Best Gyms in Malta - Updated!

Cynergi

Looking for a gym or fitness centre in Malta? Well look no further.

Malta is not known for it's healthy lifestyle, what with everyone getting into the car when they need to go to the shop down the end of the street, not to mention all that nice Italian food and pastizzi.  But don't worry, a couple of sessions down your local neighbourhood gym will wipe away all those guilty feelings, and make you feel like a better human.

I'm going to try and make the search a little easier by giving you a few suggestions.  I've listed as many gyms and fitness centres as I could find, but please add your suggestions below.  As you know, gyms are notoriously tricky when it comes to prices.  There are all sorts of deals and discounts which they don't necessarily like to advertise, so I will  give you an idea of how much money we are talking about here, even though all prices are subject to change:


Here's my list, alphabetically arranged by location from Bugibba to Zebbug:

Electricity, Water and Gas Bills in Malta - How Much?

So how much do you need to spend on utilities when you are living in Malta?

I am going to look at the numbers and try to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay each month.


Water:

The water that comes out of your kitchen taps may not taste too great, but it is safe to drink even though most people prefer to buy the bottled stuff instead.  You will be using it to wash though, and water use for two people will probably cost around €25 per month.

How to Rent an Apartment in Malta

I have now rented apartments in three different places here in Malta - starting off in St Julian's, moving to Swieqi, and now on the Northern part of the island in St Paul's.  So it's probably about time I wrote something about the renting process, as the array of options can be a little overwhelming.  

Here goes...



Where?:  Most foreigners working in Malta will be doing so in or around Sliema.  For that reason, Sliema-St Julian's are the most attractive locations, and thus the most expensive.  You will save some money by basing yourself in Swieqi or Gzira, although you are sacrificing something in terms of your immediate surroundings being less attractive.  If you can handle the commute, you will get a lot more bang for your buck just about anywhere else in the country.  Like I say, we have moved to St Paul's and have no complaints and a much nicer apartment than the same money would get us in Sliema.

How to Get the New Maltese e-Residence ID Card

Evan's Building, Valletta

There has been a lot of confusion regarding the issuing of these permits, which are to replace the old ID cards. People were being told to set up appointments via email,and deadlines were extended and then extended again.  Basically the system was overloaded, with at lease 10,000 foreigners still waiting for their new card by the end of 2013.  In fact many people are still using the old cards, regardless of whether they have expired or not.  

However, I have taken the plunge and applied for my new permit, so here's how I did it:

What NOT to do?:
Do not try to make an appointment or to email. This will not help.

Where?:  
Go down to the Evan's Building in Valletta, shown on the map above.  Follow the signs for the 'Malta Experience' and you will find it easily enough.  Ask the nice gentleman standing inside the doors which queue you should join.

When?:  
Between the hours of 08.30 and 11.30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.  The earlier you get there the better.  

How to get a Haircut in Malta

Well this one depends on your hair, and how much thought you give to it.

I'm a short-back-and-sides get-it-done sort of a chap, so bear that in mind when I recommend Franks shop in Sliema.  This is the conversation when I get my hair cut there
:

Frank*: (nods greeting)
Me:       "Hello". (sits on chair, no other customers yet)
Frank:   "Short?"
Me:       "Yeah, blade three back and sides, short on top"
Frank:    "..."
Me & Frank:  "..."

How to get a Visa in Malta - Non-EU Citizens

(By popular demand, I have written an extended version of my previous post on the visa issue.)
I was fortunate enough (in terms of travelling if nothing else) to be born within that block of countries that we call the European Union.  Makes life simpler at airports.  If you are from outside of that group of disparate nations, then getting a long-term visa for Malta becomes a little more complicated.  I am no lawyer, as eagle-eyed readers of these posts may have noticed, but I'm going to share what I know about the whole messy business here:

Holiday Visas:

This is the easy one.  Getting a three month holiday visa for Malta is no trouble for anyone.  You can get a tourist visa for 3 months out of 6 in any Schengen area country.  Should you wish to extend this by a further 3 months you need to apply to the Malta Immigration department and give them a valid reason why they should agree to the extension.  In my experience, English language students usually have little problem getting such an extension when it is accompanied by a letter from their school here in Malta.  

