Mifsud & Mifsud Advocates have a diversified portfolio of international shipping and maritime practice and clients. The firm is structured and driven to provide a broad range of legal and ancillary advisory services to its local and international client portfolio which meet the highest professional standards. Malta being an island in the central part of the Mediterranean, south of Italy and north of the North African littoral, has always been a centre of trade with a maritime tradition. The comprehensive range of maritime service facilities which Malta now provides has significantly enhanced the island’s reputation as an important maritime service centre. Whilst Malta’s strong maritime tradition has meant that foreign vessels have long been registered in Malta, the last few years have seen the Island’s ship register develop swiftly to keep abreast with legal and technical developments which took place on the international maritime arena.

The choice of Flag for a vessel engaged in international trade may have important financial and legal implications on the vessel’s acquisition, maintenance, operation and disposal, a decision which surely cannot be taken lightly. Malta has ratified all the major maritime conventions. Moreover, since Malta’s accession to the EU in 2004, and as the administrator of the second largest ship registry in the EU, Malta has continued to give increasing and fundamental importance to safety of life at sea and the prevention of marine pollution to ensure that all Malta flagged vessels are operated to the highest safety and prevention of pollution standards. This has undoubtedly made the Malta Flag a Flag of Confidence amongst reputable ship owners, ship operators and ship financiers alike. Some of the advantages accruing to ship owners and ship operators whose vessel/s fly the Malta flag include an open register policy, tax exemptions and preferential treatment of Maltese ships in certain ports.

For more information click below:

• Registration of Ships in Malta
• Maltese Shipping Organisations (Private, Limited Liability)
• Tax Treatment of Maltese Shipping Organisations
• Ship Finance and Maltese Statutory Mortgage
• Manning Requirements on board Malta Flagged Ships
• New Guidelines on the hiring of pleasure yachts through the Maltese Jurisdiction