Middlesea Assist

When a car stops on the Coast Road, a pipe bursts at home or a trip abroad goes wrong, the useful question is who to call. Middlesea Assist Limited, listed here as MAPFRE Assist, is the Maltese company set up to answer that call. It is based in Floriana, the district beside Valletta, and it specialises in roadside, home, travel and medical assistance, together with a range of warranty products.

For UK readers, the closest comparison is a breakdown and home emergency membership combined with a warranty provider. Our directory of insurance providers in Malta lists the island's insurers and brokers, and this page explains what Middlesea Assist offers before you send an enquiry.

Who is behind the company

Middlesea Assist is a partnership between two parts of the MAPFRE group. One is MAPFRE Middlesea plc, Malta's leading insurer. The other is MAPFRE Asistencia, the majority shareholder and a multinational assistance business present on five continents. That mix gives local customers a Maltese office backed by an international assistance network, a useful combination if you drive, travel or own property on the island.

The company began operating on 16 January 2012 with 13 employees and at first offered basic assistance services only. It has grown by adding products over time, as the later sections explain. Many people also know the group through its life insurance arm, MAPFRE MSV Life, which sits alongside the assistance business in the same family of companies. If you are weighing up the wider sector, our overview of financial services in Malta explains how insurance fits into the island's economy.

Roadside, home and travel assistance

Roadside assistance is the core of the business. If your vehicle breaks down, the company dispatches help and its own branded recovery vehicles attend the scene. A brand called MAWDY covers trips, whether you are driving in Malta or elsewhere in Europe, and it sends immediate help for problems at any hour of the day.

Home assistance works in a similar way. MAWDY dispatches help for a range of problems that can occur within your home, on any day and at any time. This is the kind of cover that matters for UK owners of a holiday apartment or a second home in Malta, where you may not be on the island when something goes wrong.

Its work is local and worldwide, with a network of selected local providers behind it. Medical assistance is part of the offer, and if you need to know exactly what a membership covers, include your membership number in your message so the right team can look at it. If you are planning a trip, our guide to flights to Malta from the UK and our overview of Malta holidays help with the rest of the planning, and our about Malta overview gives a quick orientation.

Warranties and protection products

Beyond assistance, the company has built up a set of warranty and protection products over the years. The first motor extended warranty contract was signed in 2013, together with the first back-office agreements with MAPFRE Middlesea. In 2014 it introduced the Brown & White warranty and card protection, and in 2015 it launched its first accidental damage warranty.

In plain terms, an extended warranty extends protection for a vehicle or an appliance beyond a manufacturer's cover, while card protection helps if payment cards are lost or misused. Cover details, limits and exclusions are set out in each product's terms, so ask for the wording before you buy.

Anyone moving to the island with a car or household goods will find these products relevant. Our guide to relocating to Malta from the UK covers the practical steps, and our guide to Malta tax for UK nationals covers the tax side of a move.

Getting in touch from the UK

The head office is Office 4D at Development House on St Anne Street in Floriana, just outside the main gate of Valletta. Our Valletta guide describes the capital next door, and if you are staying nearby our listing of hotels in Valletta shows what is available. The company also sells some of its products online through a cart on its own website.

The company's own contact form is the general route for questions, and it asks for a membership number where the question concerns a particular membership. You can also use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the company, which will reply to you directly.