In any event, you are obviously not entitled to work on a tourist visa.

How to Find Summer Jobs in Malta (2013)

Work in St Julian's!

A lot of people like the idea of coming over to Malta to work for the summer months in some type of seasonal position.  I don't blame you - it's a good idea!  But it is not always easy to find this type of job advertised on the internet, so I thought I would give you a few pointers:

Bars and Restaurants:  Lots of jobs available, most of which can be found by just walking the streets of the main tourist towns/areas.  So that means Sliema, St Julian's, St Paul's and Bugibba are the kind of places you should be thinking about.  As I say, many of these jobs you will find by walking in off the street, but this recruitment agency has quite a few vacancies listed.

Como ser um brasileiro em Malta

Brasileiros gostam de Malta, por uma razão principal - a grande bola amarela no céu que pode ser difícil ver em outras partes da Europa que se fala o idioma Inglês. Malta tem mais dias de sol do que qualquer outro país na Europa, por isso é o lugar perfeito para aprender Inglês, não?

Entao, é um ótimo lugar para estudar Inglês e popular entre os estudantes brasileiros que geralmente ficar aqui por alguns meses. Cerveja, praia, sol ... qual é o problema? Os problemas ocorrem quando você quiser ficar mais tempo do que isso, porque então você tem que se preocupar com vistos.

Ao contrário da Irlanda ou o Reino Unido não existem programas de estudo e trabalho aqui em Malta. Para obter um visto de trabalho o empregador deve aplicar ao governo (que lhes custa cerca de € 250) e provar que eles tem uma vaga em aberto e não conseguem encontrar ninguém melhor qualificado. Em outras palavras, o empregador tem de fazer um esforço para obter o seu visto, e nem sempre é garantido que o visto será concedido. É difícil encontrar um chefe para liberar todos as burocracias.

A alternativa é tomar postos de trabalho que trabalham em bares ou restaurantes que pagam em dinheiro, mas não lhe dá qualquer direito. Baixos salários, trabalho difícil. Não é fácil para limpar pisos ou lavar a louça quando você está acostumado a trabalhar em um escritório ou um banco em São Paulo ...

Há brasileiros que vivem aqui há anos, trabalhando em empregos diferentes e deixandoa cada três meses para renovar seus vistos de turista. Por isso é possível, mas não e segura.

Brasileiros em Malta blog

How to Get a Social Security Number in Malta

This rather dilapidated-looking building is what you have to look out for when you go to get you social security number, necessary once you start working in Malta.  The Department of Social Security is located on Dingli street, about 150 metres from the seafront and on the left hand side of the street as you go uphill.  Just in case your Maltese isn't too hot, the sign below states that opening hours are 8am to 12pm and then 1.30pm to 4.30pm from mid October to mid June.  And then they only open in the mornings from June 15th to September 15th. 

How to Open a Bank Account in Malta

There are two main options if you are looking to open a regular current account in Malta:  HSBC or Bank of Valletta.  The latter generally has a better rep (according to people I've spoken to at least) but take your choice as they are both well represented on the island with plenty of cash-points.  But hey, they're both banks, so it's not like you are signing up to a cuddly teddy-bear foundation.   It's pretty straightforward to open an account.  Bring along your passport and details of your existing account in your own country. Then the Maltese bank will contact your own bank to check things like how long you've had your account and that you're not liable to run off with anybody's money.  It may take a while, as in a month, because when two banks talk to each other it's generally not done at lightning speed.

How to Find a Good Supermarket in Malta

There are a number of different options when you are looking to do your grocery shopping in Malta.  Let's go through them in list form - humans like lists!:

In no particular order then:

Scotts:  There are a couple of these about, and they are pretty good value.  Good for fresh meat as they have a butcher in-store.  Signature product:  Fresh Maltese sausages.

