Health Care

According to WHO, Malta’s medical care is ranked as the fifth best in the world. Health care has long been a source of pride here, with its first hospital opening in 1372. The knights who ruled the country for 300 years were first established to provide care to the often ragged pilgrims turning up in Jerusalem.

During World War I, the island acted as a vast hospital providing high-level care to injured and sick soldiers…

Today, it is home to a number of state-of-the-art public and private facilities staffed by highly trained staff who are all fluent in English. In recent years, Malta has also been building its reputation as a destination for medical tourism. For the Maltese and citizens of the EU, health care services are completely free at the point of delivery.

Malta’s free national health system runs alongside the private sector, which has an even higher standard of service than the public system. As a foreign resident, you are required to have private medical insurance (health insurance normally comes as a residency requirement for foreigners). Still, expect to pay considerably less than in the United States for your health care. If you’re living in the United States and already have health insurance, you can expect your premium to come down considerably if you set up in Malta.

Although there are several others, the main hospital is Mater Dei Hospital. This modern facility opened in 2007 and is one of the largest medical buildings in Europe. As well as high grade hospitals, Malta has a strong general practitioner primary care system.

In terms of costs, a visit to a local general practitioner costs around 10 euros, and a house call costs 15 euros. A visit to see a consultant is 40 to 50 euros, and lab work usually comes in under 20 euros.