Malta Notarial Services

Malta Notarial Services is a notary public and commissioner for oaths practice run by Dr Josette Spiteri Cauchi, with one office in Victoria, the main town of Gozo, and another in Guardamangia on the edge of Pietà in Malta. It serves clients across both islands and handles the notarial side of buying and selling property, drawing up wills and managing succession, as well as documents such as powers of attorney, sworn declarations and certified copies.

In Malta the notary is a public officer, appointed for life by the President of Malta, who receives deeds and wills impartially, gives them public faith and takes responsibility for their custody. If you are buying a home on the islands, moving here or sorting out paperwork from the UK, this is the kind of professional you will meet. This page describes what the practice offers, and it is a description of services rather than legal advice.

Who the practice is and how it works

Dr Spiteri Cauchi holds a Doctor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Malta, where she graduated in 2004, and completed a Master's degree in European and Comparative Law there in 2005. She was given her warrants as a notary public and as a commissioner for oaths by the President of Malta in 2004, and has practised since then as a full time sole practitioner on both Malta and Gozo. She is a member of the Notarial College and is fluent in Maltese, English and Italian.

The practice works by appointment, so clients are not kept waiting. Most meetings take place at one of the two offices, and where a client has restricted mobility the notary can also visit their home when her work schedule permits. Clients include people buying from the UK or elsewhere abroad, and the team is used to explaining how the Maltese system differs from the one at home.

A small team supports the notary. Kyanne Spiteri, assistant to the notary, has been with the firm full time for six years and helps with drafting contracts, compiling documents, preparing notes of registration and liaising with clients, registrars and the Inland Revenue Department. She speaks Maltese and English. Jolene Bugeja, the secretary, has been with the firm for four years, manages reception, appointments and calls, and gathers the documents the notary needs for due diligence. She also speaks Maltese and English.

Property conveyancing in Malta and Gozo

Every property purchase in Malta has to be completed by a notary public. The notary checks the property's title, registers the sale and collects the tax due to the government. The practice offers a free first consultation before you sign anything, including the promise of sale, to discuss the property, how you are paying and the overall cost.

The work follows the stages of a purchase. Before you sign the promise of sale, known in Malta as the konvenju, it is read through with you clause by clause, and the office then registers it with the tax authorities and collects the provisional stamp duty. Searches at the Public Registry and the Land Registry confirm that the seller owns the property and that nothing is registered against it, and the planning and building permits are compared with the property as built.

The team also works with your bank on loan documents and any hypothec, the Maltese term for a mortgage, and for non-resident buyers it advises on the Acquisition of Immovable Property (AIP) permit and helps prepare the application, which carries a fee of €233. The service also covers the practical side of tax and grants: the office helps clients work through stamp duty exemptions, first time buyer schemes and Urban Conservation Area incentives. Finally the notary drafts the deed of sale, reads it to both parties, publishes it and registers it, paying the stamp duty to the Commissioner for Revenue and keeping the original on record so certified copies can be issued at any time. A buyer who cannot travel can sign through a power of attorney.

For help with the money side, our mortgage advisors directory entry for Alecta Advisors covers lending, and our Malta relocation guide explains the wider move from the UK. Its resources section carries articles on topics such as whether UK citizens can buy property in Malta, first time buyer benefits and renting out a property.

Wills, succession and estate planning

The practice helps clients organise their succession affairs for assets in Malta and Gozo, respecting their wishes within Maltese law. Services include drafting public or secret wills so that the distribution of assets is clear, causa mortis declarations that manage the transfer of an inheritance, and guidance for heirs on estate administration, including cross border cases.

If you own a holiday home or retirement property in Malta while living in the UK, you may want to ask the office about wills. If you want to understand the tax backdrop for UK residents, our Malta tax guide for UK nationals gives an overview, and the notary can explain the notarial steps.

Other notarial services

Beyond property and wills, clients visit the Malta and Gozo offices for a range of formal documents. True copy certifications are official certificates that a copy or extract of a book, legal paper or academic certificate matches the original. Powers of attorney let an agent act on your behalf, whether as a general or special mandate. As a commissioner for oaths, the notary administers sworn declarations, affidavits and acts of notoriety, and also receives dying declarations and signs applications in matters of voluntary jurisdiction.

The practice can also assist and represent parties who cannot be present at the signing of a property transfer deed, and it offers general legal assistance. At the start of any transaction the notary must gather detailed information from all parties to meet statutory duties under Legal Notice 180/2008 and anti-money laundering rules. That means verifying the identity of everyone involved and ensuring the lawful source of funds, so expect to be asked for identification such as a passport or identity card, or two attestors.

For an estimate of professional costs, the Notarial Council of Malta has an official billing calculator, and the office also talks through the expected overall cost at the free first consultation.

The two offices and getting there

The Gozo office is at The Duke, Block E, Office 1, on Republic Street in Victoria, the main town of Gozo. Our Gozo guide introduces the island, while hotels in Gozo lists places to stay if you visit for a viewing or a signing.

The Malta office is at 117 Guardamangia Hill, at the limits of Pietà. Our Valletta guide is useful if you are staying in the city. If you are planning a longer move, CLA Malta is our featured partner for company, tax and relocation services.

How to start

The first step is the free consultation, which can be arranged for any property related matter before you sign the promise of sale. Have the details of the property, how you plan to pay and whether you are a resident or non-resident buyer ready when you get in touch. The practice works in English, Maltese and Italian.

To ask about a purchase, a will or any other notarial service, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Malta Notarial Services. You can also browse more professionals in our notaries directory for Malta.