Miracle:  Mostly frozen products at low prices.  You can often see what appear to be restaurant owners buying things in bulk here, which is probably a sign that it's not an expensive place.  Signature product:  Half of a large animal (frozen)

How to Go Diving in Malta

Scuttled ship off North Coast

Cards on the table: this is not my area of expertise.

Although I have been diving before (Australia, since you ask) I have not repeated the experience in the intervening years.  This is because a combination of severe inner ear pain and an all-consuming sense of claustrophobia did not allow me to fully immerse myself in the experience.
Plus I was seasick on the boat going out.

In other words, I am unable to give you first hand information about diving in Malta, but I have spoken to more intrepid spirits and they've been overwhelmingly positive about the quality of dives available here.

How to do your Income Tax Returns

This is not too complicated.

In June you will receive a green Income Tax return form for the previous calendar year, which must be completed and sent to the tax office by the end of the month.  Some employers deal with all of this, but depending on where you are working you might need to complete the form yourself.  Not difficult.  It's a case of putting in your income, deducting the appropriate expenses (for rent paid or 'ground rent' as it's called, for example) and then seeing what you owe or are owed at the end.

These are the tax bands for an unmarried individual working in Malta as of 2012:

How to Get Summer Work/Casual Jobs in Malta

High season in Malta runs from April to October, so obviously this is the time to be looking for work in bars and restaurants.  Experienced chefs are always in demand, and there are usually a lot of waiter/waitress jobs going too.  There are also jobs available in the tourist sector, whether distributing fliers or working as a guide or as a student liaison officer in one of the language schools.  The average Maltese monthly wage is about €1,200, (based on an 8 hour working day), which is not high by European standards.  And the minimum wage works out at about €660 per month - again based on working 8 hour days.  So in other words, don't come over from somewhere like Germany or the U.K. and expect to make your fortune.  However as cost of living is also cheaper, less goes further than in those countries.

How to get a Work Permit for Non-EU Citizens

This is not easy.

Malta is quite protective about it's employment market, and fearful of an influx of non-EU members coming in and taking work from it's own citizens.  And for this reason, it can be difficult to get a work permit if you are resident outside of the European Union.

The work permit is for a period of between 1 and 3 years, after which time it must be renewed.  The employer must apply for this permit, so you need to find a job first and the application has to be sent 3 months before you are to start work.  In order to qualify for this permit you must be qualified in your field and possessing skills or experience which no Maltese citizen has.  As I said, it is not easy to get one of these permits, especially since it's your prospective employer who has to go to all the trouble of applying for one, which obviously makes them less keen on hiring non-EU workers.  Take a look at this government employment website for a detailed look at exactly what is required.

Your other options are restricted to the following:
1.  Set up your own business here in Malta.
2.  Work in a job where they are not too fussy about whether or not you have a permit.  (All the usual caveats and problems and lack of rights apply if you go for this option, of course).

How to get a Police Conduct certificate in Malta

You will need one of these for a wide variety of jobs (including teaching or internet gaming), or if you want to apply for permanent residence in Malta.

Not difficult to get, so long as you don't have a criminal past you have been trying to keep secret from your employer.  What you need to do is get yourself (with passport or Maltese ID card) down to the Police HQ in Floriana - you can take a bus to the Valletta and get off at the stop just before the Triton Fountain and bus terminus.  Cut through the small park and go straight down Triq V.Dimech for a couple of minutes - passing the football pitches on your right - and you'll find the Police HQ on Pjazza San Kalcidonju on the left.  You need the small entrance marked Criminal Records Office.

