Malta was the 22nd European country that I visited with my dog, just over a year after we arrived in Europe, in early 2018. We were in need of some sunshine and warmth at the end of winter, and Malta in winter is a great destination.
Despite being part of the European Union, Malta is one of the trickier countries in Europe to travel to with a dog, thanks to extra requirements for a vet inspection on arrival, plus a worming treatment beforehand.
The night before our flight, I was a bit worried (both because it would be my dog’s first flight in 10 months and there was a potential hiccup with our paperwork), but it all ended up going quite smoothly, luckily! Here’s the steps we went through to travel to Malta with our dog.
Paperwork for Travelling to Malta with a Dog
Just like other European Union countries, to travel to Malta with your dog they’ll require an EU pet passport (or other paperwork from your country of origin), showing your dog’s microchip number and proof of rabies vaccination.
Additionally, Malta is one of the countries that also requires your dog to be wormed by a vet, between five days and 24 hours before arriving in the country.
Then there’s an extra special step just for Malta. Malta also requires you to notify them of the arrival of your pet, at least three working days before arrival. This is so your pet can be inspected on arrival by a veterinarian (at the airport or ferry terminal).
The form is available online. The form requires your arrival details (flight or ferry), plus more details including your dog’s passport number, microchip number and rabies vaccination date. Once submitted, you receive an email with a number to go back and edit details if required.
Dog-Friendly Transport Options to Malta
There’s multiple ways to travel with your dog to Malta, including taking a ferry from Sicily or flying directly to Malta.
Taking the Ferry from Sicily to Malta with a Dog
Our initial plan to travel to Malta with our dog from Sicily was to take the ferry operated by Virtu Ferries. The ferry crossing only takes a couple of hours and there are four options for pets available:
Pets in Vehicles: If you’re travelling with a car, you can leave your pets in your car with the window open. Your first three pets travel for free, then €12 for each subsequent pet.
Pet Cabin: Alternatively, your pets can travel in the “pet cabin”, an air-conditioned and insulated room located on the vehicle deck with individual cages for pets. There is a charge of €25 and pre-bookings are essential.
Pets on Outside Deck: You can also travel with your dog or cat on the outside deck, in an allocated area, as long as you supply your own leak-proof pet cage, up to 70 x 50 x 51.5cm in size. Note that this isn’t possible during inclement weather, in which case an alternative location is provided. A charge of €15 applies.
Small Pets in Passenger Areas: Finally, if you have a small pet pet in a leak-proof pet cage, no larger than 48 x 35 x 35cm, they can travel by your seat in the passenger areas. Naturally they are not allowed outside. A charge of €15 applies.
However, the ferries principally depart from Pozzallo, a small town on the southern coast of Sicily, where there are no hire car offices (to drop off a hire car) or easy public transport connections. The location is fine if you’re travelling with your car, but otherwise rather difficult.
Selected ferry services connect with a coach service from the large city of Catania, but dogs are not allowed on the coach, only guide dogs.
Alternatively, since our visit to Malta in 2018, there is now the option to book transfers from selected cities, either in a car or minivan, with dogs potentially allowed, as least small pets in a carrier.
Flying to Malta with a Dog
We ended up choosing to fly to Malta with our dog with AirMalta. AirMalta is a very pet-friendly airline, allowing pets to fly in the cabin, as well as in the hold as checked baggage or as cargo.
For pets in the cabin, they have a generous weight allowance of up to 10kg including carrier bag, although the maximum dimensions of the carrier are a small 40 cm x 34 cm x 20 cm. There is a flat fee of €70, regardless of flight duration. Pet strollers can even be carried for free!
We booked to fly out of Catania Airport, where we could easily pick-up and drop-off a hire car for our stay on Sicily. Its a very short flight from Catania to Malta: it was scheduled to take 40 minutes, but in reality we spent under half an hour in the hour!
Note that bookings for pets on AirMalta can’t be done online, instead you need to call up to book (which we did immediately after booking our own tickets). Additionally, AirMalta states in their pet policy that your pet should have a health check from a vet noted in their passport within three days of the flight.
(One side note for UK readers: When flying out of the UK, AirMalta allows your dog to fly in the cabin, just not when returning to the UK.)
Our Adventure Visiting a Vet in Sicily
The next step to organise was a visit to the vet in Sicily, which would be extra tricky as neither my husband or I speak more than a smattering of Italian. We’d previously visited vets in Paris and Nuremberg, where a quick Google search for English speaking vets turned up plenty of options, but a similar search didn’t turn up anything on all of Sicily…
Complicating things, we only had a narrow window of time to visit the vet. Our dog needed the worming treatment between 5 days and 24 hours before the flight. And the health check for the AirMalta flight was required within 3 days of the flight. Meaning, the vet visit needed to be done within a 48 hour window.
