Family in Malta

Malta recognises family relationships through civil and religious marriage, civil unions and registered cohabitation. Same-sex marriage has been recognised since 1 September 2017. Marriage and civil union matters are handled through the Marriage Registry and Identità. Marriage banns require at least three months of notice, while the required documents should generally be submitted at least six weeks and no more than three months before the ceremony. Both parties must be at least 18. A civil marriage fee usually ranges from €25.65 to €102.60, depending on the place and residence. Civil unions carry the same rights and duties as marriage. A cohabitation agreement requires a public deed before a Notary Public and registration in the Public Registry; a cohabitation certificate usually takes about ten days and costs €9.95 online or €10.25 when obtained offline. Cohabitation is not automatically treated as marriage for every benefit or legal purpose. The Department of Social Security, commonly called DSS, administers many family payments. The Marriage Grant can be paid once for each eligible spouse, including eligible civil-union partners, when the residence, insurance and application conditions are met. The usual requirements include ordinary residence and at least six months of insurable employment or self-employment. The application must normally be made within six months. Cohabiting couples do not receive this grant. Parents must register a birth locally within 15 days. In Malta, registration is handled through the Public Registry at Mater Dei Hospital or Marsa; births in Gozo are handled through the Gozo Public Registry. Parents generally provide the medical birth notification and identification documents, and both unmarried parents are normally expected to attend. The registration fee is €2.60. Birth registration usually starts the Children’s Allowance process automatically, although single parents, foreign parents, parents with different addresses and births abroad can require additional steps. The Child Birth or Adoption Bonus is normally triggered automatically after registration. The amount is €1,000 for a first child, €1,500 for a second child and €2,000 for a third or later child, subject to the applicable residence and eligibility rules. If an eligible payment does not arrive, an application may be required within six months. Children’s Allowance can cover married couples, civil-union partners, cohabiting couples, single parents and separated parents who meet the care or custody conditions. It is generally paid for children under 16, with income assessment commonly based on an income year from two years earlier. A €30,000 income threshold affects the applicable calculation. Payments are normally issued every 13 weeks. From January 2026, the supplement is €640 per year above the threshold and €910 per year below it. With joint custody, the allowance can be divided equally between the parents. Cross-border residence, work and social-security situations require a separate assessment. The Special Student Allowance can support a full-time post-secondary student aged 16 to 20 who is not yet 21 at the start of the academic year, has ordinarily lived in Malta for at least five years and meets the other conditions. It is €500 per year for up to three years. The Free Childcare Scheme provides childcare through registered childcare centres and government services until the child reaches kindergarten. Parents or guardians generally qualify when they are working, studying or otherwise meet the scheme conditions. The application is made through the chosen centre, which deals with the Free Childcare Unit. Typical evidence includes payslips, an employer declaration or a tax return. A parent with sole custody may need to provide proof of full care and custody. Employment law provides several family-related rights. Maternity leave lasts 18 weeks, including six compulsory weeks after birth. Four weeks normally take place before the expected birth, while the remaining leave can be arranged within the legal framework. The employer usually pays the first 14 weeks and DSS rules apply to the remaining period. Antenatal examinations are paid, and applications for Maternity Benefit have a six-month time limit. Paternity leave provides ten fully paid working days immediately after birth or adoption without a minimum service period. Each parent can generally take four months of parental leave until the child reaches eight years; two months are paid at the sickness-benefit rate and the remainder is unpaid. Twelve months of continuous service usually applies unless a shorter arrangement is agreed. The right also covers adoption, foster care and legal custody. Carers’ leave provides five unpaid working days per year for a serious medical reason affecting a relative or someone living in the same household. Urgent family leave provides at least 32 paid hours per year for illness or accident affecting an immediate family member; 16 hours are deducted from annual leave and 16 hours from sick leave. Employees may request flexible working for caring responsibilities involving a child under eight or another care responsibility, subject to the employer’s assessment under the