How to get around - Important Bus Routes in Malta

I thought I would give you some info on which buses to take if you are doing some travelling around Malta.  I have based this upon my top ten places to get to, and assumed that most tourists are based in Sliema/St Julians; Bugibba; Mellieha; St Paul's Bay or Valletta.  I have shown direct routes where available but the '+' symbol means you need to change buses.

to Airport:

from Sliema/StJulian:    X2

from Bugibba:                X3 direct; or 12 (to Pembroke) + X1

from Valletta:                 X4 or X5 or X7

from St Pauls:                221 or 223 (to Buggiba) + X3
from Mellieha                 X1 (only from Mellieha bay or Belle View Interchange)

to Blue Grotto:                             

from Sliema/StJulian:    X2 + 201;  12 or 13 or 15 (to Valletta) + 71 (summer only)

from Bugibba:                X3 + 201; (or via Valletta in summer)

from Valletta:                 71 (summer only) ; X4 or X5 or X7 (to airport) + 201

from St Pauls:                41 or 42 (to Valletta) + 71

from Mellieha:               X1 (to airport) + 201 (or via Valletta)

to Buskett Gardens & Dingli Cliffs:                                                             
from Sliema/StJulian:    202
From all other locations, take bus to Rabat (see below), then change onto bus 202 to Buskett, or 201 or 202 to Dingli Cliffs

to: Gozo/Comino ferries (Cirkewwa):                                              (Read about Gozo here)
from Sliema/StJulian:    222
from Bugibba:                221
from Valletta:                  41 or 42
from St Pauls:                41 or 42 or 221 or 222
from Mellieha:                41 or 42 or 101 or 102 or 221 or 222

How to find Books in English - Secret Bookshop (Updated)

Agenda is the big book chain around these parts, but is kind of expensive.  And of course you can quite easily download i-books but you don't need me to tell me that.  You and your fancy i-pad.

If you want the physical manifestation of a book without paying full-whack, a better bet is to go to somewhere like one of the touristy-shops down near Sliema ferries. You can pick up second hand books for about €2 there and you can usually find something decent in amongst the garbage.

Or there's another option.
If you want a cheap book, if nowhere else can help, and if you can find it............ maybe you can try (what I have come to know as) The Secret Bookshop.

I swear there was a bookshop here a few days ago...

How to get a Job in a Casino in Malta

There are four casinos in Malta that I am aware of, so your options are somewhat limited.  They are (and please excuse me if I've omitted any):

Portomaso Casino (Paceville)
Dragonara Casino (Paceville)
Oracle Casino (St Paul's Bay)
Casino Vittorioso (Birgu)

If you want to work in any of these, you should check out their websites for vacancies.  There are generally jobs available for bar and cleaning staff, but to work on the tables is a little more difficult.  If you have some experience, then no problem, send in your C.V. and you have a good chance of getting work.  Otherwise, look out for 'poker schools' advertised under the vacancies section of the casino websites.  Even if you have had no previous experience, you can sign up for one of these schools and try to master the art of dealing.  Usually the course will run for a couple of weeks in the evenings, and if you are deemed to be good enough, they will give you part-time work and you can take it from there.  Note that the Portomaso and Vittorioso casinos favour people who speak Italian as well as English, as a lot of Italians come over to Malta to gamble.  Roll the dice...


(Click here for info on work permits for non-EU citizens)

How to get a job as an English Teacher in Malta

First things first - to work as a TEFL teacher in Malta you need to get a teaching permit from the Education department here in Floriana.  The requirements for this are simple enough:

- Recognised TEFL certificate (minimum 60 hour course)
- A-level qualifications (or equivalent such as Leaving Certificate from Ireland)
- Police Conduct certificate
- Passport
- Birth certificate

That's all you need.  But if you don't get the teaching permit you won't get a job, not for more than a few weeks certainly.  Once you have this (and it shouldn't take too long to sort out the provisional cert) then you can hit the streets with your C.V. and try to find a school to take you on.  From May to September is the busy period here and work is not hard to find if you have any kind of experience.  You will not be able to buy a yacht with your earnings, but it will finance your stay in the sun.

For a full list of all the English language schools in Malta, go here.