Okay here’s the mandatory stuff. If you can’t tick both of these boxes then forget about getting your licence in Malta for now. So you must be 18 years old, and you must have been resident in Malta for at least 6 months, with a Maltese ID card to prove it.
If you are eligible, then the first thing you have to do is find yourself a driving instructor. There are plenty to choose from, covering all points on the island. You can change later if you want, but you must apply for the licence via a school or licenced instructor.
They will give you a form to complete, and you will need to pay a visit to a GP who will confirm that your sight and hearing are good enough for you to drive (it costs €12 to visit my local doctor, so you should expect similar). Affix a nice photo of yourself to the form, and your instructor will send it off on your behalf. When you receive your learner’s permit, you are now eligible to go ahead and take the Theory Test. You can get versions of the theory test question bank online by doing a simple google search, and when you’re ready you can just book the theory test at the offices in G’Mangia near St Luke’s hospital.
You go to the small office, pay your €30 fee and are free to go and take the test at one of the computers in the back room. If you get a score of 30+ out of 35 within the 45 minutes then you pass and they will print out 2 copies of your cert right there. (I nailed it, thanks for asking). You give one copy to your driving instructor so they can apply for your practical test.
Now the important thing to note about the Maltese licence, is that you are very dependent on your school, so be sure to do some research and choose one that’s going to work for you. The Learner’s permit only allows you to drive with your nominated instructor or school, and does not qualify you to drive any other vehicle, even if your passenger has a full licence. The instructor will also decide when you are ready to take the practical test, and they must apply for it on your behalf.
So if you’re not happy with the school: Change it. It doesn’t cost anything to make the change, except for the fact that you will need to fill in that form again and get another GP check-up.
Here’s a full list of Driving Schools in Malta.
Prices for lessons range from €12 to €20, and may be 45 minutes or an hour. Note that a lot of schools will expect you to collect the next learner and ferry them around until your time is up, so if you think that this may make you nervous then you should clarify with the instructor that you don’t want any back-seat drivers when you are behind the wheel.
The Maltese test is notoriously tricky to pass, but as driving is something of an obsession over here perseverance will pay off and you can avoid those overcrowded buses.
(Image by Getty Images)
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