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Practising law in Malta as a foreign lawyer

No route for foreign-qualified lawyersHome-law practice is not allowed

To practise as an advocate in Malta, a person needs a warrant, and the conditions include being a citizen of Malta or an EU state (or otherwise permitted to work in Malta), a Maltese or EU law degree, a year of pupillage and an exam in Maltese. We found no route for lawyers from outside the EU.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the kinds of route that exist. The regulator listed under “Official sources” publishes the current requirements, fees and dates, so always confirm with them. This is general information, not legal advice.

The routes

The Maltese warrant

For: People who want to practise as advocates in Malta's courts.

  1. Hold a law degree from the University of Malta or a comparable one obtained in Malta or an EU state.
  2. Complete at least one year of pupillage and pass the warrant exam (written and oral), in Maltese.
  3. Be of good conduct and approved by the Committee for Advocates and Legal Procurators, and obtain the warrant from the President of Malta.

The citizenship condition includes 'otherwise permitted to work in Malta under any law'. We could not confirm how that applies to a non-EU lawyer.

EU lawyers

For: Lawyers who are established in Malta under an EU title.

  1. Register with the Chamber of Advocates and practise under your home title. After about three years of practice including Maltese law, you can seek a local warrant.

Practising only your home-country law

Temporary services by a lawyer from outside the EU under a home title are reported as not permitted, and Maltese law has no foreign legal consultant category for non-EEA lawyers.

Understand the legal system first

Malta belongs to the Mixed: civil and common law family. Knowing how its system works makes the admission route easier to follow.

Read the Malta legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Malta with another country →

Official sources

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s Bar Admission guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the regulator’s own information. Report a mistake.