Resources
Banks
Banks are normally open between
8.30am and 1.30pm from Monday
to Thursday, between 8.30am and
3.30pm on Friday and until 12.30pm
on Saturday. Some banks open for
longer hours, but summer hours
are shorter. Malta adopted the euro
on 1a January 2008. International
bank cards are accepted and foreign
currency is easily exchanged. ATMs
can be found all over the island.
Embassies
in both Malta and Gozo. Visitors
receiving special medical treatment
should bring a medical prescription
or a letter of instruction from their
family doctor in case they need to
purchase any medicine.
For any emergency dial 112. The
public general hospitals have 24hour
accident
and
emergency
departments.
Chemists are found throughout the
islands and are open during normal
shopping hours. On Sunday they are
open during the morning only and
they operate on a roster which can
be found in the Sunday Papers.
Public Holidays:
1st January - New Year’s Day
10th February - St Paul’s Shipwreck
19th March - Feast of St Joseph
31st March - Freedom Day
March/April - Good Friday
1st May - Labor Day
7th June - Sette Giugno
29th June - St Peter & St Paul
(Imnarja)
15th August - Santa Marija
8th September - Our Lady of Victories
21st September - Independence Day
8th
December
Immaculate
Conception
13th December - Republic Day
25th December - Christmas Day
Private hospitals include St James
Hospital - +356 2329 1000 found in
Gorg Borg Olivier Street, Sliema and
St Mark Health Clinic - +356 2123
9488, Clarence Street, Msida. Public
Hospitals are Mater Dei Hospital in
Tal-Qroqq - +356 2545 0000 and
Gozo General Hospital, Rabat Gozo +356 2156 1600
Shops
Lost Luggage
Swimming
Italian Embassy
5, Vilhena Street, Floriana, +356
2123 3157, Open 9:30am-noon,
Mon-Fri
In case of any lost luggage you should
immediately get in touch with your
airline. If you are flying with Air Malta
call +356 2369 6135.
Health
Postal Services
Malta has an excellent healthcare
service. Private and public hospitals
are supported by a regional network
of health centres. Visitors are advised
to take out a personal medical
insurance policy, particularly if they
are not EU nationals. EU, EEA and
Swiss nationals holding the European
Health Insurance Card have access
to Malta’s public healthcare and
are entitled to free public medical
and hospital care in both Malta and
Gozo. Malta also has a reciprocal
health agreement with Australia.
Australians visiting the islands for no
longer than one month are entitled
to
92 free medical and hospital care
Most towns and villages have post or
sub-post offices. Branch post offices
in Malta and Gozo are open between
7.30am-12.45pm from Monday to
Saturday. Sub-post offices are open
between 8am-1pm and 4pm-6pm
from Monday to Friday and between
8am-1pm on Saturday. Stamps can
be bought from post offices, local
newsagents, souvenir shops and
hotels.
The Maltese coastal waters are
generally clean and safe to swim
in as there are no tides. Some bays
are exposed to north and northeaterly winds which produce some
strong undercurrents at times. Ghajn
Tuffieha Bay and Golden Bay areas
can be potentially dangerous, a red
flag flies to indicate when bathing
should be restricted to only the most
shallow waters.
British High Commission
Whitehall
Mansions,
Ta’
Xbiex
Seafront, Ta’ Xbiex, +356 2323 0000,
Open 9am-1pm, Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri
French Embassy
130, Melita Street, Valletta, +356
2248 0600, Open 9am-1pm, Mon-Fri
German Embassy
Il-Pjazetta, Entrance B, 1st Floor,
Tower Road, Sliema, +356 2260
4000, Open 9am-noon, Mon-Wed, Fri
Public Holidays
Malta has a considerable number of
Shops are normally open between
9am and 1pm and 4pm and 7pm,
although more and more shops are
remaining open all day. Shops are
normally closed on Sundays and
public holidays.
Time Difference
Malta is on Central European Time
(CET) which is one hour ahead of
GMT in winter and two hours ahead
between the last Sunday in March
and the last Sunday in October.
Malta is six hours ahead of Eastern
Standard Time (EST) in winter and
seven hours ahead between the last
Sunday in March and the last Sunday
in October.