UK SA family just starting out...

Hello CarlieChops.

Welcome to Expat.com!

Aurélie

Thanks Aurélie

What a brilliant forum. Hope we can contribute positively in due course.

Hi CarlieChops,

welcome to the forum.

We have several former South African residents coming to our Expat meetings. Sadly it is a bit difficult to join in when you live on Gozo but I know there is a very nice Expat community there too.

Cheers
Ricky

Thanks Ricky

Working through all your pages and pages of posts...

Will definitely show our faces at the meets in Malta in any case - just to say thanks...not sure you always appreciate the value you (and other regular posters) bring at the end of the day to people in our position..

Just with ref to our plans - has anybody perhaps come across unique problems/issues having UK nationality but with South Africa as leaving origin i.e.:

Is there any benefit returning to the UK briefly (we have not been there for 7 years) and then entering Malta from there ?

Once in Malta - are docs/info requested relating to both UK/EU residence (even if many years back) as well as current SA residence ?

Broadly - an EU Malta expat move from a current non-EU expat residence situation ?

Carlie

Hi Carlie,

if you are EU citizens (ie UK or other EU passports) the EU does not care where you have been living before you return to the EU (Malta).

Otherwise it is all about income and health insurance! If you have health insurance and can show that you can support yourselves either through work or other income (pensions,investments and so on) you are entitled to move freely within the EU and take up residency where you choose !

You don't have to come up with any documents relating to past places of residence . At least I'm not aware of anything!

Cheers
Ricky

Thanks Ricky


Just to make it clear - even though we are entering as EU nationals, all our relatively recent bank statements, utility bills, non-claim short term insurance documentation, medical aid statements,household goods purchase receipts, valid driver's licenses, sundry notarized documentation and passports of previous exit will be South African - i.e. non EU.

We're perhaps more worried about officers' reactions later-on with regard to this (standing in front of all the desks in Malta re banking, health, insurance, property rental, our business etc), than problems at entry..

Carlie

Carlie, I'm SA'n and my husband is British. He has lived in SA for over 30 years, and we have had no problems what-so-ever in Malta. As long as you follow the rules I don't think that the authorities are particularly interested in your history. Unfortunately people from SA tend to have a complex about the past. Biddy

Thanks Biddy

We feel a little bit more comfortable now...

Carlie

As promised some initial feedback re the logistics on our Malta move. We have just received some container quotes from SA (Pretoria) to Malta. Eliminating the highest and lowest, the marks are at R65k for a 20-foot and R100k for a 40-foot container (all packed by movers, incl insurance, all levies etc and door-to-door). Hopefully this could be useful info for people contemplating the same journey.

More info to follow as our move progresses.

Carlie

Some more questions and feedback a month pre-move : Huge confusion on our side re the new "no appointment" residency application change. As EU we want to apply by post to be pro-active timewise but obviously cannot use our old post box. If we ask somebody in Malta for postbox use , surely the documents returned will be original cards etc - and as such per registered post. We will not be there to sign for pick-up (still a month to go before arrival). Are we just blind to an obvious simple solution ? We also want to drop some funds but are not too keen on the travellers' cheques/charge card solutions with high commissions. We assume setting up a Malta bank account from outside with resultant funds EFT (with much lower charges/commissions) will not be possible. Are we correct re this ? Any ideas on a kind of fiduciary account that we can EFT to and then access when in Malta ?

Carlie

CarlieChops wrote:

Some more questions and feedback a month pre-move : Huge confusion on our side re the new "no appointment" residency application change. As EU we want to apply by post to be pro-active timewise but obviously cannot use our old post box. If we ask somebody in Malta for postbox use , surely the documents returned will be original cards etc - and as such per registered post. We will not be there to sign for pick-up (still a month to go before arrival). Are we just blind to an obvious simple solution ?

send in your application after you arrive - you are registering your residence, so until you arrive, you aren't resident

"surely the documents returned will be original cards" which original cards do you mean ? Do you already have Maltese issued ID cards ?

As georgeingozo has said arrive as tourist and stay as resident as EU resident that is your right. Once here apply for for the EID, you can use passport for obtaining most services until your card is processed. You may have to pay deposits before you get some of the services but you will get it back once you have your EID.
Remember its Malta / Gozo ( not SA), relax and chill out. 

Terry

Thanks. Did not know that but just received feedback that HSBC has got one branch in South Africa - this should make things easier. The whole thing is just how to get our self-sufficiency funds into Malta through EFT and not through traveller's cheques/charge cards etc. Transfer costs for the former are €70 versus commissions of €1000 for the latter. As you say maybe best to land, open an account and then transfer - we just thought it handy to have it already there on our arrival. A unique problem is also that the SA currency is currently diving against the Euro - so moving funds now is a bit of forward cover for us.

Apologies - also just read that the e-residency returns must be picked up in person - we thought something will be returned by post and therefore wondered about the mail return address..