And as our flight was on a Tuesday at 1:30pm, that meant from Saturday 1:30pm to Monday 1:30pm. Although preferably not on the Monday morning, as we wanted to do a trip up Mt Etna that day. Meaning, ideally on Sunday or else the Saturday afternoon! And as expected, not many vets in Sicily are open on a Sunday…
I ended up just searching on Google Maps for vets which listed opening hours and were open on Sunday, in between the town of Milazzo and the city of Catania (the area we would be travelling through that Sunday). I found a 24-hour clinic in Catania with an email address and sent an email (prepared with Google Translate), but didn’t receive a reply.
The reviews also weren’t that great, so I cajoled my husband into calling a vet near Milazzo. Success: appointment made with our pre-prepared Italian phrases and a little English!
I hoped when arriving at the vet that he would be able to speak some English, but that wasn’t the case. He also didn’t seem overly familiar with the EU Pet Passport. He was working in a small town, not a big city, I guess.
He gave our dog the worming tablet and then filled in the relevant section. But when we said we needed the health check filled out, he didn’t seem to understand what we needed (and we didn’t have enough reception to use Google Translate on our phones), so he wrote a letter instead. We paid the bill (just €30) and hoped it was all good.
Our Experience Flying and Arriving in Malta
The night before our flight, I started to worry. As well as the fact the health check wasn’t actually written in the passport (and could be an issue for either the flight or our arrival in Malta), I also suspected that our dog’s carrier bag was probably a touch larger than the requirements specified by AirMalta. Not that I could check, as I didn’t have a ruler.
When booking, the lady had asked the measurements, and my husband said he didn’t know but we’d used it for flying before, so just said it was the maximum. Although it is soft, so could be squished down, if necessary – but only if we got past the check-in desk!
Also, I’d written down that it might cost €50 for the vet inspection on arrival in Malta, but now I couldn’t find anything about a fee.
Checking in at the Airport
The next day, we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. At the check-in counter, the lady at asked for our pet’s passport and quickly glanced at it. (I don’t think she even looked for the health check I had worried over, I think she just made sure our dog had one.)
And just like the last time we flew in Europe with our dog in the cabin, she barely glanced at him in the bag, didn’t check the size or weight. We were through!
After a final lunch of arancini and cannoli, it was then time for boarding. Our dog’s carrier bag fitted under the seat, no problems. (Although given the lack of foot space left for my husband, he was glad it was just a quick flight).
Arriving in Malta
When we arrived at the airport in Malta, we headed for the baggage carousel, as we’d checked in luggage. While waiting for it to appear, a man approached us with an official badge. He was the vet, and while I waited for the luggage, my husband went off with the vet.
He checked our dog’s microchip, looked at the pet passport and the letter from the vet, didn’t charge a fee, and it was all over in a couple of minutes. No issues about the separate letter, rather than the health check in the passport. It was over, and we were officially in Malta with our dog!
Do I Recommend Travelling to Malta with a Dog?
My recommendation for if you’re travelling to Malta with a dog? Yes, the paperwork can be a worry. But just make sure you complete all the requirements, especially the worming, and it should all go smoothly, just like it did for us.
You May Also Like
- Rules to Travel With a Dog Between European Countries
- Which European Airlines Allow Pets in the Cabin?
- Dog-Friendly Italy
About the Author
Shandos Cleaver is the founder of Travelnuity: Dog-Friendly Travel. She has travelled extensively with her Miniature Dachshund, Schnitzel, including to 33 countries across Europe, every state and territory of Australia except Tasmania, and 10 of the United States. She’s passionate about providing inspiration and information to others wanting to travel with their dogs, whether close to home or internationally.
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Hello there! I’ve read your interesting article on travelling to Malta with a small dog (yorkiie in my case) it is my first trip by car on ferry to Italy and Malta from Toulon, France. It’s quite a long haul, what special advice would you give for my pets toilet etc.? I guess to starve him is an option and what about the deworming process? Wouldn’t that make him I’ll? I’m worried about the whole procedure, please advice me. Thanks!
Sheila – I would check what the facilities are on the ferry to Italy (I’m not sure how long it is). Usually on overnight ferries we’ve taken there’s either been a sand or gravel pit for dogs to do their business (thumbs up from my dog) or a deck available (that my dog refuses to use). I generally give my dog a smaller meal than usual (if I’m unsure if my dog will use the facilities on the ship), a few hours before boarding, then give him a walk on grass as close to boarding as possible. Still give water, although not too much.
