Before you start

eResidence card and a Maltese social security number
Employment with social security contributions being paid
Registration with the Entitlement Unit for a public health entitlement document
Private insurance if you fall outside the contributory system

Step-by-step

1
Get your social security number
Issued when you register for employment. It is what the health entitlement and every other benefit key off.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
2
Apply to the Entitlement Unit
Public health entitlement is confirmed by the Entitlement Unit, which issues the document you present at Mater Dei and the health centres. It is a separate application from your residence permit.
In personWho: You
3
Register at your district health centre
Primary care runs through regional health centres rather than named family doctors. There is no compulsory GP registration, and many residents also use private GPs, who charge modest fees.
In personWho: You
4
Know that Mater Dei is the only acute hospital
One general hospital serves the entire main island, with Gozo General across the channel. Emergency care is centralised there, which is efficient and also means the department is busy.
In personWho: You
5
Carry private insurance if you are on a nomad permit
The Nomad Residence Permit requires health insurance covering the EU including Malta and the UK, and holders are outside the contributory public system for the duration.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

eResidence card
Maltese social security number
Entitlement Unit health entitlement document
Private insurance policy where applicable

Things most newcomers don’t know

Entitlement is a separate application, and it is the step people skip.

Holding a residence permit and paying contributions does not by itself produce the document you present at a hospital desk. The Entitlement Unit issues it, and applying is on you. Newcomers discover the gap at Mater Dei's reception, at which point they are treated as private patients.

Source: Maltese public health entitlement procedure

One acute hospital serves the entire island.

Mater Dei handles emergency and specialist care for around half a million residents plus millions of annual visitors, with Gozo General covering the smaller island. That centralisation means excellent specialist concentration and a consistently busy emergency department. For non-urgent matters, the health centres and private GPs are faster.

Source: Maltese health service structure, verified August 2026

There is no compulsory GP registration, which cuts both ways.

You are not assigned a family doctor and do not need a referral in the way the Baltic or Cypriot systems require. Health centres serve districts and private GPs charge €20–40 for a consultation. The freedom is real; the flip side is that nobody is coordinating your care unless you arrange it.

Source: Maltese primary care structure

Nomad Residence Permit holders are outside the public system entirely.

The permit requires private health insurance covering the EU including Malta and the UK precisely because holders pay no Maltese social security contributions. Living in an EU country on a residence permit does not imply access to its public health system — this is the most consistently misunderstood point about nomad permits across the EU.

Source: Residency Malta Agency — Nomad Residence Permit conditions

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming the residence permit produces health entitlement — the Entitlement Unit application is separate.
Going to Mater Dei's emergency department for something a health centre or private GP would handle faster.
Assuming a nomad permit gives public health access. It does not.
Letting a gap in contributions interrupt entitlement without noticing.
Not budgeting for private GP fees, which are modest but real.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.