Work-Life Balance Regulations. Since 1 January 2026, both expectant parents can receive seven fully paid working days after a pregnancy loss before 22 weeks, with evidence supplied within two working days after returning to work. The same date introduced seven working days of special parental bereavement leave after the death of a child under 18. Employers can claim reimbursement from DSS within three months. Bereavement leave is at least one working day in sectors without a more favourable Wage Regulation Order for the death of a spouse, parent, child or sibling. The 2026 DIER material also provides 100 fully paid hours of IVF leave for prospective parents. DSS also administers care payments. Carer’s Allowance is available to people aged at least 18 who provide full-time care to a relative with low dependency in the same household. It is not means-tested and requires medical assessment by a Multi-Disciplinary Board. It can be paid to single, married, civil-union or cohabiting carers and is paid every four weeks. Since 2025, payment can cover up to two patients, with a 50 percent increase when the relevant approval is granted. Increased Carer’s Allowance applies to high-dependency care under similar household and relationship rules, with medical assessment; a person over 85 can receive the increased rate automatically when the confirmed care conditions are met. The Carer’s Grant supports a non-working parent caring for a child with severe disability who lives in the same household. In 2026 it is €5,369 per year, paid as €1,342.25 per quarter, but it cannot generally be combined with Carer’s Allowance or Increased Carer’s Allowance. The Foundation for Social Welfare Services, known as FSWS, provides family support, child protection, foster care, adoption and other services through units such as Agenzija Appoġġ, Sedqa, LEAP and Alternative Care. Home Start is voluntary practical family support for households with at least one child under five and can include home visits and parenting assistance. Supportline 179 is free and available 24 hours a day for information, crisis help and referrals concerning child abuse, domestic violence, addiction, homelessness and other family difficulties. Child Protection Services can receive referrals from schools, police, medical services, professionals, Supportline 179 or the public. Certain professional groups have mandatory reporting duties. These services cover Malta and Gozo. Foster care for children aged 0 to 17 is coordinated through the FSWS Alternative Care Directorate. The pathway normally includes an initial meeting, training, a home study, review by the Fostering Board, matching and a transition period. Applicants provide identification and police conduct checks, including Protection of Minors and Sex Offenders checks. Foster families can receive a social worker, support groups, benefits for a child in care, a specialised allowance and 24-hour on-call support. Adoption is handled through the FSWS Adoption Service for local and intercountry cases, with the Adoption Board and Malta Central Authority involved. At least one applicant must generally be 28 or older, and the maximum age difference between the child and an adoptive parent is 48 years. Applicants complete seven pre-service sessions and a Home Study Report before approval, matching, legalisation or recognition and post-adoption support. DSS Adoption Benefit or Leave Benefit can provide up to 14 weeks and possibly four additional weeks, subject to the application deadline and documents. An overseas adoption grant is limited to Maltese citizens, and its amount and country list require a current check with FSWS or DSS. Family Court and family mediation address custody, maintenance, contact, spouse maintenance and related changes after separation. A mediation letter can be requested online without a filing fee; the document is in Maltese and requires a signature by a lawyer, legal procurator or citizen. Separation does not dissolve a marriage, so a person cannot remarry until a divorce has taken effect. DSS may require proof of separation, custody or maintenance when separated parents apply for benefits. Property, contract, detailed divorce and general civil-procedure questions belong to the wider civil-law system, while the family pathway focuses on family-related access, transitions and practical effects. Public Registry and Identità handle civil status, births, marriages, civil unions and cohabitation certificates. DSS handles family, maternity, adoption, marriage and carers’ payments. The Department for Industrial and Employment Relations, or DIER, handles employment leave and work-life rights. FSWS and its services handle support, protection, foster care and adoption. Family Court and eCourts handle mediation and family disputes. Most applications are available online through e-ID or Servizz.gov, but original documents may be required. Documents not in Maltese or English normally need an official translation, and apostille or legalisation may be required; EU public-document rules can remove the apostille requirement in some cases. Malta and Gozo should be checked separately whenever the responsible registry, hospital or service location affects the procedure.