Moving from France to Malta
A short Mediterranean hop from France to the Maltese islands, where the container crosses to Malta Freeport and, because both countries are in the EU, there is no customs duty to worry about. Here is the honest brief on cost, sea transit, your eResidence registration, and settling in.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Moving a household from France to Malta is one of the simplest international corridors in this index, because both countries are in the European Union and the goods travel a short way across the Mediterranean. For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container runs roughly 3,000 to 6,200 US dollars in 2026, with delivery in about two to four weeks door to door once your goods leave a southern French port such as Marseille for Malta Freeport at Birzebbuga.
This is a short sea move, sometimes combined with road and ferry. Your belongings are packed in France, trucked to a southern port such as Marseille or Fos, and shipped to Malta Freeport, the island container terminal at Birzebbuga, with onward delivery to your address in Valletta, Sliema, or one of the towns. Some movers instead drive the load down through Italy and onto the ferry from Sicily. Price is driven by your volume, whether you share a container, and access at both ends rather than any long ocean leg.
The customs picture is the easy part. Because France and Malta are both in the EU single market, moving used household goods between them is an internal movement, not an import, so there is no customs duty and no import VAT to clear. You do not need a transfer of residence relief filing the way you would coming from outside the Union. That alone makes this one of the lower friction moves you can make.
On the French side you tell your tax office, the centre des impots, that you are leaving and settle your position, and you sort out your health cover. On arrival in Malta the document that runs your life is the eResidence card, issued through Identita, the national identity agency that took over the work of the former Identity Malta. You also obtain a tax number from the Commissioner for Revenue. Both countries use the euro, so there is no currency switch, which keeps budgeting simple.
What it costs, by home size and method.
The numbers below are indicative ranges for France to Malta in 2026. It is a short Mediterranean route to an island, so your volume, whether you share a container, and access at both ends drive the price.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars. The main drivers are volume in cubic metres, whether you share a container or take a sole use box, packing scope, the island ferry or freight leg, and access at both ends. A summer move costs more, since June to September is peak demand around the Mediterranean.
- + Best value for a 2 to 3 bedroom home
- + You pay only for the space you use
- × Consolidation can add several days
- + Your goods only, sealed at your door
- + Good for a full one or two bed home
- × More than a small load needs
- + Direct overland run with a short ferry
- + Can suit smaller, faster moves
- × Depends on ferry schedules from Sicily
A sane timeline for this move.
With no customs duty to clear, this plan is short. The work is the survey, the crossing, your eResidence registration, and your Maltese tax number once you arrive.
Get two or three surveys
Have movers run video or in home surveys in France for an accurate volume and a binding quote that names Marseille as the load port and your Maltese address.
Sort the French side
Tell your centre des impots that you are leaving, settle your position, and arrange your health cover and any school or utility transfers.
Book the crossing
Confirm a shared or sole use container, or a road and ferry run via Sicily, and lock in the sailing or departure dates.
Confirm island access
Check parking, narrow street access, and lift availability at your Maltese address, since the towns can be tight and access governs the labour cost.
Pack and ship
The crew packs and loads in France and the goods cross to Malta Freeport, or run overland and onto the ferry from Sicily, typically arriving within a couple of weeks.
Register and settle
Apply for your eResidence card through Identita, obtain your tax number from the Commissioner for Revenue, and take delivery once the goods reach your address.
Bringing your household goods into Malta.
There is no customs clearance to worry about between France and Malta, because both are in the EU single market. Moving used household goods between them is an internal movement, free of duty and import VAT.
Since France and Malta are both EU member states, your household goods are not imported in the customs sense. There is no duty, no import VAT on used personal effects, and no transfer of residence relief to file, which is the burden that applies when goods come from outside the Union. Your mover simply transports the goods and delivers them, and the paperwork is about the move itself rather than a customs entry.
A few practical points still apply. Alcohol and tobacco moved in personal quantities are fine, but commercial quantities follow excise rules. Firearms, certain plants, and protected species have their own controls regardless of the internal market. If you are shipping a high value collection or anything unusual, keep proof of ownership and value for your insurance rather than for customs.
Vehicles can move freely as personal property, but you will need to register a car in Malta and deal with the registration tax and roadworthiness checks, which is a separate administrative step from the move. Pets travel under the EU pet scheme with a pet passport, microchip, and up to date vaccinations. Because there is no customs bottleneck, the only real timeline risk on this lane is ferry and freight scheduling around the busy summer season.
Verify before you move. EU internal market rules, excise allowances, and vehicle registration steps change over time. Confirm the current position with the Maltese authorities and your destination agent before you ship.The realistic routes for this corridor.
As French citizens are EU nationals, living in Malta is a matter of registration rather than a visa. The routes below are the common bases on which people settle on the islands.
French citizens can live and work in Malta freely and register for an eResidence card through Identita for stays beyond three months. This is the basis nearly all movers use.
Taking a job in Malta is open to EU citizens. You register your residence, obtain your tax number, and your employer handles tax and social security contributions.
People who can support themselves without working, including some retirees, can register on the basis of stable income and health cover, showing they will not be a burden on the state.
EU students enrolling in a Maltese institution register on that basis, with proof of enrolment, means, and health cover for the duration of the course.
How to choose a mover for France to Malta.
We never name, rank, or recommend a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that matters on this exact lane. Apply it to any quote, then request comparable quotes through the form below.
FIDI or IAM affiliation
Membership of the FIDI Global Alliance or the International Association of Movers signals audited financial stability and a complaints process you can lean on if something goes wrong.
Real corridor experience
Ask how many households the company has shipped from France to Malta in the past year. A mover that runs the lane often knows the route, the paperwork, and the destination agent by heart.
A binding pre move survey
Insist on a video or in home survey and a binding or not to exceed quote. A price built from a real volume estimate is the only quote you can compare like for like.
Clear insurance terms
Read how transit cover is calculated, what the deductible is, and whether valuation is by replacement value. Vague cover is the most common regret on an international move.
Verifiable reviews
Look for recent, specific reviews that name the destination, not just star ratings. Patterns in how a company handles claims tell you more than any single glowing note.
Written scope and timeline
Everything that matters belongs in writing: packing, any customs clearance, delivery, unpacking, and debris removal, with who pays destination charges spelled out.
Get moving quotes for France to Malta.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from France to Malta?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container typically costs from about 3,000 to 6,200 US dollars in 2026. Volume, whether you share a container, the island ferry or freight leg, and access at both ends drive the price. Base your budget on a binding pre move survey.
How long does shipping take from France to Malta?
Plan on roughly two to four weeks door to door, with your goods trucked to a port such as Marseille and shipped to Malta Freeport. A road and ferry run via Sicily can be a little quicker for smaller loads, depending on ferry schedules.
Do I pay customs duty moving from France to Malta?
No. Because France and Malta are both in the EU single market, moving used household goods between them is an internal movement, not an import, so there is no customs duty and no import VAT to clear.
What is the eResidence card in Malta?
It is the residence document for people settling in Malta, issued through Identita, the national identity agency that took over from the former Identity Malta. EU citizens register for it for stays beyond three months, and it is the document that runs daily life.
Do I need a visa to move from France to Malta?
No. As a French citizen you are an EU national, so you do not need a visa. You register your residence in Malta and obtain an eResidence card and a tax number rather than applying for a visa.
Can I bring my car from France to Malta?
Yes, a car can move as personal property, but you will need to register it in Malta and deal with the registration tax and roadworthiness checks. That registration is a separate administrative step from the move itself.