Obtaining an ID card, does this mean health cover is lost?

If you apply for an ID card you declare you are a resident, and no longer a tourist. EHIC is only for tourists.

"Now that she has an ID card I take it she can no longer transfer he health cover entitlement either? " - no, the opposite, you can't transfer your entitlement until you are resident

If she is British, she can get an RHA card, which gives her basic cover - this is applied for in Valletta

george - Okay now I am really confused, are you saying I can apply for an ID card, then transfer my health entitlement from the UK (Newcastle overseas section?). This gives me two and a half years cover right? So I have to have an ID card in place and I cannot be working for this entitlement?

Also my mum was advised to get Maltease citizenship as her father was born in Malta, she was told this would give her loads of benefits, is this true?

if you are working you don't need to transfer your entitlement as you will be covered through paying National Insurance.

"Also my mum was advised to get Maltease citizenship as her father was born in Malta, she was told this would give her loads of benefits, is this true?" Given she is an EU citizen, I'm not aware of what those advantages are, did they tell her - one disadvantage is that she will then be taxed on her worldwide income rather than just income earned in or brought into Malta.

If I was offered Maltese citizenship I wouldn't take it.

SummerRaine wrote:

are you saying I can apply for an ID card,

once you've been here 3 months without a break its your legal obligation to apply for an ID card

I've PM'd you a link covering the following


1. An EU citizens legal rights - residency, working, students
2. what sort of residency is available ?
3. what do I need to apply for if I want to reside in Malta ?
4. do I need to apply for residency before coming to live in Malta ?
5. do I need an accountant to apply for residency ?
6. do I need health insurance ?
6.1 Do I qualify for public health cover, and if I do, what cover do I have ? Are prescriptions free ?
7. can I work in Malta ?
7.1 How much is income tax ?
7.2 How much are social security contributions ?
8. where do I apply for my residency certificate ?
9. where can I get the OR application form ?
10. where do I apply for my ID card ?
11. what documents do I need to apply for OR ?
12. can I vote in Malta ?
13. buying a property FAQ
14. renting a property FAQ
15. Importing a vehicle FAQ
16. What's the procedure for importing/exporting a pet ?
17. Can I use my driving licence in Malta ?
17.1 Applying for driving licence
18. Long term residency certificate

Thanks george but I just want to clarify that it now would be advantageous to obtain my ID card as I do want to transfer my health cover from the UK. I do not intend to work for the forseeable future, as I am studying right now. My husband is looking after our son while I do this course so he too will not be working for a while. It would be great if I could get my ID card as it cuts my bus fares down by half!!!

The guy at the ID office said to her it would be best to get her citizenship but he didn't tell her what the advantages or disadvantages were, just that it would beneift her in some way...

cross posts I will go and have a look at what you PM'ed me.

SummerRaine wrote:

The guy at the ID office said to her it would be best to get her citizenship but he didn't tell her what the advantages or disadvantages were, just that it would beneift her in some way...

I guess the main thing is she would get a Maltese passport - whether thats considered a positive is a personal matter. Perhaps someone else knows some benefits !

I personally wouldn't make a serious decision on a matter like that based on what a guy at the ID office said.

id agree with George too...get your id card and thats a good start (cheaper bus fares)...and then get your ordinary residency certs as that will help with utility bills (makes them up to 30% cheaper) and whilst your in valletta go to the entitlement unit in st johns street near the co cathedral..and get the RHA card (reciprocal health agreement) that will at least give you some cover. the UK issued EHIC ceases to be valid here once you been in Malta over three months and is only valid for emergency care as a tourist. You can apply for a Maltese issue of the EHIC for when you go away in holiday.

you need evidence of health cover to get your residency certificate - its all covered in the link I sent you, but in summary cover cannot be EHIC, but can be

RHA (for Brits only)
paying national insurance in Malta
transfer of rights from the UK
private health insurance

if you use RHA, apply for it and get a receipt there and then. You can then use the receipt to apply for residency certificate. Also apply for ID card - the whole lot can be done in a morning, but you need to have all the correct documentation (all detailed in the link I gave)