Don’t be worried about the worming treatment. There is a chance of illness with all medication, but I don’t believe it’s ever made my dog ill. My dog has had it done 7 times now (visiting UK, Malta, Norway, Finland, flying to US, Australia x 2), and was only ill one time, and I think that was due to a vaccine done at the same time.
Best of luck and enjoy your time in Malta!
Hello. Beautiful puppy and great information. You mentioned that you have travelled to many destinations in Europe with the pup. Have you travelled to Greece? Any advice?
Yes, we have travelled to Greece. Check out my guide: http://www.travelnuity.com/dog-friendly-greece/. I also have another guide for the Greek Islands.
Great article! And very useful information. Thank You!
If you’re ever back in Malta, you might find TailsFriendly.com useful. We have a list of all dog friendly spots in Malta with reviews from dog owners :)!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Shandos! What a helpful article 🙂 I am flying to Madrid (from Malta!) at the end of July to pick up my own little sausage dog! I am only in Spain for a couple of days so I too will need to rush around getting the worming treatment and health check done before returning here! I am very anxious about the flight, I hope she isn’t too nervous!
All the best with the flight! I remember driving my little Schnitzel home for the first time, and putting him on my lap in the car to chill him out. On flights, I often put my fingers inside of his bag so that he can lick them and self soothe. I’m sure your pup will do fine and give you plenty of cuddles!
Hello! what a great article!
My husband’s job may transfer him to Malta. So we are planning to go by car from UK.
Do you know if with the documents done in UK, how many days do we have to arrive in Malta? or we need to do it again in Italy?
I would appreciate if you can help!
Thanks 🙂
The key thing is the worming treatment. As you aren’t travelling directly from the UK, you’ll need to have this done 24 hours to 5 days before arrival. You may be able to have it done in the UK before you leave, as long as your drive is quick. We only needed the health certificate for the flight.
Hi, I have read your experience for Malta, since I am going to Malta on August 16th, I want to ask you something…
When I have to fill in the form online, and I have to insert the arrival date, I can’t type in the time, because appears the time when I enter to fill it in, did you have the same problem? Could you tell me how did you do it? I will arrive in Malta at half past midnight, so do I have to wait for midnight to fill it out?
Thanks in advance?
You should be able to select the time and type in a different time. If you are having problems, perhaps try in a different browser. I can do it using my laptop running Safari.
Even if you can’t enter the time properly, still submit the form, as it needs to be done before you arrive, so the veterinarian meets you at the airport or port. If you are flying and have provided a flight number, they will know what time you arrived based on that information.
Hi ! Great article! I’m flying to Malta with my dog on 17 of August. I fill up the form straight after I book my flight but still no one contacted me. When I call to customer service they said my form was declined because it’s embargo for pets and they not taking any on the plane. I don’t know what to do. I phone them before I book my flight to make sure I’ll travel with my dog. I can’t find any information about embargo. What should I do?
Natalia – I’m not really sure what you should do, other than speak to the airline, or look for alternative transport arrangements. I’m really sorry this has happened to you.
This is great news as have bern told many times you cannot take a dog onboard with you.
Great info
Thank you
Dawn
Thans Dawn!
Hey Shandos! Thanks for that great article.
We‘re also planning to go to Malta with our little dachshund. There seems to be no relief area after the security check or any place you can go with your dog. We‘re a little worried that there is no place we could go to relief our dog while waiting for our plane on our way back home from Malta. How did you handle that?
Luckily my dog is fine at holding on for quite a few hours, partially dating back to his dislike of going outside when it’s raining. When flying with him, we always took him outside after checking in, but before going through security, and he had no trouble holding on until the other end. If your dog can’t manage to hold on, try using puppy pee pads, but from what I’ve heard from other travellers, most dogs (not puppies) cope better than expected and turn up their nose at going anywhere other than grass at the other end.
Hi Theresa, my husband and I travel a lot around Europe with our 2 mini dachshunds. They both can hold for several hours, and we never had an issue. However, we always carry a puppy pad with us, so if they start fidgeting where there is no place to go, we can always take them to a toilet, spread out the puppy pad on the floor, and put them there. If they really need to go – they do.
Thank you for the article!
May I ask you please about the dimensions of the carrier bag whether is is very important to have their standard size bag? Our dog is 7.6 kg and to fit in the bag 40*25*20 seems not comfortable for her( and other bags that are comfortable are at least 43*28*28 cm.
Also I am worried about the way home. Do we need to have a vet in Malta before 3 days of the flight home? We are going to be there for 7 days and then we will fly to Paris to catch the taxi to london through the tunnel. Do we need to redo the vet check and worm treatment on the way home in Malta?
