If I plan to move to Malta next summer what should I do to prepare now

You could take out a prepaid Mastercard in Euros, top it up and then use it in Malta as a Debit Card until you have the necessary bank accounts. No charges for withdrawing money etc.

Once you have your Maltese passport you will be an EU citizen, making things considerably easier. I'll PM you a link with stuff you need

Do not stress your brain with unnecessary things
Instead of thinking about a job before you move here, think about possibilities to save some money now for the time you arrive here.

It should be possible to easily transfer an HSBC bank account from US to Malta (at least this is indicate on their homepage www.hsbc.com.mt )
I went to HSBC and it took about 20 minutes to get an account. 3 days later I received the debit and credit cards by mail and also online banking was activated.

You will get used to driving on the left side after 1 week ... and if you make any mistakes, you are for sure not alone
"The Maltese do not drive on the right side ... nor on the left side ... they drive in the shadow"
The maltese car drivers very much like to use their horn, so give them opportunities to do so

The roads here are very different, most main roads are in decent condition (exceptions confirm the rule), side roads can be very, very poor conditions.

btw, my best acqisition was a navigation device (with updated maps) ...

In general, you can buy here everything ... it only takes some time till you find all the shops and centers.

I brought a lot of things from Austria which I do not need here because of the differnt lifestyle
On the other side I left a lot of things there which I could have used here, e.g. stand fans, mosquito repellants, household ladder, pillows/duvets, TV set, sofa bed, etc.
You can also buy all this here, but it would have been cheaper to bring it here.

Do not forget to bring all documents in original !
The authorities here like originals with stamps and signatures
If you are married or divorced, you should have the appropriate paper confirming this - in original version.

I do not know if in the US you also have a bonus-malus system for the car insurance, if so and you are on a cheap step, try to get a paper from your insurance confirming that you on in the lowest level and you had no accident the last years ... you can get up to 65% discout on you car insurance here.

That's all for now, I have to go to the beach ...

You can also open your bank account here in both currencies when you are still in US. It takes a long time, because the banks here would want a reference letter from your current bank as a prerequisite to opening an account. Most US banks refuse to issue one as it is against their policy. I finally got them to accept a statement letter just mentioning my name, address and the balance on the account. I thought it was important to do beforehand so you can transfer money over and feel more secure. In the case of Bank of Valletta, you would need to contact the International Clients Center for the application procedures.

You are right about things you can't do beforehand. Job search, paperwork, apartments etc. is more feasible to do when you actually arrive here. But you can research and plan, know all the important addresses, contact some rental agencies and set appointments. Let them know exactly what you are looking for. As for job search, get your college transcripts now, your diplomas, and reference letters. They ask for them. Not just the contact list of references, but actual letters. 

If you are planning to ship some stuff here, you need to probably do some planning, as when you leave you will still not have your address here. We asked our friends to ship our staff once we moved and rented a place.

Stock up on clothes, maybe some US products you normally use, this is a lot more expensive here. Also, limit bringing the stuff that is of different voltage, even though you could buy adapter plugs, some things just don't survive the move. It's very advisable to get your laptop, iPad or whatever other devices you normally use in the states, though, as here it's very overpriced.

With careful planning, you shouldn't really forget anything, but if I think of something else I'll let you know.

Good luck with your move.

redmik wrote:

You could take out a prepaid Mastercard in Euros, top it up and then use it in Malta as a Debit Card until you have the necessary bank accounts. No charges for withdrawing money etc.

Please explain more about this. Which banks offer this card? Thanks

Go to https://www.iceplc.com/ all the info is there. (There are others.)
Transfer your funds by bank transfer, no cost.