runs merchant acquiring for business customers who want to take card payments, and green and eco loans for energy-saving home improvements. Visitors who simply need cash can rely on the ATM at the branch.

Everyday banking and around Paola

For daily needs the branch supports current and savings accounts, cards and loans, with myAPS internet and mobile banking and a contact centre open every day from 8am to 9pm. Branches are shut on public holidays, and customers aged 60 or over receive priority service from 8.30am to 9.30am on weekdays.

Close to the branch, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum museum listing and our guide to the Hypogeum cover the underground prehistoric complex, our Three Cities guide explores the fortified towns across the harbour, and Aquarius Rent A Car can help with transport. To ask APS Bank a question, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the bank.