Driving laws in Malta: the rules that matter
Seatbelts, phones, roundabouts, alcohol and speed — the rules worth knowing before you drive in Malta, and why you should check the current figures rather than trust a blog.
Updated 21 July 2026 · 5 min read
A note on numbers
Some of what follows involves exact figures — speed limits, the blood-alcohol limit, penalty amounts. Those change, and a stale number on a car-hire website is worse than no number at all. So this covers the principles, and where a figure matters you should check the current official one rather than take ours. Transport Malta publishes the rules that apply.
Drive on the left
The rule that reorganises everything else. Malta drives on the left; the driver sits nearest the centre of the road. The risk isn't forgetting while you're moving in traffic — it's the first few seconds after pulling away from a stop.
Seatbelts and children
Seatbelts are compulsory for the driver and every passenger, front and back. Children must be carried in an appropriate restraint for their size, and it's the driver's responsibility, not the parent's, in the eyes of the law.
If you need child seats, book them with the car so they're fitted before you arrive rather than assembled in a car park.
Phones
Hand-held phone use while driving is not allowed and is actively enforced. If you're navigating by phone, put it in a holder and set the route before you move off, or hand it to a passenger. Wardens pay attention to phones, seatbelts and parking in roughly that order.
Alcohol
Malta enforces a blood-alcohol limit and tests for it. The limit is not the point — the sensible approach on holiday, where you're driving unfamiliar roads on an unfamiliar side, is not to drink at all if you're driving. Taxis are plentiful in the resort areas and cheaper than the alternative.
Speed and enforcement
Malta has no motorways; limits are lower than you may be used to and there are fixed speed cameras on the main routes. Fines follow the registered keeper, which for a hire car means us — and they get passed on to the driver responsible, along with an administration charge.
The same applies to Valletta's controlled vehicular access. Driving into the capital during charging hours is billed automatically by camera, so if you're visiting for the day it's cheaper and easier to park outside the walls.
Common questions
- What side of the road does Malta drive on?
- The left, like the UK and Ireland. Most visitors from mainland Europe adjust within a day.
- What happens if I get a speeding fine in a hire car?
- The notice reaches the registered keeper, which is us, and is passed on to the driver who had the car — usually with an administration fee. It's much cheaper to stay within the limit than to sort out afterwards.
- Are there tolls or congestion charges in Malta?
- No tolls. Valletta operates controlled vehicular access, which charges most non-resident vehicles entering during the charging hours on weekdays. Parking outside the walls avoids it.