Sovereign Malta

Sovereign Trust Malta Limited is the Maltese arm of the Sovereign Group, an independent international provider of corporate, trust and retirement planning services. From offices on the fifth floor of the St Julian's Business Centre, the Malta team helps international companies, investors and families set up and look after companies, trusts and foundations, run pension schemes, and plan a move to the island.

For UK readers the pensions side is often the starting point: Sovereign administers international retirement schemes from Malta, including QROPS for people who have left the UK. The office also deals with family office work, marine and aviation structures and EU residency. On VisitMalta.co.uk it is listed among our pension advisers in Malta.

The Sovereign Group and its Malta office

Sovereign opened its first office in Gibraltar in 1987 and has grown into one of the largest independent corporate and trust service providers in the world. It now has a presence in more than 20 jurisdictions across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, holds over 30 professional licences, employs more than 400 staff and looks after over 20,000 structures. The group is privately owned and independent, with senior staff across the network holding the shares.

The Malta office has been operating for more than 20 years and has over 20 employees serving private and corporate clients. Its people speak English, Maltese, French and Spanish, and they have built working relationships with the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), the Registrar of Companies and the tax authorities. Clients come from across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and the team works closely with sister offices elsewhere when a structure spans several countries, including the group's offices in London and Chester.

Why Malta? The island sits at a strategic point in the Mediterranean between Europe and North Africa, gives full access to the EU single market and the euro, and has a skilled, multilingual workforce. Its legal system mixes civil and common law, its legislation for companies, trusts and foundations is well regarded, and business and living costs remain competitive. Those strengths have made it a leading centre for corporate and private client structuring as well as a place to live and retire. Our introduction to Malta gives a broader picture of the country.

Licences and professional standing

Three Sovereign companies in Malta hold MFSA licences. Sovereign Trust (Malta) Ltd is licensed as a Trust Service Provider, Sovereign Directors (Malta) Limited as a Class B Corporate Services Provider, and Sovereign Pensions Services (Malta) Ltd as a Retirement Scheme Administrator. In practice that means the office can act as trustee, provide directors and company administration, and run pension schemes under Maltese regulation.

The Malta team belongs to the Malta Chamber and to STEP Malta, the local branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Across the group, Sovereign will not recommend any structure that would fail scrutiny by regulators or tax authorities, either abroad or in the client's home country. Clients should expect the usual know your customer checks: proof of identity and address, references and an explanation of where significant funds come from.

International pensions, QROPS and QNUPS

Sovereign Pension Services Limited offers a full range of international retirement benefit solutions from Malta, including four Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) and a Qualifying Non-UK Pension Scheme (QNUPS). A QROPS is an overseas scheme that meets HMRC conditions to receive transfers from UK registered pensions, which is why it interests British expats; a QNUPS is a non-UK scheme that can be used for retirement saving alongside other pension arrangements.

Malta works well as a pensions base because it is a full EU member with an established financial services industry and MFSA oversight. Its law allows tailored arrangements for individuals and businesses, and companies in other EU member states can sponsor occupational schemes set up in Malta. The office has in-house expertise in designing and running occupational pension and savings schemes, and the group can call on independent actuarial support for more complex cases. The pensions team in Malta is led by Louisa Savasta, Head of Pensions, with Lisa Xuereb as Pensions Administration Team Leader.

Anyone weighing up a transfer should read our Malta tax guide for UK nationals for background on how pensions and income are taxed after a move.

Companies, trusts and foundations

For businesses expanding into the EU, Sovereign Malta provides end-to-end support: company formation, redomiciliation to Malta, accounting, payroll, compliance and tax reporting for Maltese and international entities, including partnerships, branches and representative offices. It can also help with bank account opening, licensing, tax and VAT registration, a registered office, company secretarial work, directorships and authorised signatories, and ongoing filing and economic substance requirements so a structure keeps working after set-up.

Malta's headline corporate tax rate is 35%, but its full imputation and refund system can bring the effective rate down to 5%. The island also has more than 70 double taxation treaties and charges no withholding tax on dividends paid to non-residents. Our explainer on how Malta's corporate tax structure works goes into more detail, and our overview of financial services in Malta shows how the wider sector fits together.

On the private client side, the team incorporates and administers trusts, foundations, companies and private trust companies, with support on family governance. It advises on wealth structuring, tax and succession planning, pensions and asset protection for high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs who want to protect personal, family, business and charitable interests.

Residency, relocation, yachts and aircraft

Malta has a wide range of residency programmes and is popular as a place to live and retire. Sovereign Malta helps clients choose and apply for EU residency routes, then assists with relocation and buying property on the island. It follows rule changes closely; in September 2026, for example, it reported on Malta's new Individual Tax Programme residency rules. Our UK guide to relocating to Malta covers the practical side of the move.

For owners of yachts and aircraft, the office offers tax-efficient ownership structures, and the wider group provides registration and management through Sovereign Marine Services and its aircraft registration team. These services sit naturally alongside family office work for internationally mobile families.

Sovereign also keeps clients up to date through its Knowledge Hub of briefings, information sheets, case studies, videos and webinars. Recent Malta updates have covered the launch of the Malta Business Wallet app, which streamlines corporate due diligence, and a public consultation on tokenisation, while a 2026 webinar series looked at international mobility, private client and corporate services together.

The Malta team

Cristina Cassar Difesa is Managing Director, alongside Stephen Griffiths, Managing Director for Malta, and Maria Delia, Director. Sabrina Micallef is Director and Legal Counsel, Seymour Grima is Operations Director, and Sebastien Philipona heads business development for Malta and Cyprus. Client relationships are handled by Charmaine Vassallo, Senior Client Relationship Manager, and Valerie Urrunaga, Client Relationship Manager.

On the finance side, Jean Paul Aquilina is Head of Finance for PWI, Ann Marie Camilleri is Finance Manager and Olivia Vassallo is an accountant. Hayley Portelli and Gabrielle Fenech complete the pensions administration team. At group level, Howard Bilton is Chairman, Gerry Kelly is Chief Executive Officer and David Sutton is Chief Financial Officer.

Meeting Sovereign Malta and making an enquiry

The office is in the St Julian's Business Centre on Elia Zammit Street, in the busy seafront district north of Valletta. Clients flying in for meetings can compare flights to Malta from the UK and stay in one of the hotels in Sliema and St Julian's, a short walk or taxi ride away.

Sovereign offers an initial consultation without fee or commitment, and if you go ahead it provides time and cost estimates before starting work. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page to explain whether you need a trust, a company, a pension transfer or residency advice, and we will pass your message to the Sovereign Malta team, who will reply to you directly.