Exchange your foreign Driving Licence

Any person holding a licence issued outside Malta and the European Union shall be entitled to drive in Malta for a period not exceeding twelve months from the date of his last entry into Malta. The validity, duration and expiry of the Maltese counterpart issued will be the same as per the details of the driving being presented and exchanged.

Any holder of a driving licence issued in the following countries, who takes up normal residence in Malta shall be entitled to have his driving licence exchanged for an equivalent Maltese licence:

• Another Member State of the European Union (EU), or
• A member state of the European Economic Area (EEA) namely Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein; or
• Switzerland; or
• Australia; or
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE); or
• The United Kingdom (UK).

Driving licences issued within the European Union shall be recognised in Malta as long as they are valid in Member State of issuance.

National provisions regarding the restriction, suspension, withdrawal or cancellation of a driving licence shall apply to holders of a driving licence issued in the above-mentioned countries who have their normal residence in Malta.

All matters concerning Driving Licence in Malta are regulated by the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations - S.L. 65.18.

Exchanging your Driving Licence with a new one issued in Malta

The exchange of a driving licence issued by a competent authority in any of the above-mentioned countries to a Maltese driving licence can only take place if the applicant has lived in Malta for at least 185 days over the twelve (12) months preceding the submission date of the following applications and supporting documents:

*For expired licences a Medical Certificate is required if applicant is over 70, or holds C and D categories

Submission of Evidence of Residency

The minimum requirement of 185 days residency (in cases where the Identity / Residence Card is issued after this period) can be proven by providing any of the following documents for consideration of the Authority;

• Income Tax returns issued by the Commissioner for Revenue;
• End of year FS3 forms issued by the employer;
• Jobs Plus engagement form registering client with an employer;
• Contract of purchase of a residence in Malta or Gozo signed by a Notary / Lawyer;
• Contract of leasing of a residence in Malta or Gozo signed by a Notary / Lawyer;
• Private agreement for the rental of a residence between two parties countersigned by a Notary / Lawyer;
• Leasing agreements of residences between two parties countersigned by a lawyer or notary;
• Letter issued by Educational Institution Dead/Head confirming when the candidate started studying there, the course details and when it’s expected to finish in the cases of foreign students.

Validation of Driving Licences

Once an application along with all necessary supporting documents and evidence is received, Transport Malta shall initiate the process to confirm the validity of the applicant’s driving licence. This process may involve communication with the issuing Member State or Country in line with international regulations and practices applicable in this field.

Once the validation process is complete, Transport Malta shall inform the applicant that the exchange of the driving licence can be affected, and request the submission of the following document:

• The original Driving licence;
• The Identity or Residence Card; and
• Medical Certificate, if the original driving licence has expired and the applicant drives commercial vehicles and/or is over 70 years of age.

Concluding the Exchange Process.

Once all the above requirements have been satisfied, Transport Malta shall provide the applicant with the new licence counterpart with all the respective and equivalent details and expiry dates at the counter. When the driving licence card is fully processed, the applicant will either receive it by post or shall be informed and asked to collect it. In the case of driving licences issued in the EU or EEA (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) or Switzerland , UAE or United Kingdom, the applicant shall relinquish the original driving licence.

Licence Validity Periods and Applicable Fees

The validity period, and related fees, of the new Maltese driving licences issued in exchange of foreign ones shall be:

• If the original driving licence is not expired, the new licence shall be valid until the expiry date of the original driving licence, at a fee of €7 per year. This shall not apply for driving licences with indefinite validity, which shall be considered as expired at the moment of exchange;
• If the original driving licence is expired, or close to be expired, the validity period of the new licence, and relative fee, will be established based on the applicant’s age, as per table below:

For information about payment methods accepted by Transport Malta refer here.

Refusal of Applications

If an application for the exchange of a driving licence is refused by Transport Malta, the applicant shall be duly informed in writing about such decision.

Submission of Applications

Application forms, or any related communication, may be submitted at Transport Malta’s offices in Paola, Ħal Lija or Gozo. For contact details and opening hours, kindly click here.

Processing of Personal Data

This Data Protection Privacy Notice shall apply to all personal data related to these licences.

Page last updated: 25/04/2022