Healthcare System in Malta: Public and Private Care

Malta’s public system includes community primary care, hospitals and national services, alongside a substantial private sector. Access and charges depend on entitlement and the service used.

Confirm entitlement with the competent unit, use a health centre or primary-care route for non-emergency needs, and call 112 for a life-threatening emergency.

Find your route into the system

1. Identify whether you are covered through work, residence, an EU coordination document or private insurance. Use the official Healthcare in Malta service to check the current access and entitlement route.
2. Obtain the card, certificate or policy evidence that proves it.
3. Use primary care for ordinary needs and emergency services for immediate danger.
4. Ask whether a referral is required before specialist or hospital care.
5. Check private insurance authorisation and network rules before treatment where possible. Read Healthcare Entitlement before relying on the summary here.
6. Keep referrals, results, prescriptions and receipts in one health file.

Work out who pays before choosing public or private care

Primary care

Health centres and community clinics provide many public services, but availability and booking routes differ by service.

Hospitals

Mater Dei is the main acute hospital in Malta; Gozo General Hospital serves Gozo.

Private care

Private general practice and specialist services can provide another route, normally paid by the patient or insurer.

Questions entitlement pages do not answer for you

• Am I personally covered from today?
• Are my dependants covered?
• Does this provider accept my entitlement or insurer?
• Do I need a referral or prior authorisation?
• Which costs might I pay myself?

Problems to prevent early

• Using an EHIC as a substitute for relocation insurance or residence-based entitlement.
• Going to accident and emergency for routine care that belongs in primary care.

Confirm cover before a non-urgent appointment

Eligibility and access are related but separate. A service may exist publicly while your documentation or referral determines how you enter it.

Useful next guides

Start with Living in Malta: Complete Everyday Life Guide for the wider picture.

• Healthcare When Moving to Malta: Entitlement and First Steps
• Doctors and Pharmacies in Malta: Everyday Healthcare Access
• Schools in Malta: State, Church and Independent Options

Browse all Everyday Life guides.

Create a two-route plan

Know both your ordinary primary-care option and where to go in an emergency; do not try to solve both questions during the same stressful event.

Last reviewed: 9 August 2026. Recheck the official sources in the article metadata when a deadline, price, eligibility rule or service arrangement affects your decision.