Malta customs rules & duty-free allowances

Last reviewed October 1, 2026·Official source

Malta's customs quirks are the green channel being a binding legal declaration and the €10,000 cash threshold applying to your whole travel group, not just you. The island's strict biosecurity means even a sealed salami from outside the EU is seized, and sniffer dogs work the baggage hall at Luqa.

Duty-free allowances

Alcohol

1.0 L

1 litre of spirits over 22% ABV, OR 2 litres of fortified wine/sparkling wine/other intermediate products up to 22% ABV, OR 4 litres of still wine, OR 16 litres of beer. These are alternative allowances, not cumulative — you pick one category. You must be 18 or over. Anything above the allowance is charged Maltese excise duty plus 18% VAT.

Tobacco

200 cigarettes

or 50 cigars / 250 g

Cash to declare

$10,000

€10,000 (about USD 10,800) or more in cash, cheques, or bearer-negotiable instruments — in any currency, aggregated across everyone travelling together. Declare it to Malta Customs at the airport before exiting the baggage reclaim area, using the EU cash declaration form. Failure to declare is a customs offence and the money can be seized.

Goods duty-free

$800

€430 (about USD 465) of goods per adult traveller, €150 for travellers under 15. This covers gifts, souvenirs and personal effects bought outside the EU. Above €430 you pay Maltese import VAT at 18% on the full value of the excess, plus customs duty where applicable. Goods you already owned and used before the trip are not counted.

Prohibited — banned from import

Narcotics and psychotropic substances, including cannabis in any form — Malta enforces this hard despite domestic cannabis reform
Meat, dairy and milk products from outside the EU (including cured meats, cheese, butter)
Counterfeit goods and pirated media
Offensive weapons, flick knives, knuckledusters and pepper spray
Obscene material and material inciting hatred
Live animals and birds without a veterinary import permit

Restricted — allowed with a permit or declaration

Firearms, ammunition and imitation firearms — require a police import permit
Controlled medicines (opioids, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants, medical cannabis) — require prior authorisation from the Superintendent of Public Health
Plants, seeds, cut flowers and soil — require a phytosanitary certificate
Drones — must be registered with the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate and flown under its rules
Satellite phones and strong encryption devices — may need a licence from the Malta Communications Authority
Cultural goods and antiques over 50 years old — require an export licence from the country of origin

Arriving: red vs green channel

At Malta International Airport you walk through a red/green channel system after baggage reclaim. Take the green channel only if you have nothing to declare and are within every allowance; take the red channel if you exceed any allowance, are carrying €10,000 or more in cash, or are unsure. There is no paper customs declaration card to fill in for ordinary arrivals — the channel you choose is your declaration, and customs officers can and do stop people in the green channel for a search.

Tax-free shopping & VAT refunds

Malta operates the EU-wide tax-free shopping scheme. Non-EU residents can claim a VAT refund on goods bought from participating retailers, with a minimum purchase of €50 per shop per day. Ask the shop for the tax-free form and keep the goods unused and in their packaging. At Malta International Airport, get the form stamped by customs before check-in (goods must be shown), then claim the refund at the refund operator's desk in the departures area or by post afterwards.

Bringing medication

Bring personal medication in its original pharmacy packaging with the prescription or a doctor's letter showing your name, the drug and the dose. For up to 30 days' personal supply of ordinary prescription medicine you generally need no permit. Malta classifies controlled drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance — opioids, benzodiazepines, amphetamine-type ADHD medicines and medical cannabis require prior authorisation from the Superintendent of Public Health before you travel. Do not carry these without it; penalties are severe.

Food, plants & animal products

You may bring small personal quantities of most food from EU countries. From outside the EU, meat, dairy, milk and their products are banned outright — no ham, no cheese, no salami, even in a sealed packet. Fish, shellfish, honey, eggs, fruit and vegetables are allowed in limited personal quantities (generally up to 2kg of fish products, 2kg of honey, 20kg of fruit and veg). Plants, seeds, cut flowers and soil require a phytosanitary certificate and must be declared. Malta is an island with strict biosecurity — declare anything you are unsure about.

Rules worth knowing

The green channel is a legal declaration

Walking through the green channel at Luqa is you telling customs, in law, that you have nothing to declare. If you are over an allowance or carrying €10,000+ in cash and get caught, it is treated as a false declaration, not an honest mistake. When in doubt, use the red channel.

Cash is aggregated across your group

The €10,000 threshold is not per person — it is per traveller or per group travelling together. A family of four carrying €2,500 each is carrying €10,000 and must declare it. Customs can seize undeclared cash and pursue it as a criminal offence.

No meat or cheese from outside the EU — at all

Even a sealed, commercially packaged salami or a wedge of parmesan from a non-EU country is banned. This is an EU-wide rule but Malta enforces it strictly at the airport. Sniffer dogs work the baggage hall.

You are in the EU single market once you land

If you fly Malta–Sicily–Malta, you are moving within the EU and the duty-free allowance does not reset. The €430 goods allowance and alcohol/tobacco allowances apply to goods acquired outside the EU, not to goods bought in another member state.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Since Brexit the UK is a third country, so UK arrivals get the full non-EU allowance: €430 of goods, 1L spirits or 2L fortified or 4L wine or 16L beer, and 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco. You will also pass through the red/green channel system.

Yes. The €10,000 threshold applies to the euro equivalent of any currency, and to cheques and bearer instruments too. If your dollars, pounds or dinars add up to €10,000 or more, declare it on the EU cash declaration form at the airport before leaving the baggage hall.

Ordinary prescription painkillers and most medicines are fine in a 30-day personal supply with the prescription. But ADHD stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse), strong opioids and benzodiazepines are controlled under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and need prior authorisation from the Superintendent of Public Health. Apply well before you travel — arriving without it can mean seizure and prosecution.

No. Malta uses the red/green channel system and does not require a general customs declaration card for ordinary arrivals. The only form you fill in is the EU cash declaration if you are carrying €10,000 or more.

Maltese import VAT is 18%, charged on the value of the goods above the allowance, plus customs duty where the product attracts it (typically 0–17% depending on category). You pay at the customs desk in the red channel before leaving the airport.

A drone must be registered with the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate and flown under its rules — check the weight class before you fly. Satellite phones and strong encryption devices may need a licence from the Malta Communications Authority. Declare both on arrival if you are unsure.

No. Italy is an EU member state, so your Italian wine is already duty-paid and moves freely within the single market. The duty-free allowance only applies to goods bought outside the EU. There is no limit on EU duty-paid goods for personal use, but customs can challenge you if the quantity looks commercial.

Official source

Malta Customs (Department of Customs, Ministry for Finance)