Compare Euro Exchange Rates in Malta

Getting euros for your trip to Malta

Malta uses the euro, so pounds are of little use for day-to-day spending. Cash also counts for more here than anywhere else in the euro area: in the European Central Bank's 2024 consumer survey, notes and coins made up 67% of payments at the till in Malta, the highest share recorded, against 52% for the euro area as a whole.

Cards still work in most shops, hotels and restaurants, but some small businesses want cash, so carry a modest euro float.

Malta International Airport has no exchange desk in the terminal and sends travellers to Bank of Valletta's Luqa branch, so a bank cash machine in arrivals is the easier source of your first notes.

Best ways to pay in Malta

Fee-free debit cards

A UK debit card with no foreign transaction fees is usually the cheapest way to pay. Check the cash terms too: some accounts cap free withdrawals each month, and Revolut, for example, charges 2% once you pass your plan's monthly allowance.

Credit cards

Visa and Mastercard credit cards are widely accepted, American Express in many larger places. Avoid them for cash, which usually costs more.

Cash machines

Stick to machines run by the banks, such as Bank of Valletta, HSBC and APS Bank, and refuse any offer to convert the withdrawal into pounds.

Mobile payments

A phone wallet works wherever contactless does, but contactless is less common than in the UK, so bring the card too.

Using cards in Malta

Card terminals are common in towns and resorts, but Malta has been slower than much of Europe to take up contactless, and some small businesses set a minimum card spend.

• Hotels, larger restaurants and shops in the main resorts
• Malta Public Transport buses: tap a contactless bank card when you board
• Gozo Channel ferry tickets bought online
• Ride-hailing apps, which charge the card saved in the app

Tips

• Pay in euros: If a card reader or ATM lets you choose euros or pounds, pick euros: Wise and Revolut both say the machine's own conversion tends to be poor value.
• Expect some cash-only spots: Street stalls, farmers' markets, some small family-run restaurants and taxis hailed on the street may not take cards.
• Keep to smaller notes: €100 and €200 notes are unusual in everyday use and are sometimes refused, so €20 and €50 notes are easier to spend.

ATMs in Malta

Most cash machines belong to the three main local banks: Bank of Valletta (BOV), HSBC Malta and APS Bank. Other operators run machines too, and their charges vary.

Cash machines to use

• Bank of Valletta: a machine in the airport's check-in hall
• HSBC Malta: a machine in the airport's Welcomers' Hall
• APS Bank: a 24-hour machine at its SkyParks branch beside the airport

Cash machines to think twice about

• Machines showing a steep access charge: cancel and use a bank machine
• Any prompt to take the withdrawal in pounds

Banks and other machine operators in Malta can add their own charge, and your UK bank may add another. We found no official figure for the fee on foreign cards, so read the screen before you confirm.

Changing money in Malta

If you bring pounds, change them at a bank. The airport points travellers to Bank of Valletta's Luqa branch, and BOV publishes daily rates, sterling included. It does not say whether non-customers can use the service, so ask at the counter.

In 2022 the regulator, the Malta Financial Services Authority, said it was looking into unlicensed currency exchange, especially in tourist areas. Changing money needs MFSA approval, so check any small exchange counter on its list of licensed firms.

Tipping in Malta

Tips are appreciated rather than required, and guides disagree on amounts. Check the bill for a service charge first.

• Restaurants: guides suggest anything from 5% to 15%, so around 10% for good service is a safe middle
• Taxis: rounding up is plenty, with a little more after a long trip with luggage
• Hotel porters: small change is welcome
• Tour guides: a tip is welcome after a good tour

Getting around and paying

Pay the bus driver in cash or by tapping a contactless bank card. A single ticket costs €2.50 in summer and €2.00 in winter and lets you change buses free for two hours. For a longer stay, the Explore Flex card gives unlimited bus travel for 4 days (€21) or 7 days (€27), sold at the airport sales office and from ticket machines.

On the Gozo Channel ferry one ticket covers the round trip. Foot passengers buy it online by card or at the Mġarr terminal in Gozo before sailing back, and the standard fare is €4.65. Taxis at the airport work on fixed rates, while ride-hailing apps let you pay with a card saved in the app.