Just more feedback re our SA/Malta route experiences.

Apologies that this is probably only currently useful for South Africans, but as there are quite a substantial amount of people looking at the Malta move option from here (with many being expat Brits), there is maybe a somewhat wider relevance.

In addition to container quotes supplied previously, UBAG (air luggage cargo overflow carriers) quotes are around R50/kg with 4-7 day airport to airport (no door-to-door for Malta). 7m3 Container groupage around R20 000 (keep in mind recent massive Rand weakening against the Euro).

HSBC SA does not seem interested in opening Malta account from here (no reply to our e-mails) but Bank of Valetta seems amenable with supply of application forms and prompt replies. Transferring funds via Western Union is OK (very fast reply from the Malta side) but only if in possession of a Malta bank account - which defeats the whole purpose because with a Malta account a simple EFT is the simplest (and cheapest option).

Our current worry (especially with Mandela on deathbed) is the scary weakening Rand - as we want to enter on "self-sufficiency". Will just have to bite the bullet and grab our Euros in the next few days.

Will keep updates coming .. hope we can add some info value to this great forum and please contact us if you are in the same boat and we can perhaps help...

Carlie

CarlieChops wrote:

Our current worry (especially with Mandela on deathbed) is the scary weakening Rand - as we want to enter on "self-sufficiency". Will just have to bite the bullet and grab our Euros in the next few days.

If you are converting Rand only for showing the authorities, that isn't required - you need to show capital somewhere in the world of at least the minimum required, but they dont need to be in euros - for example, I showed them proof of funds in £ that were offshore.

Thanks George.

It is just that we have quite a solid line-up of expenses stacked once we land in Malta with school and other deposits, some business expenses, a car (not sure if we will get dealer finance) etc.

With the weak rate, taking our planned container does not really make sense as most of our things are not really sentimental and Malta replacement value now almost equals transport costs. This means additional budget outlay on a lot of the everyday household bits and bobs left behind.

We also need to check that the balance left in SA covers the 23300EU family self sufficiency limit as the Malta authorities will probably look at fairly recent exchange rates to determine if this is the case.

Thanks again for your (always dependable) "rock" steady feedback...

Carlie

If you are renting intially (?) many places come furnished and equipped. Whilst it migth not be your taste or standards, it removes the immediate need to buy everything household :-)

Hi Charlie, We arrived from SA late April with only our clothes in 3 suitcases, found a great apartment in Marsascala within a week and are happily settled. The big expense so far has been buying a car as they're not cheap. We sold all our furniture and electrical goods in SA as they come with a furnished apartment. We will bring sentimental items - photos, pictures & books over at a later date. The more one discards, the less sentimental one becomes!!

goodbye to old life - hello to the new one  would seem appropriate

Totally agree. And when you are free of all the "baggage" you realise that, if you are honest, you don't really need it anyway!

Hi everybody

We finally arrived in Malta on 28 June and have a wealth of information and experiences re the move that we will share in the next week or two.

Thank you again for everybody's input and help - we will try and meet up to say thanks in person.

We spent most of the first week seeking long term let accomodation and used several estate agents including Maurizio Cavallaro from DoorsrealEstate in Bugibba as a direct referal from this forum.

As mentioned by others we are extremely happy with his service and have found exactly the place we wanted. He is willing to go the extra mile in all respects. We can recommend his services wholeheartedly.

More feedback to follow later.... 

Carlie

good to hear....have fun and enjoy Malta

Thanks toon...your continuous assistance meant a lot...

Carlie

Welcome to the island. We arrived on 13 April after living in London for 12 years. You will not have a problem with the heat here after living in SA - perhaps the humidity as you were in Johannesburg - nothing that a good fan (or two) won't sort out.
If you are interested in meeting other SAs, the SA Social Club meets every second month (we had a luncheon in Xemjia Bay last week) Some spouses/partners are British, Australian, French, New Zealanders etc so it's a good mix. Contact Mandy and introduce yourself

Thanks rooikat. Brilliant. Will do so immediately...

Just another bit of feedback and maybe warning to other South African movers to Malta. We made the error of thinking that the 18% import VAT on personal effects from a third country is calculated on the 5.3% import duty. The 18% VAT is calculated on the pack list value (which we were advised by the South African shipping agent to value high for insurance purposes).

This VAT cost for us on just 7 cu metres flown in amounted to EU3000, which was a massive shock, given that the UBag transport air cargo cost was only EU1200. The relevant Customs guidelines are vaguely written on the actual calculation, but we take responsibility for not double checking and are thoroughly licking our wounds.

Has anybody had the same kind of experience ?

CarlieChops

Hi CarlieChops,

thanks for the feedback!

The 18 % VAT applies to everything you get from a non-EU country. So,for example, if we get a parcel from the US with a given value, the PostOffice here charges 18 % VAT on that value.

So you have to consider the value and the possible insurance implications of a low or high statement there too.

Cheers
Ricky