Sorry for lots of questions I am so nervous as it is our first trip!
Thank you 🙌🏻
Often it’s possible to have a slightly larger bag, as long as it’s not too large. I’ve often travelled with a bag slightly larger than the maximum dimensions (depending on the airline) and have had no issues, because it is soft and can squish down.
To return to the UK, you will need to also have a worming treatment done between 5 days and 24 hours of entering the UK, whether in Malta or in Paris. With the vet check, this depends on the rules of the airline – most European airlines don’t require it, but a few do.
Best of luck, it can be nerve wracking especially on your first trip!
Hi Shados,
Thanks for the great articles. Super helpful information! We are based in the US and so far have only traveled to Paris with our dogs. We would love to venture to other countries and noticed EU in general is good option. With that said, do you have any advice on traveling to countries like Malta or Norway where they also require tapeworm treatments? I assume this is the same worming procedure you had to accommodate in Sicily?
Thank you!
It’s pretty simple to do the worming treatment. There’s a listing of worming treatments that are approved, most the same as ones you’d give your dog at home, but it needs to be given to your dog by a vet. Most vets need border crossing points will be familiar with the treatment and you can make a 5 minute appointment with them, for a small fee. We also had the worming treatment done in Sweden and France.
Thank you SO much, Shandos! We are going to Malta next week with our two mini dachshunds Dick & Willie, and I learned more from your article than from AirMalta website, or any official sites of the country! 🙂
We are booking an appointment with our vet for the worming, and I am filling out the online forms. We live in Germany and travelled to Portugal and Greece with our boys and there was no additional hassle – the only thing was required was EU dog passports, and the airline staff checking the dogs in (they travelled as “pets in cabin”) never once weighed them, or checked the bags. Only once did the airline official actually looked at their passports! Looks like Malta may be a bit more serious on the checking front – we will soon find out, and will report back! Thanks again for a very informative article and links!
Thanks Victoria! I found that they were up there with the UK when it comes to checking dog paperwork. Hope everything goes smoothly!
Hi 🙂 i am ready for my trip with yorkie 🙂
We have:
Ue passport
Chip
Rubbies vaccine
Deworming
But what about vet inspection? Should I also provide any health confirmation from my vet?
Your airline may require a health certificate from your vet. But the vet inspection is required upon arrival in Malta – you need to fill in the form to book it.
Hi,
how long did the process last, after filling in the per arrival notification?
Do they then contact you with vet information who will come inspect?
Is a week working days enough to fill in and get approved?
(I am traveling from EU)
I’m pretty sure I didn’t receive a reply, but there was a vet waiting when we arrived at the airport. We didn’t have to find him – he found us before we started to look around. The requirement is for three working days – a whole week will be plenty.
My dear!
On my holiday to Malta I consider a whole day stay in Sicily. What do you think about deworming? It is not possible to keep the timing if I want to go to Sicilia for about 10hours only ??
It’s unfortunate this applies even if you leave Malta just for a day. It may be possible to time the trip to Sicily for the start of your trip, so that it is covered by a single worming treatment (at least 24 hours before you arrive in Malta, but within 5 days of your return from Sicily). Otherwise, it will be best to get worming done a second time in Malta (before heading to Sicily).
what about going by boat to malta? also same thing about health certificate and arrival vet check up?
Yes, the same thing applies. On the form that you fill in, select “Ferry Terminal”.
Thank you for the really useful information.
I’m going on a trip to Malta with my dog on Monday.
In order to meet the time to take the repellent, I went to the veterinary hospital yesterday,
I submitted my pet arrival notification today.
I didn’t know that I had to submit before 3 business days.
Did you receive an approval letter prior to your arrival in Malta?
Today is a holiday, so even if I call the related department, they don’t answer the phone.
I’m nervous because I’m leaving on Monday.
I don’t think I received an approval letter, just an email with a link to go back and edit. Fingers crossed that it’s all good, I think it’ll still be okay.
Hi, I like live in Ireland and travel a lot in the EU with my chiweenie. I’ve considered Malta but have been leery bc of the stray dog reports I have read about. Have u any opinions about the state of Malta concerning strays? They can be pesky and aggressive. I do use deterrents that I keep handy.
We didn’t have any issues with strays in Malta, although we spent most of our time in Valetta. We encountered more strays in southern Italy (south of Naples and in Sicily) and Romania. I generally found stray dogs to be timid and that they backed off if you raised your voice or gestured (I think they are often treated badly by locals). We had more issues with stray cats, at least in Greece – our small dog was attacked by a stray cat (with kittens) on Santorini. I would be cautious, but I wouldn’t skip visiting Malta altogether.